ESPN Ranks WNBA's 10 Most Dynamic Playmakers for 30th Anniversary

To mark the league’s 30th season, ESPN released a subjective list of the ten most dynamic playmakers, emphasizing court vision and clutch passing over raw assist totals. The ranking spans the inaugural 1997 season through 2026.

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Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) is the all-time assists leader with 3,234, a 5.6-assist average, four titles and five Olympic golds. Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) joined as 2024 Rookie of the Year, logged twelve 20-point, 10-assist games and posted 9.0 assists this season. Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky/New York Liberty) is the only player to average double-digit assists in a season (10.0 in 2020) and is second all-time with 2,886. “Point Gawd” Kelsey Gray (Las Vegas Aces) missed her rookie year with a knee injury, averages 6.7 assists and helped the Aces win two titles. Ana Maria Penicheiro (Sacramento Monarchs) known for no-look passes, led the league in assists seven times and posted a 5.7-assist average. Whalen (Minnesota Lynx/Connecticut Sun) posted 2,345 assists, led the Lynx to four titles and averaged 4.9 assists. Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) retired with 10,646 points, 2,394 assists and ranks fourth all-time. Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) retired with a 4.0-assist average, a league-best 6.3 in 2015 and two MVPs. Toni Thomas (Phoenix Mercury) became a point-forward, hit a league-best 9.2 assists last season and now averages 8.0. Tina Weatherspoon (New York Liberty) hit the 1999 Finals half-court buzzer-beater and led the league in assists in its inaugural season.

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Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon called Gray “a master chess player” who anticipates multiple moves ahead. Former Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson praised Whalen’s reliability, noting she could “put her head down and get to the rack” under pressure.

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ESPN frames the list as subjective, emphasizing “players fans didn’t (or still don’t) want to take their eyes off,” which invites debate over its weighting of playmaking versus scoring.

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The ranking underscores how elite passing has driven championships and shaped tactical evolution, reinforcing the point guard’s central role across three decades.

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The article does not disclose the weighting criteria for the subjective ranking, leaving the selection process opaque.

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• “A master chess player. You're playing one move; she's playing four or five moves ahead of you.” — Becky Hammon, Las Vegas Aces head coach

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• “You could always rely on Whay getting us into our sets and being that floor general. But the best thing about her is when s--- was hitting the fan and the clock was running out, she could just put her head down and get to the rack.” — Rebekkah Brunson, former Minnesota Lynx forward

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