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These Women Are The Faces Of The WNBA

Photo: Twitter.com/@Playa_Society

When these WNBA players relax their game faces and let their hair down, their personalities show through. Many of them have participated in photo shoots and modeling, while others became media darlings with thousands of social media followers. 

But these women are more than just pretty faces. Through hard work and dedication, these tall beauties impressively tear up domestic and foreign ball courts, not only winning awards and honors, but also pride from their teams and countries…

Abby Bishop

Photo: Twitter.com/Ethansirois29

Born in Australia in 1988, Abby Bishop stands at towering 6’2”. professional basketball forward/center. She’s divided her basketball career between Australian basketball teams and WNBA’s Seattle Storm, where she began her WNBA rookie season in 2010.

After helping them win their second WNBA championship, Wilson left the Seattle Storm in 2011 to focus on the Olympics. With the Australian Adelaide Lightning team, she won the 2012 Olympic bronze medal. She returned to Seattle Storm in 2015.

Aerial Powers

Photo: Twitter.com/britnidlc

Detroit native Aerial Powers’ career started with four consecutive regional high school championships. Her achievements continued in college at Michigan State, including breaking the single-game tournament record, winning Player of the Year, and a World University Games gold medal. 

As a professional baller, she was on the 2016 WNBA All-Rookie Team and won the 2019 WNBA championship with the Washington Mystics. She’s since become an unrestricted free agent, signing with the Minnesota Lynx for a salary of $190,550.

Katie Lou Samuelson

Photo: Twitter.com/slamonline

Katie Lou Samuelson kicked off her high school career by winning the 2013 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship and 2014 FIBA U-17 World Championship. Later, playing at UConn she surpassed the 2,000 career point milestone.

Drafted 4th overall by the Chicago Sky, Samuelson dominated the court before being traded to the Dallas Wings, who waived her before the season began. She was then traded to the Seattle Storm, where she joined her sister Karlie as a teammate, earning $60,069 annually.

Kaila Charles

Photo: Twitter.com/@Sean_Lyric

Kaila Charles’ championship playing in high school made her a five-star recruit with over thirty scholarship offers. Staying close to home, she signed with the Maryland Terrapins and earned a double-double in her first game. 

The Connecticut Sun drafted Charles in 2020 as a shooting guard and small forward, with an annual salary of $60,946. Charles comes from a family of athletes, including her mother and sister, who represented Antigua and Barbuda in the Olympics.

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Cheyenne Parker

Power forward Cheyenne Parker, standing at an intimidating 6’4, has gracefully swept the court since her high school days. Fifth-overall draft pick by the Chicago Sky in 2015, her breakout season was in 2018 with a career-high average of 20 points and 13 rebounds. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic shortened 2020 season, it was Parker’s career-best. She’s also played internationally for China, Poland, South Korea, and France off-season. Parker signed with the Atlanta Dream in 2021 with an annual salary of $185,000.

Brittany Jackson

Photo: Twitter.com/@brit2525

After becoming a WBCA All-American in high school, Brittany Jackson played under Coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee. She made the NCAA Final Four every year at Tennessee, winning two championships with the team. 

Jackson’s WNBA career began with the San Jose Spiders in 2006. She also played internationally for Turkey and Poland. She finished out her career with the Atlanta Dream before leaving to pursue modeling and basketball academy coaching.

Kalani Brown

Photo: Twitter.com/@globalissuesweb

Kalani Brown’s family is no stranger to sports. Daughter of the former NBA champion P. J. Brown, she excelled at basketball in high school and collegiately at Baylor, winning multiple awards. Baylor retired her number in 2018.

Standing an impressive 6 ft 7 in, Brown was the 7th overall draft pick in 2019, selected by the Los Angeles Sparks. Currently, she’s a center with the Atlanta Dream, earning $58,710 a year.

Elena Delle Donne

Photo: Twitter.com/HighPostHoops

Even in high school, Elena Delle Donne drew recognition on the court. She led teammates at Ursuline Academy to multiple state championship wins and holds the record as the only student to score over 2,000 points.

Her successful collegiate career heralded a second-overall 2013 draft pick by the Chicago Sky. She now plays small forward and shooting guard with the Washington Mystics, earning $224,870 annually. She’s won three gold medals in Olympic and World Cup games.

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Candice Wiggins

Photo: Twitter.com/tinksitlikeitis

Candice Wiggins began dominating the court from an early age. Wiggins lettered throughout high school, receiving a basketball scholarship to Stanford University, and was drafted to the Minnesota Lynx in 2008. 

She won many awards and honors throughout her career, including three Olympic gold medals. Wiggins retired in 2016, citing a toxic work environment. Since then, she’s coached basketball and volleyball, runs a youth training camp, and maintains a personal blog.

Kelsey Plum

Photo: Instagram.com/kelseyplumfanpage

The San Antonio Stars’ 2017 first draft pick was point guard Kelsey Plum. She relocated with the team when they changed their name to the Las Vegas Aces. In 2019, Plum and the Aces went to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The Aces extended Plum’s contract in May 2020 for two years, paying her $350,000 annually. After suffering an Achilles tendon injury and needing repair surgery, she sat out the 2020 season but returned for the 2021 season. 

Candace Parker

Photo: Twitter.com/WBBWorldwide

Following her older brother Anthony’s footsteps, Candace Parker began basketball early on and excelled even in high school. She dominated the college court with the Tennessee Lady Vols, becoming the first female to dunk in an NCAA tournament game. 

She was originally drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2021, she signed a 2-year deal with the Chicago Sky, which made sense as she was from Chicago originally.  Parker’s WNBA career comprises many highlights and awards, including two gold medals representing the United States in Olympic Games. She has also been featured as an analyst on some televised NBA games as well. 

Cayla George

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Australian-born Cayla George has taken her 6 ft 4 in frame and signature high ponytail across basketball courts both in Australia and the United States. She has won several World Cups, Asia Cups, and Commonwealth Games medals. 

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Her WNBA career began with the Phoenix Mercury. Later, she was traded to the Connecticut Sun, who waived her, but the Dallas Wings picked her up only weeks later. Currently, she is back in Australia with the Melbourne Boomers. Her salary is $56,375.

Alanna Smith

Photo: Twitter.com/WNBA

Alanna Smith was born in 1996 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Another tall Australian on this list, she stands at 6 ft 3 in. She began playing in college for Stanford University. Smith won silver medals representing Australia at both the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup and 2018 FIBA World Cup.

She spent a season abroad with the South Korean Incheon S-Birds. Smith now divides her time between Australia’s Adelaide Lightning and the WNBA. Currently with the Phoenix Mercury, she is a power forward, earning $54,809.

Leilani Mitchell

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American-Australian Leilani Mitchell is point guard for the Washington Mystics earning $123,500 annually after signing as free agent. After her collegiate career, the Phoenix Mercury drafted her in 2008, then traded her to the New York Liberty pre-season.

The Liberty waived her when she wanted to take time off to spend with her family in Australia. She played with several Australian teams, then returned to the States. She’s also played international off-season ball for France and Croatia.

Chiney Ogwumike

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dfsNigerian-American power forward Chinenye “Chiney” Ogwumike is more than just an award-winning WNBA star. She’s also the first Black woman and the first WNBA player to host a national radio show for ESPN. 

The first-overall 2014 draft pick for the Connecticut Sun, she sat out the 2015 season with a knee injury. Her powerful return includes three-time gold medals and two-time All-Star awards. Ogwumike currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, earning $190,550 annually.

Courtney Vandersloot

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Like many professional basketball players, Courtney Vandersloot began her career in high school and continued through college. At Gonzaga University, she won many awards and set two NCAA records for points and assists. 

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Vandersloot divides her professional basketball career playing off-season in Turkey. In the summers, she’s a point guard for the Chicago Sky with a $203,000 annual salary. She’s continued to break records, scoring her career-high total in 2020.

Betnijah Laney

Photo: Twitter.com/WNBA

Betnijah Laney’s mother, also a basketball player, got Betnijah into the sport when she was ten. As a high school senior, Laney’s basketball career kicked off with being named McDonald’s All-American. She then played college ball for Rutgers University.

The Chicago Sky drafted Laney in 2015. She’s played for several WNBA teams. Her breakout season was 2020, winning her the WNBA Most Improved Player. She currently plays shooting guard and small forward for New York Liberty for a salary of $91,350.

Erin Phillips

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Two-time WNBA champion Erin Phillips began her career with the WNBL playing for the Adelaide Lightning, leading her team to finals all six years. She has three medals for Olympic games and World Championships. 

The Connecticut Sun drafted Phillips in 2005, and she played for five different WNBA teams over the next 11 years, winning several awards. Phillips retired from the WNBA in 2017 to concentrate on her Australian rules football career, becoming one of the AFLW’s best players. 

Brittney Griner

Photo: Instagram.com/Brittneyevettegriner

Born in Houston in 1990, Brittney Griner stands at an impressive 6 ft 8 in tall, making it easy to see why she chose basketball as a career. In high school, she lettered in basketball—and played varsity volleyball—leading her to a 2009 All-American game.

She continued her basketball success at Baylor University, and then she was the first-pick overall in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013. She currently brings in $113,500 a year from the Mercury. In March of 2022, Griner made headlines after being detained in Russia after allegedly being caught with vape cartridges while passing through the airport in Moscow. With the war between Russia and Ukraine escalating, it’s unclear when Griner may be released. Griner’s ex-wife Glory Johnson has said about the detaining that there are “No words to express this pain.”

Maya Moore

Photo: Twitter.com/@Complex

Minnesota Lynx’ center Maya Moore first played collegiately for UConn before being selected first-overall in the 2011 draft. She was Sports Illustrated‘s Performer of The Year in 2017. 

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She has since taken a more active role in working on reforms in the U.S. justice system, and has taken a hiatus from her WNBA career. Time magazine named her one of 100 Most Influential People.

Maria Stepanova

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Russian Maria Stepanova is 6 ft 8 in, and she wears a US size 15 shoe.  She was center for the Phoenix Mercury, earning $100,000 before she retired from the WNBA. Her natural good looks and impressive height led to several modeling shoots.

She’s been honored three times each as FIBA Europe Women’s Player of the Year and Russian Player of the Year, and a Medal of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland. She also has two bronze medals for representing Russia in two Olympic games. 

Kysre Gondrezick

Photo: Twitter.com/@BleacherReport

Kysre Gondrezick comes from a family of athletes. Her late father, Grant Gondrezick, played for Pepperdine University and as well as in the NBA. Her mother, Lisa, played at Louisiana Tech and was Kysre’s coach in high school.

The Indiana Fever selected her as the 4th pick in the 2021 WNBA draft. Gondrezick’s reaction video to learning about her draft selection went viral on Twitter in 2021.

Penny Taylor

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Australian-born Penny Taylor alternated seasons between the WNBA and the WNBL in the land Down Under. In 2004, the Phoenix Mercury selected her in a dispersal draft after her original team, the Cleveland Rockers, folded.

Taylor represented Australia Olympic and World Championship games, winning five medals. After several injuries—and the death of both her parents—she decided to retire. Her team hired her as an assistant coach. But in 2020, she left the team to be a full-time mother. She is also married to WNBA player Diana Taurasi.

Lisa Leslie

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Lisa Leslie was a center for the Los Angeles Sparks, and was actually drafted in the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997, playing in the league until 2009.  She received an impressive eight gold medals and one bronze representing the United States in Olympic, World Championship, World University, and Jones Cup games.

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She’s currently dividing her time in the BIG3 professional basketball league as the Triplets’ head coach and as a Fox Sports Florida studio analyst for the Orlando Magic. She holds the distinction of being the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. 

Dearica Hamby

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Dearica Hamby’s college career at Wake Forest concluded in 2015, breaking the school’s scoring and rebounding records. Later that year, she was the sixth-overall draft pick by the Las Vegas Aces as a forward with an annual salary of $152,300.

Hamby tied the WNBA record for most double-doubles off the bench.. She was named Sixth Woman of the Year for 2019 and 2020. Hamby suffered a knee injury In September 2020, keeping her out for the rest of the season.

Skylar Diggins-Smith

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Notre Dame alumnus Skylar Diggins-Smith led the Fighting Irish to three Final Fours and two NCAA championships. The Tulsa Shock drafted the point guard in 2013, and she followed the franchise’s relocation to the Dallas Wings.

The four-time gold medal winner played the entire 2018 while pregnant. She then sat out the 2019 season for postpartum depression. Displeased with the Wings’ lack of support, she was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, earning $221,450 annually.

Diana Taurasi

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Considered one of the greatest female players of all time, Diana Taurasi distinguished herself in high school and college basketball. She’s won dozens of awards as point guard and shooting guard for the Phoenix Mercury, earning $119,500 annually.

In 2020, Taurasi honored Kobe Bryant—who nicknamed her “White Mamba”—after his untimely death, wearing his name and number on a game jersey later autographed for auction. In that game, she scored a season-high 34 points. In 2017, Taurasi married former Mercury teammate Penny Taylor. 

Jasmine Lister

Photo: Twitter.com/TheUConnBlog

Starting point guard Jasmine Lister began her basketball career at Vanderbilt University. She was a four-time ALL-SEC honoree. She also happens to have an identical twin sister, named Cinnamon. 

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After the Seattle Storm released her after their 2014 training camp, Lister accepted a position as an assistant coach for the University of Connecticut. The following season, the Los Angeles Sparks signed her. She resigned from her coaching position with UConn in 2020. 

Bria Hartley

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Bria Hartley grew up playing basketball with her brothers and joined a varsity squad in eighth grade. Throughout her high school and college years, Hartley excelled in the sport, winning awards and championships while maintaining high-ranking academic success.

She continues to excel in her professional WNBA career and off-season international play, including earning gold and silver medals. Currently, she’s a free agent point guard for the Phoenix Mercury, earning a salary of $190,550.

Lauren Jackson

Photo: Twitter.comAmazonChique

After ten years playing for the WNBL in Australia, Lauren Jackson played as a power forward and center for WNBA’s Seattle Storm for another 11 years. She also has nine medals—two gold—for the Olympics, World Championship, and Commonwealth Games. 

Considered one of the world’s best players, she was honored with the renaming of the Albury Sports Stadium. A series of injuries and surgeries led to her 2016 retirement. In 2020, she was inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Gabby Williams

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Power forward Gabby Williams has dual citizenship, being American and French. The Chicago Sky drafted her 4th overall in the first round in 2018. Like many WNBA players, Williams plays internationally in the off-season.

In high school, she was a two-time player of the year as a track and field high jumper in addition to playing basketball. She earned several awards and championships, finishing 22nd all-time in scoring at the University of Connecticut.

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Glory Johnson

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Glory Johnson is a power forward who played collegiately for the University of Tennessee. In 2011, she represented the United States at the Summer Universiade, earning a gold medal and tying for second place on the team.

The Tulsa Shock drafted her in 2012. She remained on the team through their relocation and name change to the Dallas Wings. She’s played off-season for Russia and China. As of 2020, she plays for the Atlanta Dream, earning $215,000. Johnson was married to Brittney Griner before they divorced shortly afterward.  

Jennifer Lacy

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When Jennifer Lacy graduated high school, colleges along the West Coast lined up to recruit her. She landed on Pepperdine as a forward, where she racked up almost 1,000 career points. 

In 2006, she was the first player to make a WNBA roster from the West Coast Conference. Lacy played for five teams over her 9-year WNBA career and played off-season in China.

Stefanie Dolson

Photo: Twitter.com/@nbcchicago

After playing volleyball and basketball in high school, center Stefanie Dolson led UConn to two consecutive national championships wins. The Washington Mystics drafted Dolson sixth overall in the 2014 WNBA draft. 

Multiple award and honor winner Dolson has played internationally in the off-season for Russia, Turkey, China, and Italy. Currently, she is a free agent signed to the Chicago Sky for an annual salary of $180,250.

Jordin Canada

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Seattle Storm point guard Jordin Canada played basketball collegiately for the UCLA. There, she racked up tons of awards, and ended her collegiate career with six top-five records.

She was the fifth overall draft pick in the 2018 WNBA draft, and she helped the Storm win the WNBA championship in her rookie year and again in her third year. Canada has also played internationally in the off-season.

Kayla McBride

Photo: Twitter.com/Womenhoops

Shooting guard Kayla McBride’s college career with Notre Dame racked up four Final Fours and three NCAA championships. It’s little wonder the San Antonio Stars drafted her third overall in 2014. She followed the team’s relocation and renaming when they became the Las Vegas Aces.

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After a disappointing loss to the Seattle Storm in the finals in 2020, McBride became an unrestricted free agent, signing with the Minnesota Lynx in 2021 with a $190,550 salary annually. 

Sylvia Fowles

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Sylvia Fowles had a championship high school career, followed by winning many awards during college at LSU. The Chicago Sky picked her in the 2008 WNBA draft and re-signed her after her rookie year. 

A six-time WNBA All-Star, she also has four gold medals representing the United States in Olympic and World Championship games. Currently, Fowles is with the Minnesota Lynx, who signed her in 2015, earning a salary of $115,627.

Kia Nurse

Photo: Twitter.com/@SInow

Canadian point guard Kia Nurse has been playing basketball competitively since she was seven years old.  The New York Liberty drafted her in 2018. The following year, she was a starter in the WNBA All-Star Game, where she was only the third Canadian to play.

She has won three gold medals and a silver medal in the AmeriCup and Pan American Games. She currently earns $57,000 a year with the Phoenix Mercury.

Seimone Augustus

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Seimone Delicia Augustus has earned many awards and honors over her career, including five medals while representing the United States in Olympic and World Championship games. She is also one of the WNBA’s most recognizable faces. 

With the Minnesota Lynx, Augustus led the team to many championship titles. After 14 years, contract negotiations broke down between her and the Lynx, and the eight-time All-Star left to sign with the Los Angeles Sparks for $70,040 annually.

Kiara Leslie

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Kiara Leslie was the 10th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA draft. She was selected by the Washington Mystics and signed a contract for an annual salary of $58,710. The six-foot shooting guard averaged nearly 22 minutes per game as a rookie, leading her team in rebounds.

Before going pro, Leslie—a criminal justice major—played for the University of Maryland Terrapins for two years. She was an Academic All-Big Ten, but suffered an off-season injury after her sophomore season. She then transferred to North Carolina State, earning three All-ACC honors.

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Chelsea Gray

Photo: Twitter.com/@WNBA

Point guard Chelsea Gray began her career with the Duke Blue Devils. A knee fracture cost her half her junior and all of her senior years on the court. Having already made a name for herself, the Connecticut Sun still drafted her after college.

She rebounded healthy and ready to play, winning championships with the Los Angeles Sparks, as well as with international teams of Spain and Turkey. Gray signed a multi-year deal with the Las Vegas Aces in 2021 with an annual salary of $190,500.

Kristine Anigwe

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Kristine Anigwe was born in London and became an American citizen in 2014 at age 17. She was the ninth-overall draft pick by the Connecticut Sun, but was traded to the Dallas Wings in 2019 and then to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2020.

She plays center and power forward, and earns a salary of $58,710 a year. She attended UCLA-Berkeley for college, where she majored in sociology. Anigwe is also active on Instagram with over 30k followers.

Tayler Hill

Photo: Twitter.com/@WNBA

Shooting guard Tayler Hill was a rising star throughout her high school and college career, honored multiple times as Player of the Year. The Washington Mystics picked her in the 2013 draft, though she took time off in 2014 to give birth to her first child.  

In 2017, the Mystics re-signed her as a free agent, but later that year, she suffered an ACL tear that ruled her out for the remainder of the season. The Mystics traded her to the Dallas Wings. Currently, she’s with the New York Liberty.

A’ja Wilson

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A’ja Wilson’s brilliant career started in NCAA college basketball at the University of South Carolina. Her South Carolina records include three-straight awards of SEC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American, and all-time leading scorer. 

Wilson was the first-overall draft pick in 2018 by the Las Vegas Aces. She is their power forward—playing number 22—with a salary of $70,040. Wilson also played off-season for the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s Shaanxi Red Wolves.

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Amanda Zahui Bazoukou

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Amanda Zahui Bazoukou began playing basketball on the Swedish national team at age 13. She later played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers for three seasons. Her career-high was in 2015, with a Big Ten Conference-record-breaking 29 rebounds.

She was a second-overall draft pick by the Tulsa Shock. After playing a season in Russia— and shortening her professional name to Zahui B—she returned to the WNBA. She presently plays center for the Los Angeles Sparks for a $135,000 salary.

Satou Sabally

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During German-American Satou Sabally’s successful collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks, she entered the 2020 WNBA draft after reaching the minimum draft eligibility age of 22. The Dallas Wings drafted the 6 ft 4 in small forward as the 2nd overall pick that year.

Sabally was named to the AP All-Rookie team that same year. She currently earns $69,300 annually. Sabally embraces political activism, representing at the NCAA 2019 Leadership forum and the WNBA Social Justice Council, and partnering with UNICEF. 

Monique Billings

Photo: Pinterest.com/Monique Billings

Monique Billings not only lettered in basketball all four years of high school, but she was also a high jumper on the track and field team. After a successful collegiate career at UCLA, the Atlanta Dream drafted her as power forward for an annual salary of $70,040.

Billings also plays off-season for the South Korean team Asan Woori Bank Wibee. She is popular on Instagram with over 100k followers, often showing her more casual side mixed in with pictures from the court.

Napheesa Collier

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Selected 6th overall by the Minnesota Lynx in 2019, power forward Naphessa Collier scored the second-highest rookie debut ever in the WNBA. She also played more minutes per game than any previous player, leading to a Rookie of the Year award.

Picked after an impressive colligate career with the UConn Huskies, Collier’s annual salary is $58,710. During the 2020 season, the WNBA bubble caused by the COVID pandemic prompted Collier to begin a podcast with A’ja Wilson.

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Lexie Brown

The Connecticut Sun drafted former Maryland Terrapin and Duke University Blue Devil Lexie Brown as a point guard and shooting guard in 2018. She saw action in 22 games of her rookie season. In the off-season, she signed with Hungary’s CMB Cargo Uni Györ.

The Minnesota Lynx obtained her in a trade in 2019. That year, she earned scored a career-high 21 points in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Renee Montgomery

Photo: Twitter.com/@AtlantaDream

Point guard Renee Montgomery followed a circuitous route of trades through her career with the WNBA. After the Minnesota Lynx selected her in the 2009 WNBA Draft, she was traded to the Connecticut Sun, then the Seattle Storm, before the Minnesota Lynx reacquired her.

In 2018, the Atlanta Dream signed Montgomery for a multi-year deal at $105,000 annually. That season, she broke several records and scored career-highs in points. She skipped the 2020 season during the COVID pandemic and announced her retirement in 2021.

Liz Cambage

Photo: Twitter.com/@BR_NBA

Towering at 6 ft 8 in, center Liz Cambage was born in London but grew up in Australia. When the Tulsa Shock drafted her in 2011, she outspokenly expressed reluctance to be a franchise player, wanting only to improve her gameplay.

She left after three seasons with Tulsa, signing with the Dallas Wings after five years away from the WNBA. She currently divides her basketball career between Australia’s Southside Flyers and the WNBA Las Vegas Aces—where she earns $221,450 annually.

Natalie Achonwa

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When the Indiana Fever drafted power forward Natalie Achonwa in 2014, she was still recovering from a knee injury she sustained in the NCAA playoffs while she played for Notre Dame. So, her rookie year didn’t technically start until 2015. 

After several years with the bottom-ranking Fever, Achonwa left to sign a multi-year deal with the Minnesota Lynx as a free agent, earninhg $164,500 annually. She has three medals from representing Canada in the AmeriCup and Pan American games.

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Nneka Ogwumike

Photo: Twitter.com/@WNBA

Nigerian-American power forward Nneka Ogwumike brought an impressive high school and collegiate record with her when the Los Angeles Sparks drafted her in 2012. In her off-seasons, she’s played internationally for Russia and Poland. 

The Sparks resigned her in 2021 for $63,710 annually on a multi-year deal. She’s represented the United States at World Cup, Universiade, and U19 World Championship games, earning four gold medals.

Sidney Spencer

Photo: Twitter.com/prizesandcontests

Sidney Spencer began her basketball career in high school, winning multiple honors for Player of the Year and MVP at state finals. She continued playing well at the University of Tennessee, earning three SEC All-Academic honors.

Spencer tore her ACL in her second year at Tennessee, missing most of the season. As a WNBA shooting guard and small forward, she has played for the Los Angeles Sparks, the New York Liberty, and the Phoenix Mercury. She is currently a free agent.

Tiffany Mitchell

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Tiffany Mitchell’s impressive collegiate basketball career at the University of South Carolina included SEC Player of the Year twice and first-team All-SEC three times. She also represented the United States in the 2014 World Championship, earning a gold medal.

The Indiana Fever selected her as shooting guard number 25 at the 2016 WNBA draft. She was on the starting line-up in her rookie year, playing an unprecedented 32 minutes against the Dallas Wings. She is still with the Fever, earning an annual salary of $144,200.

Sue Bird

Photo: Twitter.com/riotmatt00

Israeli-American Sue Bird has been a point guard for the Seattle Storm since 2002, and she holds the WNBA league record for most assists. Bird has been an 11-time WNBA All-Star. Bird is also known to U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who has made waves for her political activism.

She also has eight gold medals and a bronze representing the United States in Olympic and World Championship games. Her annual salary with the Storm is $221,450. In her off-season, she’s played for teams in Russia with some of her fellow Storm teammates.

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Swin Cash

All-American forward for the University of Connecticut’s Huskies, Swim Cash led the team to two NCAA championships and was recognized as an inaugural Huskies of Honor. She’s won three gold medals for Olympic and World Championship games.

She’s appeared in her off-season as an analyst on ESPN’s NBA Fastbreak. Now retired from playing basketball, Cash is a vice president over operations and team development for the NBA New Orleans Pelicans. She is also involved in political activism.

Sydney Carter

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Texas A&M alumnus Sydney Carter led the Aggies to an NCAA title in her junior year, the university’s first and only women’s championship. The Chicago Sky picked her up the following year. She also played for seven years overseas.

In a WNBA Q&A, Carter revealed she has acrophobia and is superstitious about her pre-game dressing habits. She retired in 2015. In 2020, Texas A&M’s head coach Gary Blair hired Carter onto the coaching staff as a video coordinator.

Te’a Cooper

Photo: Twitter.com/@_TheShawn

No stranger to basketball after an impressive high school and college career, the Phoenix Mercury drafted newcomer Te’a Cooper in 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic led to player cuts, including Cooper. 

The Los Angeles Sparks saw this as an opportunity. They grabbed Cooper as point guard with an annual salary of $58,170. Her best game to date was played in August 2020 against the Washington Mystics, scoring ten points and three assists.

Victoria Vivians

Photo: Twitter.com/@CLSports

Shooting guard Victoria Vivians excelled in college basketball with the Mississippi State Bulldogs. She played in four NCAA tournaments and two championship games. Vivians was also a three-time first-team All-SEC.

In 2018, she won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for best shooting guard in Division 1 competition. The Indiana Fever drafted her that year  and she currently earns an annual salary of $62,041.

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