The WNBA is known for many things, but dunks are not one of them. female athletes just don’t tend to shake the rim much during their games. Still, the league has seen some solid hitting over the years from some of its strongest and best athletes.
I have played basketball at various levels throughout my twenty-five years as a fan of the sport. That time with the game has allowed me to understand the history of both the NBA and WNBA, as well as appreciate the important moments that make each league so much fun.
In this guide, I’ll take a look at the different dumps (and dumps) in the history of the wnba. each person on this list has a special amount of talent that helps take their game above the rim.
let’s see them next.
flying high
Slam dunks, while impressive, aren’t a big part of the wnba’s long history. in fact, since its inception in 1996, the league has only had seven players achieve the feat.
That’s not much, but the rarity of the event shows how impressive it is when a player makes it through the hoop. Also, as players become more athletic, dunks become a bit more common over time.
1. lisa leslie
Perhaps one of the best-known female basketball players of all time, Lisa Leslie became the first person in the WNBA to make a basket. She did it on July 30, 2002, when she threw a slam against the Miami Sun.
However, she didn’t stop there. The Superstar would dunk once again in her career during another game against the Sun in the 2005 season.
many people believe that leslie paved the way for future dunkers, and there’s no question his athletic abilities influenced the others on this list.
2. michelle snow
Just a year after Leslie dunked in 2005, Michelle Snow became only the second WNBA player to slam in a game. however, instead of doing a normal, straight jam, she managed to do an impressive reverse-style dunk.
The feat happened in the All-Star game rather than the regular season, which some people used to disparage the event compared to other players, but the sheer athleticism required to complete the feat makes it extremely impressive.
no other player in the wnba has been able to nail as much glitter as snow during that season.
3. candela parker
another much-hyped superstar, candace parker joined the exclusive roster of women’s dunkers in 2008. her hit came in the final seconds of a los angeles sparks game, when she went over the rim on a breakaway.
parker always had the ability to jump. A two-time college player of the year, she was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first female player to dunk twice in a college game.
although dunks weren’t part of his game in the wnba, he’s done it twice. the first was the game in 2008, while the second came later that same season in late July. both brands helped push the boundaries that lisa leslie first set.
4. sylvia fowles
Although she is not as well known as the other players on this list, Sylvia Fowles is one of the few basketball players to have dunked. Like Michelle Snow, she did it during an all-star game.
the event occurred late in the game and was largely unquestioned. While it’s not as impressive or shocking as a regulation slam, it’s still something only a select few in the wnba have ever achieved.
5. brittney grner
While everyone on this list can get through the hoop, none of them can dunk like brittney griner. A pure athlete, she burst onto the scene in high school when she hit an extremely impressive 52 slam dunks during her senior year.
From there, she became the seventh player to dunk in a women’s basketball game and remains only the second player to dunk twice in an NCAA contest. She also had two dunks in her WNBA debut and has 13 dunks during her time in the league.
That’s easily the most any wnba player has ever achieved.
6. jonquel jones
jonquel jones, another all-star game dunker, managed to put one down in 2017 while playing in his first all-star game. As with the birds, this was an unopposed shot with nothing on the line, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.
Her one-handed punch proves that women of all sizes can get up. She’s only 6’6, she’s one of the shortest WNBA players to dunk, and she was able to do it on a nationally televised stage.
7. liz cambage
While her slam dunk wasn’t as impressive or flashy as the other players on this list, Liz Cambage did something truly unique: She slammed during the Olympics.
while playing for the australian national team during the london 2012 olympic games, the 6’8 center threw a strong dunk against russia. Although he also dug in during a WNBA All-Star in 2018, nothing is more impressive than hitting one on the world stage.
final words
Although it may surprise some, there are quite a few wnba players who have been able to dunk over the years. some dunks were easy and straightforward, while others were a bit more impressive.
The feat is still not commonplace by any means, but as time goes on and female players become more athletic, there is no doubt that more and more female athletes will be able to fly high during a game. who knows where the league will be in the next ten years.