Women's basketball has been growing and changing since the first organized game in the United States was played on March 22, 1893, at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
It was organized by physical education teacher named Senda Berenson, often called the "Mother of Women's Basketball." The Smith College sophomores beat the freshmen, 5-4. The game was held out of the sight of men, to keep it "proper."
If only Berenson, who learned how to play basketball from James Naismith himself, could see the game she helped grow now. Big crowds, which include men and women, million dollar contracts and superstars like Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie and Caitlin Clark. Now, as we near our nation's 250th birthday, we look back at the best U.S. athletes to play this uniquely American sport.
About USA TODAY's '250 for 250' series
Now through July 4, USA TODAY Sports is releasing our "250 for 250" list of America's top homegrown athletes of all time. Each week we'll bring you all-time standouts from across the sports world, and give readers a chance to vote on who should be featured.
Learn more about the series at usatoday.com.
You can also vote in a name that you feel is missing from this list by visiting our interactive poll.
Now, on to the list of our nation's top homegrown women's basketball players:
Sue Bird, Christ the King High School (NY)
Sue Bird’s career and dominance spanned multiple decades, as she's thought of as one of the game's greatest passers. She won three Nancy Lieberman awards as Division I's top point guard and two NCAA titles at UConn. A four-time WNBA champion and 13-time All-Star, Bird finished her career with 3,234 assists − the most in league history. Bird won five Olympic gold medals, five Russian National League titles and five EuroLeague championships during her storied career.
Tamika Catchings, Duncanville High School (TX)
Catchings was a two-way legend, first at Tennessee and then in the WNBA. She won a national title with the Lady Vols in 1998 before sweeping the college player of the year awards in 2000. The five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year spent 15 seasons in the league with the Indiana Fever, helping the the franchise to its lone title in 2012. Catchings, a 10-time WNBA All-Star, holds the league record for career steals with 1,074. The 6-foot-1 forward also earned four Olympic gold medals with Team USA basketball. She was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020.
Caitlin Clark, West Des Moines Dowling High School (IA)
Caitlin Clark is one of the most notable scorers and facilitators in women's basketball. The 6-foot guard began her meteoric rise at Iowa, becoming the all-time leading scorer in in Division I basketball history with 3,951 points. Clark also has the record for the most career 3-pointers (548) and won three Nancy Lieberman trophies as the nation's best point guard (2022-2024). After being picked No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark broke single-season record for assists (337) and the single game-assist record (19). She is a two-time WNBA All-Star.
Cynthia Cooper, Locke High School (CA)
Cooper was 34 during the WNBA's first season in 1997, but she instantly became one of the league’s marquee stars. The 5-foot-10 guard led the league in scoring in each of its first three seasons, won the league’s first two MVPs and powered the Houston Comets to four consecutive championships — winning the Finals MVP award every time. Playing alongside Cheryl Miller, Cooper was a star player on the influential “Women of Troy” USC teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1983 and 1984. She was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2010.
Elena Delle Donne, Ursuline Academy (DE)
The 6-foot-5 unicorn talent from Delaware redefined the forward position with her guard skills, elite shooting touch and versatility. An Olympic gold medalist and two-time league MVP, Delle Donne was the first WNBA player to achieve a 50-40-90 season. When she forced a trade from the Chicago Sky to the Washington Mystics in 2017, it signaled a new precedent for player empowerment in the WNBA. Two years later, she powered the Mystics to a championship while playing with herniated discs in her back. Delle Donne, who will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame this year, also battled Lyme disease throughout her career. She still holds the WNBA career record for free throw shooting percentage at 93.7%.
Ann Meyers Drysdale, Sonora High School (CA)
One of the most transformative and influential figures in women’s basketball, Drysdale’s life has been full of firsts. She was the first high school player on the national team, the first woman to sign a four-year athletic scholarship at UCLA and recorded the first quadruple-double in the history of Division I college basketball. Drysdale was also the first four-time women’s college basketball All-American and first woman to sign an NBA contract, spending time in training camp with the Indiana Pacers. Drysdale led UCLA to an AIAW national championship in 1978.
Sylvia Fowles, Gulliver Preparatory School (FL)
Fowles has one of the most underrated careers in women's basketball. The Miami native spent 15 years in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx. Fowles was an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2017 MVP. She won two WNBA championships and two Finals MVP trophies. Away from the court, the former center dedicated time to social justice efforts, calling out systemic racism and improving relationships between communities of color and law enforcement. Fowles encouraged dialogue around high-profile initiatives, such as the "Say Her Name" campaign honoring Breonna Taylor, killed by police 2020.
Brittney Griner, Nimitz High School (TX)
A two-time consensus National Player of the Year at Baylor, Griner carried the Bears to an NCAA championship in 2012. The 6-foot-9 center is one of the most elite defenders and inside scorers in WNBA history. She’s led the league in blocks eight times and scoring twice. Griner helped the Phoenix Mercury win a championship in 2014 and owns three Olympic gold medals. The 10-time All-Star pushed the WNBA into the geopolitical arena in 2022 when, in the middle of her prime, she was unlawfully detained in a Russian prison for nearly 10 months.
Lusia Harris, Amanda Elzy High School (MS)
An unstoppable force for tiny Delta State University in the 1970s, Harris led the Lady Statesmen to three consecutive AIAW national championships and was the MVP in what was then the premier national tournament for women’s college basketball in all three seasons. The 6-foot-3 do-it-all-forward from Minter City, Mississippi, averaged 25.9 points and 14.4 rebounds a game. She was the leading scorer and rebounder on the 1976 Team USA squad that won the Olympic silver in the first Summer Games to feature women’s basketball. Harris was selected in the seventh round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Jazz, but was pregnant at the time and declined to try out. She was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and a documentary about her life won an Oscar in 2022.
Nancy Lieberman, Far Rockaway High School (NY)
Lieberman is a Hall of Famer and two-time Olympian with accolades spanning the college and pro levels. As collegiate player, Lieberman won two consecutive AIAW National Championships and two Wade trophies at Old Dominion. In 1981, she was the first pick in the Women's Pro Basketball League. Lieberman would go on to play for several decades, including for the Sacramento Monarchs in the WNBA in 1997. The former point guard later spent time as a WNBA head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock. In 2015, Lieberman became the second woman ever to join an NBA coaching staff.
Lisa Leslie, Morningside High School (CA)
Lisa Leslie was the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game, but the 6-foot-5 center’s career includes an abundance of accolades. At USC, Leslie won the 1994 Naismith College Player of the Year award. As a pro, the eight-time WNBA All-Star won two championships with the Los Angeles Sparks, plus three MVP awards and two Defensive Player of the Year titles. Leslie also had an immensely successful career at the Olympic level, taking home four gold medals with Team USA.
Cheryl Miller, Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA)
Cheryl Miller reshaped women’s basketball with unparalleled scoring, making her one of the greatest ever to pick up a ball. The 6-foot-2 forward set a single-game record with 105 points in 1982 while playing at Riverside Polytechnic High School. Miller was a four-time All-American at USC, scoring 3,018 total career points. She won three Naismith Player of the Year awards, two national championships and was the 1985 Wade Trophy winner. She also helped lead the Olympic team to a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Maya Moore, Collins Hill High School (GA)
Maya Moore is largely one of the most influential figures in women's basketball for her passion on and off the court. The former two-time NCAA champion won a host of awards at UConn including three Wade trophies, two Naismith trophies and two Wooden trophies. When she reached the WNBA, Moore became one of the premier talents in the league, earning six All-Star nods, four championships and a 2014 MVP trophy with the Minnesota Lynx. Moore retired in 2023 to pursue criminal justice reform, helping to exonerate her now-husband Jonathan Irons.
Nneka Ogwumike, Cy-Fair High School (TX)
Perhaps more than any accolade she has achieved on the court during her playing career, Ogwumike will be remembered as an influential figure in WNBA history for her skill at the negotiating table. As president of the WNBA Players' Association, Ogwumike spearheaded one of the most transformational collective bargaining agreements in the history of women’s sports earlier this year, securing major raises and a slice of the revenue sharing pie for players. She’s been pretty good on the hardwood too, leading Stanford to four Final Fours before selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012. Ogwumike is a 10-time WNBA All-Star, won league MVP in 2016 when she helped the Sparks to a championship.
Candace Parker, Naperville Central High School (IL)
Candace Parker was a force at Tennessee. The 6-foot-4 forward won the Naismith Award, the Wooden Award twice and earned two NCAA titles before being drafted No. 1 in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Upon entering the league, Parker made WNBA history as the only player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP during the same season. Parker is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA champion. She won another MVP in 2013 and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Parker won five Russian National League titles and a EuroLeague title.
Dawn Staley, Murrell Dobbins Technical High School (PA)
Before she became a coach and turned South Carolina into one of the flagship brands of women’s college basketball by guiding it to three national championships, Staley was one of the game’s greatest point guards. The 5-foot-6 Philadelphia native led Virginia to three Final Fours with play that blended grace, grit, swagger and sharpness. She’s still the only player of a losing team to be named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. Staley was twice the National Player of the Year in college, won three Olympic gold medals, was a six-time WNBA All-Star and inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse High School (NY)
Stewart has won at every level. The former UConn great won four championships with the Huskies and three Naismith trophies as player of the year before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm in 2016. Stewart is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, three-time champion, two-time MVP, establishing herself as one of the premier two-way players of the last decade. Her impact reaches beyond the WNBA, as she co-founding Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league, that gives players a place to compete in the offseason without going overseas.
Sheryl Swoopes, Brownfield High School (TX)
Sheryl Swoopes scored the most points in a NCAA women's basketball national title game − 47 − to help Texas Tech to its only championship in 1993. A two-time All American, she was the first player to sign with the WNBA in 1997. The Hall of Famer's list of accomplishments is storied: three-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time WNBA champion with the Houston Comets, three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and six-time WNBA All-Star. Swoopes was voted onto the WNBA Top 20@20, in celebration of the league's 20th anniversary, in 2016.
Diana Taurasi, Don Antonio Lugo High School (CA)
Before the Taurasi turned pro, she won three national championships, two Naismith College Player of the Year awards and was the 2003 Wade Trophy winner at UConn. She later became an 11-time WNBA All-Star, winning three championships, an MVP trophy and the 2004 Rookie of the Year award with the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader (10,646 points) and set the record for made 3-pointers (1,447). In addition to her WNBA decorated career, the California native has six Olympic gold medals, six EuroLeague championships and seven Russian National League titles.
A’ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School (SC)
Wilson's greatness can't be denied. At 29 years old, Wilson is the only WNBA player to own four WNBA MVP trophies. The 6-foot-4 center also has three championships, two Finals MVPs, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and two scoring titles (2024, 2025). Wilson is first WNBA player ever to score 1,000 points in a season. The seven-time WNBA All-Star is a prolific talent on the international stage as well, bringing home two Olympic gold medals plus a 2024 Paris Olympics women’s basketball tournament MVP title.
Lynette Woodard, Wichita North High School (KS)
Before Caitlin Clark came along, no one had scored more points over a career in women’s college basketball than Woodard, who piled up 3,649 points across four seasons at Kansas from 1977-1981. However, Woodward’s record was not recognized because it was before the NCAA began governing women’s basketball. Still, Woodard is without question one of the greatest to play the game. She was a four-time All-American, led Kansas to three conference championships and was a key member of Team USA when it won gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Woodard was also the first woman to join the Harlem Globetrotters.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are the best U.S. born women's basketball players? Debating the GOAT