Many WNBA players have been deemed the greatest of all time (GOAT) over the last 25 years, but now fans can vote for their GOAT by using the first-ever “Vote for the GOAT” program.
On Sunday, September 5th, the WNBA announced the selection of “The W25,” a collection of the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history and as expected Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings made the list!
A five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Catchings was also a 12-time All-WNBA selection, 12-time All-Defensive pick and 10-time All-Star. The 2011 MVP won a title and Finals MVP award, was a Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner, and was part of the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame Induction Class. Catchings is currently the Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager of the Indiana Fever.
Click the button below to cast your vote for Tamika as the GOAT!
What is the W25?
In March, the WNBA introduced the “The W25” platform in order to select and honor the 25 most dominant, skilled and entertaining players in league history. These game-changing athletes were selected based on their overall contribution to the league and community by a panel of select media and women’s basketball pioneers.
The selection of “The W25” began with a list of 72 nominees chosen based on factors such as on-court performance and ability, leadership, sportsmanship and community service, and contributions to team success. A select panel of media members and women’s basketball pioneers and advocates then cast the votes that determined “The W25.”
The nominees were required to have been a member of a WNBA team for at least two seasons and met four of the following seven criteria: won a major individual award; selected to either the All-WNBA First Team or All-WNBA Second Team; selected to either the WNBA All-Defensive First Team or WNBA All-Defensive Second Team; selected to the WNBA All-Star Game; a member of a WNBA Championship team; currently ranked among the top 40 career leaders in at least one major statistical category; and/or a recipient of the WNBA’s season-long Community Assist Award.
Who Made the Final W25 List?
The W25” includes 10 current players: Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry, Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi.
Fifteen retired players are also among the honorees: Seimone Augustus, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Becky Hammon, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, Ticha Penicheiro, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Smith, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Lindsay Whalen.
| Name | Team(s) |
| Seimone Augustus | Minnesota Lynx (2006-19), Los Angeles Sparks (2020) |
| Sue Bird* | Seattle Storm (2002-present) |
| Swin Cash | Detroit Shock (2002-07), Seattle Storm (2008-11), Chicago Sky (2012-13), Atlanta Dream (2014), New York Liberty (2014-16) |
| Tamika Catchings | Indiana Fever (2002-16) |
| Tina Charles* | Connecticut Sun (2010-13), New York Liberty (2014-19), Washington Mystics (Current) |
| Cynthia Cooper | Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2003) |
| Elena Delle Donne* | Chicago Sky (2013-2016), Washington Mystics (2017-Current) |
| Sylvia Fowles* | Chicago Sky (2008-14), Minnesota Lynx (2015-present) |
| Yolanda Griffith | Sacramento Monarchs (1999-2007), Seattle Storm (2008), Indiana Fever (2009) |
| Brittney Griner* | Phoenix Mercury (2013-present) |
| Becky Hammon | New York Liberty (1999-2006), San Antonio Stars (2007-2014) |
| Lauren Jackson | Seattle Storm (2001-12) |
| Lisa Leslie | Los Angeles Sparks (1997-2006, 2008-09) |
| Angel McCoughtry* | Atlanta Dream (2009-2016, 2018-19), Las Vegas Aces (2020-present) |
| Maya Moore | Minnesota Lynx (2011-18) |
| Nneka Ogwumike* | Los Angeles Sparks (2012-present) |
| Candace Parker* | Los Angeles Sparks (2008-20), Chicago Sky (Current) |
| Ticha Penicheiro | Sacramento Monarchs (1998-2009), Los Angeles Sparks (2010-11), Chicago Sky (2012) |
| Cappie Pondexter | Phoenix Mercury (2006-09), New York Liberty (2010-14), Chicago Sky (2015-17), Los Angeles/Indiana (2018) |
| Katie Smith | Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005), Detroit Shock (2005-2009), Washington Mystics (2010), Seattle Storm (2011-12), New York Liberty (2013) |
| Breanna Stewart* | Seattle Storm (2016-present) |
| Sheryl Swoopes | Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2002-2007), Seattle Storm (2008), Tulsa Shock (2011) |
| Diana Taurasi* | Phoenix Mercury (2004-2014, 2016-Current) |
| Tina Thompson | Houston Comets (1997-2008), Los Angeles Sparks (2009-11), Seattle Storm (2012-13) |
| Lindsay Whalen | Connecticut Sun (2004-09), Minnesota Lynx (2010-18) |
| * Active Player |
When does voting begin & end?
Beginning today at 5 p.m. ET, fans will be able to vote for the member of “The W25” they believe is the greatest of all time through the “Vote for the GOAT” program. Fan voting will conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 19
How do I vote?
- WNBA.com/goatvote: Fans can fill out one ballot per day (per day is defined as once every 24 hours) on WNBA.com/goatvote from a desktop or mobile browser.
- WNBA App: Fans can access the ballot through both the “Latest” and “More” tabs on the WNBA App, which is available on Android and iOS. Fans can fill out one ballot per day.
- Twitter: Fans can tweet in their votes for their favorite player with the below criteria:
- An eligible vote consists of:
- The campaign hashtag (e.g.: #WNBAGoatVote) with the player name from The W25 list with or without a space (e.g.: Jane Doe or JaneDoe) or
- The W25 player’s Twitter handle (e.g. @WNBAplayerJaneDoe)
- Example of a Valid Vote: I just voted Jane Doe for the #WNBAGoatVote or I just voted for @JaneDoeWNBAPlayer for the #WNBAGoatVote
- Retweets will count as a valid vote
- An eligible vote consists of:
When will the GOAT be announced?
The GOAT will be unveiled during the WNBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV.