10 Black Female Basketball Players Who Rule the Court
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10 Black female basketball players who are absolutely dominating the court.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA Champion She was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and is widely considered one of the best players in the league. Parker is a 6’4″ center who can also play forward and is known for her all-around game. She is a dominant rebounder and shot blocker and can also score inside and out. Parker has played her entire career with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she has won two NBA titles
Diana Taurasi
One of the WNBA’s most popular players, Diana Taurasi is a guard for the Phoenix Mercury. She was the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and has helped lead her team to three league championships. A five-time All-Star, Taurasi was named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2009 and is considered one of the best players in the league.
Maya Moore
Maya Moore is a professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She has won four NBA championships three with the Lynx and one with the Beijing Great Wall of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
Born and raised in Jefferson City, Missouri, Moore played college basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2007 to 2011. With Moore, the Huskies won four NCAA Division I Women’s basketball championships including an undefeated season in 2009–10. Moore was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in all four of her championship seasons. She is one of only two women to achieve this feat and one of only three players ever to be named Most Outstanding Player in all four years of their college career, joining Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul Jabbar).
Skylar Diggins
Skylar Diggins is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court The NBA All-Star has been named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Sports” by ESPN and was the first woman to sign a Nikeendorsement deal. She’s currently playing for the Dallas Wings and is one of the most popular players in the league.
Tina Charles
Tina Charles is a 6’4″ center who was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft She played for the University of Connecticut and won two National Championships with the team. She was named the Most Outstanding Player in both the 2009 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments. Tina has been a member of the USA Basketball Women’s national team winning a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship She has played for the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner is a 6’8” powerhouse who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. A two-time All-Star, she was the WNBA’s top draft pick in 2013 and has been named one of ESPN’s 100 Greatest female athletes of All Time. In addition to her success on the court, Griner is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018.
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter is a 2-time NBA champion and a 2-time Olympic gold medalist. She was drafted 2nd overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury. In her 12 seasons in the league, she has been named an All-Star 6 times and has won the NBA Finals MVP Award twice. She currently plays for the New York Liberty.
Angel McCoughtry
Angel McCoughtry is a popular basketball player who has played for the Atlanta Dream in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) since 2009. She is a five-time All-Star and was the league’s leading scorer in 2010 and 2013. In 2015, she was voted as one of the WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All Time.
Nneka Ogwumike
Nneka Ogwumike is a Nigerian-American Professional Basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and helped lead the Sparks to NBA Championships in 2016 and 2020.
A six-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP Ogwumike is one of the most dominant players in the league. She’s a powerful post player with a lethal mid-range jumper, and she’s an excellent rebounder and shot blocker. She’s also a gifted passer and ball handler making her one of the most well-rounded players in the game.
Ogwumike is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning with Team USA in 2012 and 2016. She also won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Championship
Erica Wheeler
Erica Wheeler is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Wheeler was born in 1987 in Rahway, New Jersey. She played college basketball at Rutgers University from 2006 to 2010. After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft Wheeler began her professional career with the Atlanta Dream in 2011. She has also played for the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. In 2019, Wheeler was named the WNBA Most Improved Player