List of Women's National Basketball Association career assists leaders

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Sue Bird is the WNBA's all-time leader in assists, with 3,234. Bird4-20180912.jpg
Sue Bird is the WNBA's all-time leader in assists, with 3,234.

The following is a list of the players who have achieved the most assists during their WNBA careers.

Contents

Statistics are accurate as of the end of the 2022 regular season.

^Active WNBA player
*Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration [lower-alpha 1]
WNBA most rebounds collected
RankPlayerPositionTeam(s) played for (years)Total assists Games played Assists per game average
1 Sue Bird G Seattle Storm (20022012, 20142018, 20202022)3,2345805.6
2 Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento Monarchs (19982009)
Los Angeles Sparks (20102011)
Chicago Sky (2012)
2,6004545.7
3 Courtney Vandersloot^G Chicago Sky (2011–present)2,3853596.6
4 Lindsay Whalen*G Connecticut Sun (20042009)
Minnesota Lynx (20102018)
2,3454804.9
5 Diana Taurasi^G Phoenix Mercury (20042014, 2016–present)2,1515034.3
6 Becky Hammon G New York Liberty (19992006)
San Antonio Silver Stars/San Antonio Stars (20072014)
1,7084503.8
7 Cappie Pondexter G Phoenix Mercury (20062009)
New York Liberty (20102014)
Chicago Sky (20152017)
Los Angeles Sparks (2018)
Indiana Fever (2018)
1,5784163.8
8 Candace Parker^F/C Los Angeles Sparks (20082020)
Chicago Sky (2021–present)
1,5673924.0
9 Tamika Catchings*F Indiana Fever (20022016)1,4884573.3
10 Shannon Johnson G Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992003)
San Antonio Silver Stars (20042006)
Detroit Shock (2007)
Houston Comets (2008)
Seattle Storm (2009)
1,4243524.0
11 Tanisha Wright G Seattle Storm (20052014)
New York Liberty (20152016, 2019)
Minnesota Lynx (2018)
1,4224573.1
12 Temeka Johnson G Washington Mystics (2005)
Los Angeles Sparks (20062008, 2015)
Phoenix Mercury (20092010)
Tulsa Shock (20112013)
Seattle Storm (2014)
1,3823274.2
13 Danielle Robinson^G San Antonio Silver Stars/San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces (20112016, 2020)
Phoenix Mercury (2017)
Minnesota Lynx (20182019)
Indiana Fever (2021–present)
1,3753274.2
14 Briann January^G Indiana Fever (20092017)
Phoenix Mercury (20182019)
Connecticut Sun (20202021)
Seattle Storm (2022 present)
1,3393933.4
15 Teresa Weatherspoon*G New York Liberty (19972003)
Los Angeles Sparks (2004)
1,3382545.3
16 Dawn Staley*G Charlotte Sting (19992005)
Houston Comets (2005–2006)
1,3372635.1
17 Jasmine Thomas^G Washington Mystics (20112012)
Atlanta Dream (20132014)
Connecticut Sun (2015–present)
1,3143583.7
18 Kristi Toliver^G Chicago Sky (2009)
Los Angeles Sparks (20102016, 2020 present)
Washington Mystics (2017 2019)
Los Angeles Sparks (2021–)
1,2923693.5
19 Katie Smith*G/F Minnesota Lynx (1999 2005)
Detroit Shock (2005 2009)
Washington Mystics (2010)
Seattle Storm (2011 2012)
New York Liberty (2013)
1,2584822.6
20 Skylar Diggins-Smith^G Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings (2013 2018)
Phoenix Mercury (2020 present)
1,2532525.0
21 Chelsea Gray^G Connecticut Sun (2015)
Los Angeles Sparks (2016 2020)
Las Vegas Aces (2021 present)
1,2082584.7
22 Vickie Johnson G/F New York Liberty (1997 2005)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2006 2009)
1,2054102.9
23 Leilani Mitchell^G New York Liberty (2008 2013)
Phoenix Mercury (2015, 2017 2019)
Washington Mystics (2016, 2020 2021)
1,1973983.0
24 Renee Montgomery G Minnesota Lynx (2009, 2015 2017)
Connecticut Sun (2010 2014)
Atlanta Dream (2018 2019)
1,1403643.1
25 Swin Cash*F Detroit Shock (2002 2007)
Seattle Storm (2008 2011)
Chicago Sky (2012 2013)
Atlanta Dream (2014)
New York Liberty (2014 2016)
1,1334792.4

Progressive list of assist leaders

This is a progressive list of assist leaders showing how the record increased through the years. [1]

Statistics accurate as of September 8, 2022.
^Active WNBA player
*Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration [lower-alpha 2]
Team abbreviationsTeam(s) listed is the one player was on when she established the record.
ATL Atlanta Dream
CHI Chicago Sky
CON Connecticut Sun
LAS Los Angeles Sparks
MIN Minnesota Lynx
NYL New York Liberty
PHO Phoenix Mercury
SAC Sacramento Monarchs
SEA Seattle Storm
WAS Washington Mystics
Assist leader at the end of every season
SeasonYear-by-year leaderAssistsActive player leaderTotal assistsCareer recordTotal assistsSingle-season recordAssistsSeason
1997 Teresa Weatherspoon* NYL 173 Teresa Weatherspoon* NYL 173 Teresa Weatherspoon* NYL 173 Teresa Weatherspoon* NYL 1731997
1998 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 225364364 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 2251998
1999 2265695692261999
2000 2367737732362000
2001 Teresa Weatherspoon* NYL 2039769762001
2002 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 1921,1571,1572002
2003 2291,3061,3062003
2004 Nikki Teasley LAS 207 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 1,443 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 1,4432004
2005 Temeka Johnson WAS 1771,5921,5922005
2006 Nikki Teasley WAS 1831,7081,7082006
2007 Lindsay Whalen* CON 1691,8521,8522007
2008 Ticha Penicheiro SAC 1722,0242,0242008
2009 Sue Bird SEA 1792,1792,1792009
2010 Ticha Penicheiro LAS 2202,3992,3992010
2011 Lindsay Whalen* MIN 1992,5612,5612011
2012 1782,6002,6002012
2013 197 Lindsay Whalen* MIN 1,7222013
2013 Diana Taurasi^ PHO 2013
2014 Lindsay Whalen* MIN 188 Sue Bird SEA 2,0682014
2015 Courtney Vandersloot^ CHI 1982,2152015
2016 Sue Bird SEA 1962,4112016
2017 Layshia Clarendon^ ATL 2262,610 Sue Bird SEA 2,6102017
2018 Courtney Vandersloot^ CHI 2582,8312,831 Courtney Vandersloot^ CHI 2582018
2019 300 Diana Taurasi^ PHO 1,8673002019
2020 219 Sue Bird SEA 2,8882,8882020
2021 2753,0483,0482021
2022 Natasha Cloud^ WAS 2393,2343,2342022
SeasonYear-by-year leaderPointsActive player leaderTotal pointsCareer recordTotal pointsSingle-season recordPointsSeason


Notes

  1. A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until she has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until she has been fully retired for three calendar years.

References

  1. "WNBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Assists". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference . Retrieved 8 September 2022.