The Beautiful Faces Of WNBA Stars Off The Court
The best in the world at what they do, the women of the WNBA put their game faces on whenever they step on the basketball court. It takes a great deal of talent and dedication to get to this level. After playing for top women's basketball teams in the NCAA, these ladies were among the first picks in the WNBA draft. Off the court, these talented players can let their hair down and show their bright personalities. Here's what some of the most talented players of the WNBA look like when they're not wearing a jersey.
Kelsey Plum
Point guard for the Las Vegas Aces, Kelsey Plum was the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Stars, which were later renamed Las Vegas Aces when they moved the team to Sin City. In 2019, Plum led the Aces to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
In college, Plum was a force to be reckoned with. She broke the NCAA Division 1 women's basketball all-time scoring record, sinking 3,397 points. After sitting out the 2020 season due to injury, Plum is expected to be healthy and back on the court in 2021.
Victoria Vivians
A shooting guard for the Indiana Fever, Victoria Vivians joined the WNBA after an outstanding college career playing for the Mississippi Bulldogs. While playing for the Bulldogs, Vivians also earned her degree in Human Development Family Sciences.
Vivians proved she was ready for the WNBA by coming into her rookie year in peak condition. She's a sharpshooter from the 3-point line, hitting 65 three-pointers in her rookie year while also being a top rebounder and scorer for the Fever.
Kia Nurse
Point guard Kia Nurse joined the WNBA in 2018, drafted by the New York Liberty. Nurse was strong in her rookie year and became the third Canadian to play in an All-Star Game. She's also played for Team Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Before joining the WNBA, nearly 50 colleges and universities were interested in having Nurse join their basketball program. She ended up playing for the renowned UConn women's basketball team under coach Geno Auriemma. She later admitted it had been her dream to play for UConn since the fourth grade!
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Skylar Diggins-Smith joined the WNBA in 2013, drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock. Before joining the league, Diggins-Smith played point guard for Notre Dame where she led her team to three consecutive Final Four appearances and two championships.
After playing with the Tulsa Shock (now Dallas Wings) from 2013-2019 she was traded to the Phoenix Mercury. Diggins-Smith has made two WNBA All-Star Game appearances and has a career-high of 35 points in a game.
Candace Parker
Power forward and center for the Los Angeles Sparks, Candace Parker was the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. That same year she won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award for the first time. Parker also has a WNBA Championship title, WNBA Finals MVP Award, and a WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award.
In college, she became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game. Oh yeah, and she also has two Olympic gold medals!
Tayler Hill
Tayler Hill joined the WNBA in 2013 when she was drafted by the Washington Mystics as the fourth overall pick. The shooting guard has also played for the New York Liberty.
In August 2014, just three months after giving birth to her first child, Hill put the jersey back on - and her game face, too. She came back strong and in 2016 became the starting shooting guard for the Mystics.
Sue Bird
A point guard for the Seattle Storm, Sue Bird was the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA Draft. She became the starting point guard for the Storm in her rookie season, starting all 32 games.
Bird has had an incredible basketball career, winning four WNBA championships and two NCAA championships playing with UConn. She's also played basketball overseas in Russia and has been on the Women's Olympic Basketball Team five times.
Betnijah Laney
On the court, Betnijah Laney is a fierce competitor. Shooting guard and small forward for the Atlanta Dream, Laney started her WNBA career in 2015. She was originally drafted by the Chicago Sky but bounced around to the Connecticut Suns, Indiana Fever, and spent a couple of years playing overseas before heading to Atlanta. She was named the 2020 WNBA Most Improved Player.
Laney's mother was also a basketball player and got her into the sport when she was 10 years old. In high school, she was named a McDonald's All-American. After graduating she went to Rutgers to play college ball.
Satou Sabally
Born in 1998, Satou Sabally played basketball for the University of Oregon Ducks. In fact, despite being one season away from eligibility, in February 2020, Sabally announced that she would be going into the 2020 WNBA draft.
This was because she was draft-eligible since she had reached the minimum age to play professionally at the age of 22, just after the draft. Sabally went on to play professionally for the Dallas Wings. In her rookie season, she was named to the 2020 AP All-Rookie team.
Bria Hartley
An American-born French basketball player, Bria hartley was born in 1992 and played as point guard for the UConn women's basketball team. During her time there, she managed to help her team win back-to-back national championships in 2013 and 2014.
Then, in the 2014 WNBA draft, she was taken seventh overall by the Seattle Storm. During the same drafting period, she was immediately traded to the Washington Mystics. Today, she plays for the Phoenix Mercury.
Nneka Ogwumike
Born in 1990, Nneka Ogwumike is a Nigerian-American basketball player who was drafted number one overall during the 2012 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Not long after signing with the Sparks, Nneka Ogwumike also went on to sign an endorsement deal with Nike, which made her financially successful.
In 2016, not only did she play for the WNBA Finals champions, but she was also named the WNBA MVP for the 2016 season. Furthermore, she was elected President of the WNBA Players Association.
Elena Delle Donne
Elena Delle Donne played basketball throughout her life, although showed her true potential playing for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to 2013. After graduating, she was drafted in the 2013 WNBA draft as the second overall pick by the Chicago Sky.
While playing for the Sky, she helped lead her team to the 2014 finals where they were unfortunately beaten by the Phoenix Mercury. She was then traded to the Washington Mystics and was a part of their first-ever championship in their history in 2019. In both 2015 and 2019, she won WNBA Most Valuable Player.
Stefani Dolson
Back-to-back NCAA championships star Stefanie Dolson has been playing in the WNBA since the 2014 draft when she was picked by the Washington Mystics. Today, she's with the Chicago Sky.
In college, Dolson played center for the UConn women's basketball team. In 2015, she had a dominant performance, scoring 18 points and 12 rebounds in the season opener against the Connecticut Sun. Dolson has also played in Russia, Turkey, and China!
Kalani Brown
Kalani Brown was born into a basketball family! She's the daughter of the former NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, P. J. Brown, and her mother was an assistant high school basketball coach.
The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Brown, a center for the Atlanta Dream, has racked up plenty of awards during her professional and college career, including being named an NCAA All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association after the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Amanda Zahui
By the age of 13, Amanda Zahui was a part of the 16-and-under Swedish national team where she played in the European Championships. She then moved to the United States where she played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, having an exceptional game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in which she scored 39 points and 29 rebounds in one game.
After school, she was drafted second overall by the Tulsa Shock when she was 21 years old. Now, she plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Jennifer Lacy
An American basketball player, Jennifer Lacy graduated from Agoura Hills High School in California in 2002. While she ended up playing for Pepperdine, she was also recruited by prominent schools such as Arizona, Washington, and the University of California Santa Barbara.
She showed her talent and skill in college and stands an impressive six feet and 3 inches, weighing 175 pounds. Although she joined the WNBA in 2006 and has played for a number of teams throughout the country.
Maya Moore
In 2011, Maya Moore was the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft. She joined the Minnesota Lynx, where she still plays today. That same season, Moore became the first female basketball player to sign a deal with Air Jordan, attesting to her popularity.
Moore has won four WNBA championships and three All-Star Game MVPs throughout her career. She also holds two Olympic gold medals in basketball from 2012 and 2016. In 2019, Moore took a hiatus from basketball.
Diana Taurasi
Since Diana Taurasi joined the WNBA in 2004, she has been chosen for nine WNBA All-Star teams and ten All-WNBA teams. Throughout her career, Taurasi has won three WBNA Championships, three FIBA World Cups, and four Olympic gold medals.
After a game on June 18, 2017, Taurasi became the all-time leading scorer of the WNBA. She is now considered one of the best female basketball players of all time. In February 2021, she signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Mercury, showing no signs of ending her career.
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner’s prosperous career began in high school. In 2009, she was voted the nation’s #1 high school player by Rivals. She joined the WNBA in 2013 when she was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury (where she remains today). From there, things only got better.
Griner became the only WNBA player to block over 500 shots and score over 2,000 points. She received the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award in 2012 and signed a deal with Nike the next year. She also joined the Olympic basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray was taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. With the Los Angeles Sparks, she won the WNBA Championship in 2016 and earned three All-Star Awards.
Gray currently plays for the Las Vegas Aces. In 2014, she missed a year due to injury. But she came back with a vengeance and has not stopped since, scoring over 1,200 points throughout her college career alone and over 2,445 overseas.
