To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the WNBA recently came out with its top 25 players in league history from which fans can then select their choice for Greatest of All Time (GOAT).
Among these 25 are three former Houston Comets legends: Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson.
The three Basketball Hall of Famers were key members of the Comets teams that formed a dynasty when the WNBA first began in 1997, helping win the league’s first four championships consecutively.
Cooper won league MVP in 1997 and 1998 and was named Finals MVP for all four Comets WNBA championships. She also led the league in scoring three times. She was the first WNBA player ever inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame when she was a part of the 2010 class.
Swoopes won league MVP in 2000, 2002, and 2005. Along with her four WNBA league championships with the Comets, Swoopes also was a three-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA and also helped win a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships. She also scored 47 points in the NCAA championship game to help lead Texas Tech to the 1993 national title. Swoopes was a part of the 2016 class into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Thompson was the league’s first-ever draft pick when the Comets selected her first overall in 1997, was a nine-time All-Star, and was All-Star MVP in 2000. By the time she ended her career, she was the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. Thompson also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA. She was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Other than the Houston Comets, two other players in the list of 25 also have Houston connections. Nneka Ogwumike was a star at Cy-Fair High School before winning WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2012, league MVP in 2016, and a WNBA championship in 2016. Brittney Griner was a star at Nimitz High School before winning a WNBA championship in 2014, two Olympic gold medals, and becoming a dunking and defensive force.
Fans have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sept. 19 to vote. There are a number of ways to vote, including the WNBA’s voting page or tweeting the player’s name using the hashtag #WNBAGoatVote. More details on their voting as well as the rest of the “W25″ player list can be found here.