As the league’s first-ever No. 1 pick, Tina Thompson’s career helped define the WNBA from day one.

In 1997, the Houston Comets selected Tina Thompson with the No. 1 overall pick in the inaugural WNBA Draft, making her the first player officially drafted into the league. Between 1997 and 2000, Thompson started at forward for the Comets as they won four consecutive WNBA championships, a streak that remains the longest in league history.

Tina Thompson poses with WNBA President Val Ackerman after being selected number one overall by the Houston Comets on April 28, 1997

During this period, she played alongside teammates Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. Thompson’s tenure with the franchise spanned 12 seasons before she moved to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2009 and later the Seattle Storm in 2012.

Thompson accumulated 7,488 points and 3,070 rebounds  over 17 seasons, leading her to become the league’s All-Time leading scorer at the time of her retirement. She retained the All-Time scoring record from 2010 until 2017.

Thompson was a nine-time WNBA All-Star and an eight-time All-WNBA selection, including three First Team honors in 1997, 1998, and 2004.

On the international stage, Thompson represented the United States as a member of the Women’s National Team, winning two Olympic gold medals in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing). She also contributed to a gold medal win at the 1998 World Championship. In 2018, she was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.