30 years old isn’t that old, and I’m not just saying that, since I have just weeks until I turn 30 myself. 

But, in all seriousness, 30 years of WNBA action garnering so many historically great highlights is an unbelievable feat from the players that have graced the league’s stage since 1997. Compiling a list of just 30 plays that have defined the league’s history feels like an impossible feat, and yet, we’ve gotten just that.

Here, we’ll react to the league’s top-30 plays list, which has helped fans new and old relive some of the greatest moments over the WNBA’s lifespan.

Teresa Weatherspoon #11 of the New York Liberty

1. Could you name anything other than ‘The Shot’ at No. 1? (1997)

If you were surprised to see any other highlight aside from Teresa Weatherspoon’s otherworldly game-winner against the Houston Comets in 1997, I’d love to know what you think is better than that.

I’m not sure what was most cinematic about ‘The Shot ’: the confetti beginning to sprinkle through the crowd after it looked like Houston was going to win the WNBA Finals with a sweep, the fact that the shot prevented that sweep from happening, or Weatherspoon grabbing a seat right on the court after hitting her desperation half-court heave. 

While the New York Liberty didn’t pull out the series win, this shot stands out as one of the greatest in WNBA history. 

2. Nneka Ogwumike’s game-winner to seal the WNBA championship (2016)

You’re going to see Ogwumike’s name all over this list, but this game-winner of hers was the most special. Ogwumike took down the legendary Minnesota Lynx with her game-winner in Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals.

The shot was the epitome of what Ogwumike’s been about since coming into the league – never giving up on a board, using her strength to get the look she wants from midrange, and being clutch. This might’ve been the highlight of her WNBA career, especially when considering the dynasty that she and the Los Angeles Sparks were up against in that series.

3. Maya Moore’s game-winner (2015) 

We are all better basketball fans for having witnessed Maya Moore in her prime with the Lynx. Her game-winner for Minnesota in 2015 was unbelievably smooth – she managed to find time to relocate to the very top of the 3-point line to win the game, even though the Lynx just needed a two-pointer. The Indiana Fever never recovered from that loss, and they dropped that series to the Lynx and their Moore-led dynasty.

4. Lisa Leslie’s dunk (2002)

It’s funny to look back on Lisa Leslie’s dunk in-game for the Los Angeles Sparks back in 2002 – you can fully acknowledge how humongous that moment was for women’s sports and the WNBA, and then think to the present day, where Dominique Malonga is almost expected to dunk every now and again in-game for the Seattle Storm. 

Leslie is who we have to thank for Malonga’s dunking ability being so commonplace. She’s also the reason players like Brittney Griner, Sylvia Fowles, Glory Johnson, and others have the confidence to continue her dunking legacy in the WNBA. 

The rule of cool will always apply to dunking, and even though they only count for two points, in-game slams in the WNBA will forever draw an electric reaction. 

Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury

5. Diana Taurasi’s 10,000th Career Point (2023)

When you’re talking about “greatest of all time” candidates, Diana Taurasi will often come to the forefront of WNBA fans’ minds. Her 10,000th point, recorded back in 2023 against the Atlanta Dream, remains the most points recorded by a WNBA player in league history. 

What’s best about her 10,000th point, though, is just how on-brand the build-up to it was: a fadeaway three-pointer got her to 9,997, and then a desperation shot close to the buzzer got her to 10,000 immediately afterward. 

That shot, very aptly celebrated by her teammates at halfcourt, will be unbreakable for many, many years to come. 

6. Courtney Williams And-1 Three (2024)

This was one of several ridiculously clutch shots from this WNBA Finals series, but it was one that certainly solidified Courtney Williams’ stardom in Minnesota. On the road in front of a loud New York crowd, Williams managed to secure a huge win for Minnesota in this series on this shot over a fouling Sabrina Ionescu. 

Minnesota didn’t get the series win (partially due to another shot on this list), but Williams has remained a force for the Lynx ever since this series and shot. 

7. A’ja Wilson Finals Game 3 Game-Winner (2025)

A’ja Wilson recently did an interview about this shot, saying that Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon’s drawn-up play in this moment against the Phoenix Mercury was basically, “let Wilson cook.” While she was worried about the length that DeWanna Bonner could throw her way, and the defense from Alyssa Thomas alongside her, she knew that if she just saw the rim she had a chance at a game-winner. 

She saw the rim. 

Wilson remains one of the league’s scariest players to face down in crunch time, and Phoenix learned that lesson the hard way in the 2025 WNBA Finals. 

8. Sabrina Ionescu Finals Game 3 Game-Winner (2024)

Remember how I said that the 2024 WNBA Finals had a few ridiculous game-winners?

Ionescu redeemed herself for a foolish foul on Williams in Game 1 with a deep three-pointer over Kayla McBride to secure a Game 3 victory on the road against the Lynx. Ionescu looked completely shocked by the shot afterward, and I believe that face has become a little more famous than the game-winner itself. 

9. Maya Moore One-Handed Over-the-Head Layup (2011)

The rule of cool, as previously mentioned, always applies to in-game dunks. 

It also always applies to Moore defying gravity. 

This play was another clutch moment from Moore, as the Lynx were looking to win Game 1 of the 2011 WNBA Finals. She somehow floated under the basket and controlled herself just enough to get the scoop layup to go, proving that some humans can fly. 

Candace Parker #3 of the Los Angeles Sparks

10. Candace Parker’s personal dunk contest (2008)

Candace Parker did not wait too long between her first and second WNBA dunks – her first came against the Indiana Fever on June 22, and her second was just two days later against the Seattle Storm. 

That second dunk made her the first player in WNBA history to record back-to-back in-game dunks, and the first player to record two dunks in a WNBA season. It might make sense, then, to remember that Parker won MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2008. 

11. Diana Taurasi Championship-Clinching Jumper (2014)

Taurasi managed to hit a tough and-1 over Courtney Vandersloot to secure the Phoenix Mercury’s third franchise championship. Her celebration after hitting the fadeaway shot – some shouting and chest-banging followed by a very stoic walk to the foul line to complete the play – is classic Taurasi. Her emotional play was a huge boost for the Mercury in this critical Finals moment. 

12. Dearica Hamby Steal and Game-Winner (2019)

Dearica Hamby made the definition of a heads-up play here, getting a steal on Vandersloot to hit a stadium-shaking three-point heave with just 4.8 seconds left to go in regulation. That shot sent the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA Semifinals, although they eventually lost to the Washington Mystics. 

Still, this is one of those shots that feels impossible to make, but it did a great job of showcasing Hamby’s basketball IQ and three-point range…even if the shot was more of a shove. 

13. Alana Beard Finals Game 1 Game-Winner (2016)

Before Ogwumike’s championship-clinching game-winner against the Lynx in 2016, there was Alana Beard’s clutch three-pointer at the buzzer to get Los Angeles their first win of the series. There was nothing too fancy about the shot – a corner three after the Sparks had done a good job of moving the ball out to the corner – but it was an unbelievably clutch shot to make. 

Even greater: Beard had only been attempting about one three-pointer per game in 2016, and shooting 34 percent on those attempts. That’s the definition of staying ready. 

14. Brittney Griner Game-Winning Block to Advance to Finals (2021)

Before the Aces began their dynasty in earnest, the Mercury gave them problems in the 2021 semifinals. Brittney Griner’s humongous block to prevent an A’ja Wilson game-winner sealed the Mercury a trip to the Finals that season, proving that defense does, often, win championships (or at least a Finals berth). 

Prior to that block, though, we had a clutch foul drawn by Shey Peddy, which got Phoenix the lead that Griner got to protect with this rejection. That was another iconic piece to this postseason play and puzzle. 

Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury

15. Diana Taurasi Game-Tying Three (2018)

This added a much-needed chapter to the Mercury-Storm rivalry that we’re all clamoring to see revived in the present day. Taurasi’s circus three-pointer to push this game to overtime was not enough to secure Phoenix the win in OT, but it was the perfect way to end Game 2 in this best-of-five series. 

Sue Bird was draped all over Taurasi on this play, but it just didn’t matter. Of course, Bird got the last laugh over her friend and former UConn teammate. 

16. Chelsea Gray Behind the Back Assist (2023)

Chelsea Gray has never seen a passing lane she didn’t like. 

This specific highlight was just an unbelievable encapsulation of her work as the Aces point guard, as she somehow knew A’ja Wilson would be streaking towards the rim with her head turned in the complete opposite direction. You don’t earn the ‘Point Gawd’ moniker without making passes like this regularly. 

17. Brittney Griner Debut Dunks (2013)

Candace Parker had been the only WNBA player up to this point to record two dunks in a single season, with her slams coming in back-to-back games. 

Griner upped the ante with two dunks in her rookie debut. 

She has so far collected 27 dunks in her career between All-Star Game appearances, as well as regular season and postseason games. That’s the most in WNBA history, but we could see that record challenged a bit thanks to Malonga in Seattle. 

18. Nikki Teasley Championship-Winning Three (2002)

Teresa Weatherspoon found herself on the unfortunate end of a championship-clinching three-pointer, with Nikki Teasley helping continue the Los Angeles Sparks’ Finals streak. 

Teasley left little time for New York to respond with a circus shot (again), and Los Angeles completed the sweep against the Liberty on this game-winner. Of course, both teams struggled to reach that summit again in the following years, although the Sparks won a championship on the back of Ogwumike in the 2010s soon after this brief dynastic run. 

19. Chelsea Gray to Jackie Young Buzzer Beater (2022)

A’ja Wilson has been a huge key to the Aces’ current dynasty, but Las Vegas also did a great job of surrounding her with talent like Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. Both secured a signature postseason moment with Las Vegas off this stellar find from Gray to Young in an unbelievably tight passing window into the post. 

It was such a simple put-in from Young, which feels pretty on-brand for the guard, but it was the launch pad for Las Vegas to net their first championship of the Wilson-Young-Gray era. 

Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Chicago Sky

20. Elena Delle Donne Game-Winning Jumper vs. Phoenix (2013)

Elena Delle Donne recently graced WNBA fans with her presence at 2026 All-Star Weekend, and she honestly looked ready to turn back the clock to her playing days. She still had a jumper like the one that netted the Chicago Sky a clutch win over the Phoenix Mercury in 2013, though she had a ton more energy on this highlight play. 

Delle Donne’s signature jumper – a fadeaway with seeming 100% efficiency – was what makes this play such a snapshot of WNBA history. It captures a legend at her peak. 

21. Sue Bird No-Look Assist (2018)

Sue Bird was such a pure point guard, and her work with the Seattle Storm is proof of that – she finished up her career there with 3,234 assists, which remains a league record. 

Her no-look pass in 2018 to Natasha Howard almost felt unnecessarily smooth – she already saw Howard waiting in the post all alone, and she went out of her way to add some major flair to the play. Seattle was simply a force that season, and Bird was a key part of that. 

22. Sue Bird Inbound to Jewell Loyd Game-Winner (2020)

Bird’s connection with just about anyone in Seattle was automatic, and Jewell Loyd was a direct beneficiary of that in her time with the Storm. This play was peak Loyd – a quick jumper in the corner off a bullet pass from Bird used up the very few seconds Seattle had to get a shot off, and it was more than enough time to get them the game-winner. 

23. Brittney Griner Game-Winning Block vs. Minnesota (2014)

Griner has been such a defensive stalwart throughout her career, and game-winning blocks are just a part of her DNA at this point. 

In 2014, she secured a huge block against Lindsey Whalen to help Phoenix beat a strong Minnesota team. It was such a big moment in just her second season in the league, and just the tip of the iceberg for a Mercury team that season that would go on to win the Finals behind excellent play from Griner. 

24. Jewell Loyd to Breanna Stewart Alley-Oop (2016)

Loyd had a lot of highlight-reel moments with the Storm, and this play showed off her athleticism from her younger years with the team. The back-and-forth alley-oop pass from her to Stewart, back to her for the lay-up was sensational, and exactly the kind of move you love to see if a player doesn’t have the hops or height like that of Griner, or Parker, or Leslie. 

Skylar Diggins #4 of the Phoenix Mercury

25. Skylar Diggins Clutch Game-Tying Three in 2020

This shot from Skylar Diggins toppled a Connecticut Sun team that simply seemed unbeatable around this time. 

The Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun were fighting for postseason spots at this point in the Wubble, adding even more pressure on top of the already permeating stress from the pandemic and the numerous social justice battles players fought throughout the season. It’s what makes this shot even more of a highlight, with so many emotions pouring out from Phoenix thanks to Diggins’ clutch shot. 

26. Shey Peddy Game-Winning Three (2020)

After Diggins, there came Peddy’s clutch three-point shot in the Wubble playoffs. Peddy had an unorthodox path to the WNBA – she was drafted in 2012 by the Chicago Sky, but didn’t actually suit up for her first WNBA game until 2019 with the Washington Mystics. That made 2020 her second year in the league – at age 32. 

Coming into her second year, landing with Phoenix, and becoming a key part of their postseason push thanks to this buzzer-beater created a lasting memory in Peddy’s career. It was also a decent reminder, at the time, of how much talent was lurking in women’s basketball that didn’t have space in the league before expansion. 

27. Ticha Penicheiro Spin Assist vs. Seattle (2011)

You can’t talk about the Birds and Grays of the league without talking about an OG point “God” like Ticha Penicheiro. She sits in 3rd-place all-time in assists with 2,599 over her 15-year career, mostly thanks to passes like this one against the Seattle Storm in 2011. 

The beneficiary of this assist, Candace Parker, just makes the play all the better. To spin in traffic to find Parker streaking to the basket was just an absurd way to serve up some points to the Los Angeles Sparks center, but that was Penicheiro’s style as one of the league’s best floor generals. 

28. Tiffany Hayes Steal and Halfcourt Game-Winner (2018)

Prior to her retirement, then un-retirement, Tiffany Hayes had been a menace to have to keep track of and defend on the court. The Connecticut Sun learned this very quickly thanks to this 2018 game-winner from Hayes, which she hit from the logo on Connecticut’s own floor. 

The Atlanta Dream, who Hayes had played for at the time, were first in the East and looking to gain some separation on the Sun that season. This sort of shot certainly helped with regular season bragging rights, but neither team won the championship in 2018. 

She remained with Atlanta until 2023, when she landed with…the Sun. All was forgiven, I suppose!

29. Aliyah Boston Block to Caitlin Clark 3 Pointer (2024)

I get the feeling that this sort of play between Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark is going to become commonplace, but for now, their chemistry is a brand new thing for the rest of the league to fear. 

This play felt like a bit of an “a-ha!” moment for WNBA fans waiting to see what the tandem could look like once developed into a true force. Boston’s defensive work at the rim led to a very deep three-pointer from Clark, which is likely to be a sentence I write for many seasons to come. But this one play came just one year after Boston was drafted, in Clark’s rookie season. 

30. Nneka Ogwumike Game-Winner vs. New York (2026)

This game-winner might already be the best of the year, perhaps only rivaled by Chelsea Gray’s two buzzer-beaters against the Indiana Fever this season. 

We’ll give the edge to this shot from Ogwumike, though, as it came during the Sparks’ night celebrating legends of the league, and in the midst of her retirement following this season. Ogwumike’s clutch gene is clearly never going to fade, although shots like these still seem to surprise the WNBA legend.