Dunking is a keyword in the hooping world, which immediately creates an image of the legend of Jordan in his Nike Jordan shoes flying high from the three-point line to slam dunk the ball into the basket. However, it’s not just His Airness now who has shown his prowess through this shot In balling world. The women are following up, and since its inception in 1997, the WNBA has shown promising growth by defying the preconceived narratives in the basketball world. One of them is slamming the dunks into the basket, and these female basketball prodigies have flouted this notion as well.
Whether from a male or a female, the dunks left the audience in awe of the players soaring high in the air. It feels like the bucket is connected to them through an aerial string that is pulling them toward itself. The 2000 Sydney Olympic dunk from Vince Carter over France’s Frederic Weis is a testimonial of how a monster dunk can electrify the crowd. However, the female hoopers are not as frequent as NBA players in the context of dunks. However, they are catching up with defying all odds in the world of basketball.
Today, through this piece, we will explore such women hoopers who made an impact through their dunks in the WNBA world and how they reached that level of perfection over time in the WNBA league.
The Evolution of Dunking in Women’s Basketball
2x WNBA Champion and one of the greatest basketball players in the WNBA world to ever bless the court, Lisa Leslie, was the one who started it all. The 6’5″ center etched her name on the walls of the WNBA history when she slammed first ever WNBA dunk into the bucket on July 30, 2002. Lisa, who was playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, created this history during the matchup against the Miami Sol. Apparently, it was a long rebound that Lisa caught almost near the half-court to dribble three times and ultimately score the basket through the dunk.
But it was the first-ever dunk in the WNBA since its kickoff in 1997. It doesn’t mean that women basketball players haven’t even dunked. Georgeann Wells was the pioneer who became the first women college basketball player to dunk in a game. The West Virginia Center created this history against the University of Charleston team on December 21, 1984. The bench erupted in shock when Wells landed a right-handed jam on an 85-50 lead with 11:58 minutes remaining till the end of the second half. The historical matchup in the collegiate world took place on WVU’s home court making it a milestone achievement.
The recovery of the historical dunk footage 25 years later is a story in itself. If you want to witness the video of the dunk firsthand, here is the original video present on West Virginia University’s official site that you wouldn’t want to miss.
However, after Lisa Leslie, other female basketball players also took the torch that Leslie carried to move forward with the dunk legacy. It included WNBA players like Candace Parker, Michelle Snow, Brittney Griner, and Sylvia Fowles, among others.
Also Read: Top WNBA Shot Blocks Leaders of All Time in History
Top WNBA Dunkers of All Time
Due to the late foundation of the WNBA, female basketball players have not hit the number of dunks as compared to the NBA world. However, it is not negligible over the years although it is less frequent. During all these years, WNBA Dunk total is 36 as of October 2024. It not only includes the regular season dunks but also includes the All-Star game dunks along with post-season ones.
Only eight players in the WNBA history have been able to achieve the fate of slamming the dunks in the WNBA. Here are the players who have etched their names in the WNBA by landing dunks.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa scored two dunks in her career. The first one is the historical milestone in the WNBA world that came against the Miami Sol and is also the first dunk of the WNBA. However, Leslie also scored a basket through a dunk on July 9, 2005, while playing for the West All-Stars team against the East All-Stars.
Her dunk at the Mohegan Sun Arena was also special since she not only shot a dunk in the WNBA for the first time but also did it for the first time during an All-Star game.
Michelle Snow
On July 12, 2006, Michelle Snow trailed the dunking footprints of Lisa Leslie as he dunked in the All-Star game while playing for the West All-Stars. Held at Madison Square Garden, Snow’s dunk left the crowd in awe of her athleticism for the first time after Leslie’s dunk in 2005.
Candace Parker
The Los Angeles Sparks sensation Candace Parker scored two dunk shots in her WNBA career. The 3x WNBA Champion retired this year on April 28 after spending 16 years in the league. The dunks that Parker made in the league were significant since she became the first WNBA player to make two dunks in a single regular season.
First, she did it against the Indiana Fever on June 22, 2008, while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. Two days later, on June 24, she repeated it again while playing against the Seattle Storm.
Sylvia Fowles
The legend of the game in the WNBA world, the 6’6″ center Sylvia Fowles also made two dunks in her career. Coincidentally, both of the dunks that she made came out during the All-Star games. The first one fans witnessed was on July 25, 2009, against the West All-Stars while Sylvia was playing for the East All-Stars team. It was a great showcase for the fans.
The second dunk from Fowles took time as he displayed during the 2022 All-Star game on July 10. This time it was not East vs West. Rather she made the dunk while playing for Team Wilson. The one on the opposing end was Team Stewart during the All-Star game.
Brittney Griner
The dunk specialist from the WNBA world has made a whopping 26 dunks since her inception in the WNBA world. The 6’9″ center made her first dunk during her rookie season in 2013 on May 27, while representing the Phoenix Mercury. Out of all the dunks, she has made 18 dunks during the regular season, while the rest of them she made during All-Star games(6) and two in the playoff games.
Her latest dunk came during the 2023 All-Star game. The crows erupted as soon as she made the dunk while representing Team Stewart. She made two dunks during the 2023 season. One of the finest players in the WNBA, Griner is the All-time dunk leader and might set more milestones ahead during her career.
Below is a summary table showcasing the players with the most dunks and their corresponding dunk totals
| Player | Dunks |
| Lisa Leslie | 02 |
| Michelle Snow | 01 |
| Candace Parker | 02 |
| Sylvia Fowles | 02 |
| Jonquel Jones | 01 |
| Liz Cambage | 01 |
| Awak Kuier | 01 |
| Brittney Griner | 26 |
Memorable Dunk Moments in WNBA Games:
Lisa Leslie’s Groundbreaking Splash
Starting with the dunk that set everything in motion. On July 30, 2002, Lisa Leslie made history for basketball as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks. Lisa showed that women could indeed do great things by launching the league’s first slam ever inside a game against the Miami Sol.
The Straight Game Slams of Candace Parker
One of the most outstanding moments of Candace Parker was when she dunked in back-to-back games in 2008. In the final minutes of a game against the Chicago Sky, Candace Parker slam-pumped her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She responded to that with a slam in the following game against the Seattle Storm.
Sylvia Fowles Farewell Dunk: An All-Star
Most consider Sylvia Fowles one of the greatest basketball players ever. It was the final verse in her remarkable 15-year playing career, and she was chosen to play in the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game. In that last All-Star Game, well into the second period, a slight adjustment and four minutes would pass on the clock when she stunned everyone with a right-hand slam.
Also Read: Most Assists in a Single WNBA Game
Brittney Griner’s First-Day Slams
No discussion about WNBA dunks can occur without mentioning Brittney Griner. Brittney Griner made her WNBA debut and threw down the opening slam in typical Brittney Griner style. And she only dunked once in this game! In her first professional hoops game, she sunk two baskets, which was an overture to the many other WNBA dunks that followed.
FAQs
Who holds the record for the most dunks in WNBA history?
Brittney Griner holds the record for the most dunks in WNBA history with 26 dunks.
How many players have successfully dunked in WNBA history?
Overall, 8 players have successfully dunked in WNBA history.
Have there been any dunks in WNBA playoff games?
During the 2021 WNBA playoff games, Brittney made only playoff dunk against the Chicago Sky.
Has Brittney Griner ever dunked?
Brittney Griner is leading the WNBA in terms of dunks, as she is leading the league with 26 dunks.