The WNBA's 30th season is coming to a close with a Finals matchup featuring plenty of UConn women's basketball representation, as four former Huskies play for the Golden State Valkyries.
To commemorate the occasion, ESPN released a list of the 30 greatest stars to ever play in the WNBA over the past three decades, also dotted with Geno Auriemma products. Here's a look at the six former UConn players on ESPN's list:
No. 2: Diana Taurasi
Over a glittering two-decade WNBA career, Diana Taurasi shattered the league's all-time scoring record by more than 2,000 points along with several other notable records: she's also first in scoring titles and playoff points, and tied for second in All-Star selections. For many years, this statistical dominance often made her a popular choice as the WNBA's greatest-ever player, but the recent rise of A'ja Wilson, who won her third consecutive MVP award this season, led ESPN to rank the Aces star at No. 1.
"Think of any basketball superlative and it applies to Taurasi," ESPN's Charlie Creme writes. "Tough. A winner. Clutch. Unrelenting. Brilliant as a shooter, passer and playmaker. She won big. She scored big. She played big. She has always been the player no one could take their eyes off of."
No. 3: Maya Moore
Moore squeezed a tremendous amount of winning into her relatively short eight-year playing career, winning four WNBA championships as she helped elevate the Minnesota Lynx into the league's gold standard under Cheryl Reeve. Her most statistically impressive season came in 2014, averaging nearly 24 points, eight rebounds and 3.4 assists en route to her only MVP award.
"Moore is the one player on this list for whom fans will forever ask, 'What if?' Her career was short by superstar standards," ESPN writes. "But those eight years before she stepped away to help fight for criminal justice reform were just so good."
No. 8: Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart is the only active UConn alum on ESPN's list and is still doing quite a bit to further her WNBA legacy after a decade in the league. The Liberty power forward finished fifth in MVP voting in 2026, adding to a decorated résumé that includes two MVP awards, eight All-Star appearances and three WNBA titles.
"With her 6-4 frame and 7-1 wingspan to go along with guard-level ball-handling skills and deep shooting range, Stewart might be the most physically distinctive player the WNBA has ever seen," ESPN writes. "She runs the floor brilliantly but can also lead a break. There isn't a position on the court she can't guard or an area of the game she can't influence."
No. 11: Sue Bird
Bird partnered with Taurasi for two seasons in UConn's backcourt before also heading west to start a career defined by longevity and loyalty. Across two decades with the Seattle Storm, Bird set all-time marks in career assists and games played that still hold up, resulting in 13 All-Star appearances, eight All-WNBA selections and four WNBA titles.
"It might seem unfair that Bird isn't in the top 10, but it reflects something in which point guards take pride: making everyone around them better," ESPN writes. "The player right ahead of Bird on this list, longtime Storm teammate Lauren Jackson, would attest to that. No one played more WNBA games or was more respected as a leader than the Seattle icon, who has a statue outside Climate Pledge Arena."
No. 19: Tina Charles
After a standout college tenure in Storrs, Tina Charles began a similarly accomplished WNBA career just down the road at Mohegan Sun Arena, earning two first-team All-WNBA selections and an MVP award over four seasons after the Connecticut Sun selected her No. 1 overall. Charles remained one of the WNBA's premier players across six more seasons with the New York Liberty, and in the twilight of her career, she bounced between several teams before returning to Connecticut and retiring with the Sun last season.
"A dominant force from the day she stepped onto a WNBA court, Charles was the epitome of reliability and productivity until her retirement in May," ESPN writes.
No. 29: Swin Cash
Cash enjoyed a tremendous, 15-year WNBA career primarily with the now-defunct Detroit Shock and the Seattle Storm, earning four All-Star appearances and three WNBA titles. She might still have a chance to build on her WNBA legacy a decade after retirement, with Cash considered an early contender to replace outgoing league commissioner Cathy Engelbert ahead of the 2027 season.
"Cash was never on the first team for All-WNBA or defense," ESPN writes. "Yet she is a player who could change games with her effort and energy, along with her talent."
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This article originally published at ESPN ranks the WNBA's greatest players of all time; 6 UConn stars make the list.