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The WNBA is in the midst of its historic 25th season, and throughout the summer there have been a number of events and initiatives to celebrate the league reaching this milestone. The latest took place on Sunday, when the league announced the "W25," the 25 greatest players in WNBA history. 

In order to be eligible for consideration, players had to meet at least four of seven criteria set out by the league:

  • Won a major individual award
  • Made an All-WNBA First Team or Second Team
  • Made a WNBA All-Defensive First Team or Second Team
  • Made an All-Star Game
  • Won a championship
  • Ranked in the top 40 all-time in at least one major statistical category
  • Won the WNBA's season-long Community Assist Award

An initial list of 72 players was compiled earlier this year, and from there, a panel of select media members, women's basketball pioneers and advocates narrowed it down to the 25 best players. There was no further ranking among the players selected, and the list was released in alphabetical order. However, fans will have an opportunity to "Vote for the GOAT," and the results of that fan choice will be unveiled during the WNBA Finals next month. 

The WNBA's 25 greatest players

Player Team(s)

Seimone Augustus

Lynx, Sparks

Sue Bird*

Storm

Swin Cash

Shock, Storm, Sky, Dream, Liberty

Tamika Catchings

Fever

Tina Charles*

Sun, Liberty, Mystics

Cynthia Cooper

Comets

Elena Delle Donne*

Sky, Mystics

Sylvia Fowles*

Sky, Lynx

Yolanda Griffith

Monarchs, Storm, Fever

Brittney Griner*

Mercury

Becky Hammon

Liberty, Stars

Lauren Jackson

Storm

Lisa Leslie

Sparks

Angel McCoughtry*

Dream, Aces

Maya Moore

Lynx

Nneka Ogwumike*

Sparks

Candace Parker*

Sparks, Sky

Ticha Penicheiro

Monarchs, Sparks, Sky

Cappie Pondexter

Mercury, Liberty, Sky, Sparks, Fever

Katie Smith

Lynx, Shock, Mystics, Storm, Liberty

Breanna Stewart*

Storm

Sheryl Swoopes

Comets

Diana Taurasi*

Mercury

Tina Thompson

Comets, Sparks, Storm

Lindsay Whalen

Lynx

*Indicates active player

Here's a quick rundown of some notable facts about the list:

  • Ten of the 25 are active players (Bird, Charles, Delle Donne, Fowles, Griner, McCoughtry, Ogwumike, Parker, Stewart, Taurasi)
  • Every current franchise has at least one player on the list (there are no players on the list who have played for the Wings, but both Cash and Smith played for the franchise when it was known as the Shock)
  • Fourteen of the players on the list have combined to win 23 of the 24 MVP Awards (the only MVP not on the list is A'ja Wilson, who is only in her fourth season)
  • There are 10 former Rookie of the Year winners
  • There are 12 former No. 1 overall picks
  • Nine members of the All-Decade Team released in 2006 are still on the list (Bird, Catchings, Cooper, Griffith, Jackson, Leslie, Smith, Swoopes, Thompson)