The All-Time WNBA's True Pioneer

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We explore the debate over who is the most important WNBA player of all time, examining why Lisa Leslie often tops the list while acknowledging many others who deserve consideration.

• Lisa Leslie stands out as a trailblazer, one of the original faces of the WNBA, and the first woman to dunk in a professional game
• Leslie's accomplishments include three MVPs, two championships, eight All-Star selections, and Olympic success
• Cheryl Swoopes, often called the "female Michael Jordan," was the first player to sign with the WNBA
• Diana Taurasi is widely considered the GOAT with her 20+ year career and scoring dominance
• Candace Parker changed the game by winning MVP as a rookie and remains culturally relevant today
• Maya Moore's social justice work and Lauren Jackson's international impact expanded the WNBA's influence
• The definition of "importance" varies depending on whether we prioritize on-court dominance, cultural impact, or barrier-breaking

Please like, subscribe, comment, and tell anyone who's anyone about the show. I'm curious to hear who you believe is the most important WNBA player of all time and why.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up everybody?
It's your favorite show'sfavorite show.
Get a Bucket.
I'm your host, trayn.
As usual, I hope you're allhaving a wonderful, wonderful
day.
Today we're going to talk aboutthe most important WNBA player
of all time.
But before we do that, pleasemake sure to hit that like and
subscribe button.
Comment, tell anyone who'sanyone about the show, try and
get the ratings up a little bit.
You know, just a little bit.
But like I said, today we'regoing to talk about the most

(00:23):
important WNBA player of alltime.
Have a discussion at minimum.
Let's not make it law right,Because it's subjective in the
day.
Matter of fact, to even startoff the conversation here, I
used AI just to figure outwhat's a good listing.
I have my own myself, but Ijust wanted to see what day it

(00:43):
was and then I can break it ondown.
So there were a couple people,but again, there are a lot of
people to talk about.
There are some wonderful ladiesin the all-time listing of the
wnba, but here's the thing,though the name that I got, the

(01:04):
name that was given to me, lisaLeslie Lisa Leslie was
considered the most importantWNBA player of all time.
Ladies and gentlemen, now, as aSparks fan, I ain't mad at that.

(01:25):
I'm not going to lie to you.
I'm not mad at that answer and,to be honest, she was on my
listing too and if you don'tknow well, we will talk about it
a little bit.
But again, ladies and gentlemen, that was the answer and I
can't be too mad.
But there are some other ladiesthat at least got to get some
consideration.
Right Now you might be wonderingwhy Lisa Leslie?

(01:48):
Well, lisa Leslie has beenconsidered a trailblazer.
You know Lisa, one of the.
She was one of the originalfaces of the WNBA.
Ladies and gentlemen, when youthought of the WNBA, you thought
of her.
Let's not, let's not forget shewas like the first woman to
dunk.
It's pretty spectacular, rightlike.

(02:10):
That's pretty notable, becauseagain, a lot of people say, oh,
we should lower the rim now.
Blah, blah, blah.
That's helping breakingbarriers.
So again, we're talking aboutlisa leslie, ladies and
gentlemen, a pioneer, as peoplecall them, the dominance that
she has.
She was a three time MVP, twotime champion, eight time all
star.
She dominated on the basketballcourt for the WNBA and the

(02:35):
Olympics.
Again, this is an Olympic greatthat we're talking about.
She didn't have six like DianeTaurasi gold medals, but again,
she was doing her thing.
I want to say Two, three likefour, maybe four.
I think that's pretty good too,right.
And then again the mainstreamappeal that we have.
We got the modeling gigs, thecommercial endorsements, tv

(02:57):
appearances, appearances for NBAAll-Star Weekend, stuff like
that.
I understand why Lisa Leslie waspointed and mentioned as the
most important WNBA player, butsome players we got to consider,
ladies and gentlemen, whenwe're talking about the most in
player, because, again, there'sa lot.

(03:18):
There's a lot of ladies that wecan talk about.
It's a lot, yeah, dang.
Ladies that we can talk about,it's a lot, yeah, dang.
But some honorable mentions,such as cheryl swoops, because

(03:38):
she was often called the femalemichael jordan.
Keep in mind, we talk about mjpretty highly, don't we?
So I mean, you know she wasalso the first player to sign
with the wNBA.
That is pretty good too.
That's pretty important, right,like?
I think that's notable.
And she was dominant as well.
Again, if you're gettingcompared to as Michael Jordan,
that's a tough honorable mentionright there.
How about a Diana Taurasi Like?

(04:03):
Diana Taurasi is considered theGOAT of the WNBA.
She's considered the greatestpure scorer of the WNBA,
arguably one of the greatestcompetitors in league history,
played for 20 plus years.
Come on now, dog.
She has a notable career too.

(04:26):
When we think of WNBA, you haveto think of DT, but again, it
is subjective, right.
But again, that's why I'mlisting the honorable mentions
as well too.
Candice Parker oh my gosh, heyyo, we talking about another
Sparks player right now.
Baby Y'all be.
She was dominant, her daggoneself, winning MVP rookie year.

(04:51):
It's tough, how about?
Even nowadays she's stillrelevant in sports.
You could say she's morepopular than Lisa Leslie.
She's helped put the WNBA moreon the map than Lisa Leslie
nowadays.
But there's also moreviewership because of a Lisa
Leslie Tudor.
But again, candace Parkershould be reviewed as, or viewed

(05:16):
as, one of the modern faces ofthe WNBA.
So again, we got to talk aboutthat.
How about?
How about a Maya Moore?
How about a Maya Moore?
Well, because we can talk abouther basketball play.
We can talk about how sheretired because of a social
justice cause that ended upgetting her husband.

(05:37):
He wasn't her husband at thetime, it just happened, but she
helped out him and that.
That.
That breeds some positivityright there.
And then again, she wasdominant on the court, ladies
and gentlemen, she, if she ain'tretired earlier, we could be
talking about my my more is thegoat easily, like when I said
best pure score about DT.
We could have been saying thatabout Mike Moore.

(05:58):
It's crazy.
Or how about a Lauren Jacksonwho I read off right Lisa
Leslie's accomplishmentsThree-time MVP, two-time champ.
Lauren Jackson was a three-timeMVP, three-time champ, had
Olympic accolades and also wasconsidered the rival of a Lisa

(06:19):
Leslie.
Now, it might not have been aspopular as Lisa Leslie.
So the importance factor I hearfrom an entertainment
perspective, from a relatableperspective, people probably
looked at Lisa Leslie as moredominant, even though both
players dominated, and you canmake the case that Lauren
Jackson dominated more.
So again, ladies and gentlemen,I do understand why Lisa Leslie

(06:44):
is considered by this AI toolas the most important WNBA
player ever and a lot of peoplemight actually consider her as
the most W, as the mostimportant WNBA player as well.
Again, there are a lot ofplayers that you could consider
as the most important WNBAplayer as well.
Again, there are a lot ofplayers that you could consider
as the most important.
If you say another answer, I'mnot going to say that's foolish,

(07:06):
because I get it, I hear it, Iunderstand it.
A lot of these women are veryimportant to the WNBA.
What I won't understand, though, is if somebody ever says
Kaitlyn Clark is the mostimportant, we're going to fight
right there on site.
Swear to God, we're going tohave to scrap.
Though is if somebody ever saysKaitlin Clark is the most
important, we're going to fightright there on site, like we're
going to have to scrap bro,because ain't no way in the
world a rookie or sophomore canbe the most important player in
the WNBA.

(07:26):
I can't even say that aboutPaige Beckers.
I'm a Paige Beckers fan.
Come on now.
Like what are we doing here?
So that's the only time I'mgoing to really be upset, and
give that some time too, becausewhat happens if Kaitlin does
end up becoming the mostimportant WNBA player?
All the time?
Let's wait and see.
Let's wait and see for all ofthose young players, but
currently right now, point intime before the 2025 season has

(07:49):
started y'all heard my listingsWell, not mine, I guess for the
most important WNBA player, andagain I was trying to list off
my initial list right Lisa wasthere.
She was, in fact, my firstperson when I thought of right.
I also thought of LaurenJackson too, though, because,
again, she was a rival.
Diana Taurasi, sue Bird right,you could consider them.

(08:12):
Candace Parker, maya Moore,sylvia Fowles we can consider
them.
You can talk about CherylSwoops.
There's so many players thatyou can mention.
Athena Thompson there's so manyplayers, bro, that we can
mention Again.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'mcurious who y'all think is the

(08:32):
most important WNBA player ofall time?
Because, like I've said, it's alot of people.
It's a lot of people.
That's a lot of people rightthere.
That was a lot of peoplehooping, that was a lot of
people getting a bucket.
I'm telling you right now, andy'all believe me, argue with
your mom, but that does concludethe end of the episode.

(08:55):
So I'm curious who you allbelieve is the most important
WNBA's player of all time, anddefinitely let me know one, who,
and then two why.
But that's it, like I said, sountil next time.
But thank you all for listening.
I greatly appreciate it andplease make sure to like,
subscribe, comment, tell anyonewho's anyone about the show.

(09:18):
My name is Trey.
I'm the host of Get a Bucket.
Hope you all are having a goodone, take care.