List of WNBA career steals leaders

This article provides two lists:

A list of Women's National Basketball Association players by total career regular season steals.
A progressive list of steals leaders showing how the record has increased through the years.

Steals leaders

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This is a list of Women's National Basketball Association players by total career regular season leaders in steals.

Statistics accurate as of the 2024 WNBA season.[1]
^ Active WNBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
Rank Player Position(s) Team(s) played for (years) Total steals Games played[b] Steals per game
average[c]
1 Tamika Catchings* F Indiana Fever (2002–2016) 1,074 457 2.35
2 Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009)
Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011)
Chicago Sky (2012) 		764 454 1.68
3 Sue Bird† G Seattle Storm (2002–2022)[d] 725 580 1.25
4 Alana Beard G/F Washington Mystics (2004–2011)
Los Angeles Sparks (2012–2019) 		709 420 1.69
5 Sheryl Swoopes* F/G Houston Comets (1997–2007)[e]
Seattle Storm (2008)
Tulsa Shock (2011) 		657 324 2.03
6 Jia Perkins G Charlotte Sting (2004–2005)
Chicago Sky (2006–2010)
San Antonio Stars (2011–2015)
Minnesota Lynx (2016–2017) 		634 417 1.52
7 Sancho Lyttle F Houston Comets (2005–2008)
Atlanta Dream (2009–2017)
Phoenix Mercury (2018–2019) 		630 392 1.61
8 Angel McCoughtry† F/G Atlanta Dream (2009–2019)
Las Vegas Aces (2020–2021)
Minnesota Lynx (2022) 		627 311 2.02
9 Katie Douglas G/F Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (2001–2007, 2014)
Indiana Fever (2008–2013) 		623 412 1.51
10 DeLisha Milton-Jones F Los Angeles Sparks (1999–2004, 2008–2012)
Washington Mystics (2005–2007)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2013)
New York Liberty (2013–2014)
Atlanta Dream (2014–2015) 		619 499 1.24
11 Nneka Ogwumike^ F Los Angeles Sparks (2012–2023)
Seattle Storm (2024–present) 		618 393 1.57
12 DeWanna Bonner^ F/G Phoenix Mercury (2009–2019)
Connecticut Sun (2020–present) 		603 502 1.20
13 Taj McWilliams-Franklin F/C Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (1999–2006)
Los Angeles Sparks (2007)
Washington Mystics (2008)
Detroit Shock (2008–2009)
New York Liberty (2010)
Minnesota Lynx (2011–2012) 		580 440 1.32
14 Tully Bevilaqua G Cleveland Rockers (1998)
Portland Fire (2000–2002)
Seattle Storm (2003–2004)
Indiana Fever (2005–2010)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2011–2012) 		573 425 1.35
15 Courtney Vandersloot^ G Chicago Sky (2011–2022)
New York Liberty (2023–present) 		533 429 1.20
16 Yolanda Griffith* C/F Sacramento Monarchs (1999–2007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Indiana Fever (2009) 		529 311 1.70
17 Candace Parker† F/C Los Angeles Sparks (2008–2020)
Chicago Sky (2021–2022)
Las Vegas Aces (2023) 		523 410 1.28
18 Diana Taurasi^ G Phoenix Mercury (2004–present)[f] 518 565 0.92
19 Lindsay Whalen* G Connecticut Sun (2004–2009)
Minnesota Lynx (2010–2018) 		501 480 1.04
20 Shannon Johnson G Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (1999–2003)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2004–2006)
Detroit Shock (2007)
Houston Comets (2008)
Seattle Storm (2009) 		494 352 1.40
Alyssa Thomas^ G Connecticut Sun (2014–present) 320 1.54
22 Lisa Leslie* C Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009)[g] 492 363 1.36
23 Nykesha Sales F/G Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (1999–2007) 490 278 1.76
Sylvia Fowles† C Chicago Sky (2008–2014)
Minnesota Lynx (2015–2022) 		408 1.20
25 Becky Hammon* G New York Liberty (1999–2006)
San Antonio Stars (2007–2014) 		488 450 1.08

Progressive list of steal leaders

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This is a progressive list of assist leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[2]

Statistics accurate as of the 2024 WNBA season.
^ Active WNBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[h]
Team abbreviations Team(s) listed is the one player was on when she established the record.
ATL Atlanta Dream HOU Houston Comets MIN Minnesota Lynx
CHI Chicago Sky IND Indiana Fever NYL New York Liberty
CON Connecticut Sun LAS Los Angeles Sparks SAC Sacramento Monarchs
DET Detroit Shock MIA Miami Sol SEA Seattle Storm
Steals leader at the end of every season
Season Year-by-year leader Steals Active player leader Total steals Career record Total steals Single-season record Steals Season
1997 Teresa Weatherspoon*NYL 85 Teresa Weatherspoon*NYL 85 Teresa Weatherspoon*NYL 85 Teresa Weatherspoon*NYL 85 1997
1998 100 185 185 100 1998
1999 78 263 263 1999
2000 Sheryl Swoopes*HOU 87 328 328 2000
2001 Debbie BlackMIA 82 383 383 2001
2002 Tamika Catchings*IND 94 425 425 2002
2003 Sheryl Swoopes*HOU 77 453 453 2003
2004 Yolanda Griffith*SAC 75 465 465 2004
Nykesha SalesCON
2005 Tamika Catchings*IND 90 Sheryl Swoopes*HOU 520 Sheryl Swoopes*HOU 520 2005
2006 94 584 584 2006
2007 Loree MooreNYL 75 589 589 2007
2008 Alexis HornbuckleDET 79 Ticha PenicheiroSAC 655 Ticha PenicheiroSAC 655 2008
2009 Tamika Catchings*IND 99 685 685 2009
2010 77 728 728 2010
2011 Epiphanny Prince†CHI 79 Tamika Catchings*IND 775 Tamika Catchings*IND 775 2011
2012 Sancho LyttleATL 82 845 845 2012
2013 Angel McCoughtry†ATL 89 930 930 2013
2014 Sancho LyttleATL 74 957 957 2014
Angel McCoughtry†ATL
2015 Angel McCoughtry†ATL 72 1,012 1,012 2015
2016 Tamika Catchings*IND 62 1,074 1,074 2016
2017 Alana BeardLAS 71 Alana BeardLAS 653 2017
2018 Maya MooreMIN 57 697 2018
2019 Natasha Howard^SEA 74 709 2019
2020 Alyssa Thomas^CON 42 Sue Bird†SEA 659 2020
2021 Brittney Sykes^LAS 58 687 2021
2022 65 725 2022
2023 Jordin Canada^LAS 86 DeWanna Bonner^CON 556 2023
2024 Arike Ogunbowale^DAL 81 Nneka Ogwumike^SEA 618 2024
Season Year-by-year leader Steals Active player leader Total steals Career record Total steals Single-season record Steals Season


Notes

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  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until she has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ Games played in prior seasons where steals were not recorded are not included in total games played nor are they used in calculating the per game average.
  3. ^ Average is rounded to the nearest hundredth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before steals were officially recorded.
  4. ^ Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.
  5. ^ Swoopes missed the 2001 season due to an injury.
  6. ^ Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
  7. ^ Leslie did not play the 2007 season because of a pregnancy leave.
  8. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until she has been fully retired for three calendar years.

References

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  1. ^ "WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Steals". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  2. ^ "WNBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Steals". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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