The 25 most underrated WNBA players of all-time

Since entering the league in 2018, Mitchell has established herself as a walking bucket. She has averaged double-digit scoring in every WNBA season she's played, including a career-best 20.2 PPG in 2025. It wasn't until that year, which also saw her finish fifth in MVP voting, that she began to get the respect she long deserved. She's one of the game's most prolific scorers, yet is often overlooked when discussing the top players. 

A two-time WNBA champ, Dixon has the most All-Star selections of those on the list with three. That may make you think she's not that underrated, but it was very much the case as the third wheel on those early-2000s Los Angeles Sparks title teams with Lisa Leslie at the helm. She has seven seasons averaging in double-digits, including an impressive 12 PPG season in 2007 after regressing the prior three seasons. Without her aid, the Sparks may not have been as dominant as they were. 

The two-time All-Star was a key cog during the Los Angeles Sparks' dominance in the early 2000s but played under the spotlight of Lisa Leslie. She was a multi-faceted player who could fill up the box score, whether it was routinely putting up 10 per game over her career or doing the little things on defense. She had a six-year run in the middle of her career, averaging 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. 

Howard has found herself on some of the best teams in the modern game. She played alongside superstars like Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and Sylvia Fowles, and at every stop, she has found a way to assert herself. Her 2019 season saw her named the Defensive Player of the Year, along with an All-WNBA First-Team bid. 

The former No. 8 overall pick didn't fire right out of the gates as a rookie but once she got acclimated, she eventually became more than just a role player. The guard has stuffed the stat sheet with ease, seeing seasons of 7.2 rebounds per game and multiple years with six-plus assists per night. Through it all, she has consistently been a double-digit scorer, with nine straight seasons of achieving this, and has also continued to be a prominent defender. 

She's still got many seasons ahead of her, but why she's on this list is for what she did once she got an opportunity. After four years of being a bench piece, Harris earned a starting gig in 2024, turning that opportunity into 10.5 points and 3.0 assists per game. The year before, she led the league in 3-point percentage. 

A key starter for winning teams, including the 2010 champions, Little spent many years providing consistent minutes alongside Seattle greats, Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. Despite playing many high-profile games and in big moments, Little never earned the recognition she deserved. She received votes for three consecutive seasons for Most Improved Player and never earned an All-Star selection, despite averaging double-digit points and five-plus rebounds per game for five years. 

The Canadian forward played in just eight games as a rookie between two teams. It took some time, but Carleton has become one of the game's top three-point shooters and a high-minute starter. Her first five years saw her make just 31 starts. Between 2024 and 2025, she started 80 games for Minnesota. 

There's a reason Clark has been involved with three championship squads. She knows what her role is, and she plays it well. That was never more apparent than in 2023 when she won the Sixth Woman of the Year. Twice she's found herself on an All-Defense team, too. When given a chance to rack up more minutes, as she did in 2020, she showed she's capable of being a double-digit scorer. 

You won't find Canada's name on any All-Star teams, and that's unfortunate. She's done just about everything a guard can in the league, including twice leading the WNBA in steals, winning multiple titles, and earning multiple All-Defense honors. Over her three most recent seasons, Canada has even added more of a scoring touch to her game with three straight double-digit scoring campaigns after previously never reaching that mark in her first five years. 

After years of waiting for the right opportunity, Hiedeman has proven capable as a three-point threat who can score off the bench. While overlooked by many, Hiedeman has shown up under the brightest lights in the playoffs. She has put up some of her best scoring nights in the postseason, including an impressive 19 points in a 2025 semifinals game. 

A physical force, Walker could be found posting up opponents and stepping through the opposition in the paint. She won a title in Sacramento in 2005, the same year she earned her lone All-Star selection after averaging career highs of 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

There aren't many WNBA players who play with the level of tenacity Hayes does when attacking the basket. It's that style of play that has enabled her to be a double-digit scorer in 11 of her 13 seasons. She maxed out at 17.2 points a night in 2018 before settling into a bench role in 2024 with Las Vegas. It was in that role that she earned the Sixth Woman of the Year award.

Second-round picks have the odds stacked against them. As a rookie, Mabrey struggled to find her footing. As a sophomore, she burst out for 10 points per game, beginning her current run of eight consecutive years in double figures with five years in the mid-teens. Despite that, she has yet to be named an All-Star. 

Undrafted, Wheeler has risen from being a hidden gem to cementing herself as one of the best stories the W has ever seen. She became the first non-drafted player to win All-Star Game MVP in 2019 and has become a regular starter on the bulk of her teams over her decade of playing in the league. 

Mitchell is the only player ever to win the Most Improved Player Award twice. She did so with a decade nearly separating the two honors. That perfectly encapsulates who she is as a player, as she has had her ups and downs between being a starter and a depth piece. When given major minutes, Mitchell often rewarded her teams with strong showings due to her creativity and elite three-point shooting. 

Thanks to her nose for the hoop mixed with her physicality, Currie enjoyed many seasons in double figures. She is even among the few to finish their career with 4,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 150 three-pointers. Yet, the longtime Washington star never played in an All-Star Game. Talk about being underrated.

Internationally, Whitcomb thrived, and she didn't let up when playing in the WNBA with multiple championships. Whitcomb has become a valuable offensive threat that can create spacing with her shooting prowess, which was never more apparent than her career-best 2021 season. That was her one year in which she was a full-time starter, averaging 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while knocking down 2.5 three-pointers per game. 

For a decade, Breland left her mark on every game through hustle and heart. She was a defensive stalwart with multiple seasons falling just short of winning Defensive Player of the Year. She finished her career averaging more than one block per game and a tick under one steal per game, while scoring 9 or more points in multiple seasons. 

Perhaps she's still new to the league to be on this list, but it's hard not to consider her vastly underrated, despite some recognition. She's a four-time All-Defense selection and a one-time All-Star. Despite that, she still doesn't get the hype she likely deserves. The Seattle big took a few years to find herself in the W, but has since become someone who can put up a double-double on any given night. 

It took until her seventh season for recognition to come her way in the form of being named the Defensive Player of the Year. Her ability to lock down opponents and be aggressive on the glass is certainly respected amongst her peers. She's more than just a top-tier defender, however. Smith added some offensive flair to her game with three straight seasons averaging nine or more points while having some range to her shots, as well. Minnesota's ascension in the 2020s has a lot to do with the complementary play of Smith.

A combo big, Stevens has played for three teams over her eight-year career. At each stop, she found ways to contribute to winning basketball games. She has had four seasons scoring in double digits and a handful of other seasons where she cleaned up on the glass. In 2025, Stevens nearly won Most Improved Player after reaching career-highs in points (12.8) and rebounds (8.0) with Los Angeles. 

A member of the Houston Comets during their dominant run in the late 90s, Arcain was often overlooked. Those four titles, though, saw her play a valuable role, whether as a starter or coming off the bench. Midway through her career, she received more scoring opportunities, boosting her average to a whopping 18.5 points in 2001, when she won that year's Most Improved Player Award. She was a double-digit scorer over her final four seasons. 

For years, Lavender adapted to her role and played winning basketball with the Los Angeles Sparks. During their 2016 title run, the forward played a huge role off the bench, scoring 9.6 points per game, good enough to earn her Sixth Woman of the Year. That move to the bench came just one season after her career-high 14.5 points per game earned her the first and only All-Star bid in her tenure, too. 

The Rutgers product came into the league with a reputation for her willingness to defend. She's done nothing but live up to that at the next level with a pair of All-Defense honors. Over the years, she turned that confidence on the defensive end into something special going the other way. After averaging 5.6 points per game in her first year as a starter, Laney-Hamilton went on to score around 17 a game the next two years, beginning a five-year stretch of double-digit scoring averages.