Candace Parker has enjoyed a legendary career unlike any other. In college, she was a two-time National Champion, two-time NCAA Tournament Most Improved Player, two-time AP Female Athlete of the Year, one-time Naismith College Player of the Year, and two-time John R. Wooden Award winner.
From there, she was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and has spent the past 16 seasons in the WNBA. She’s a 7-time All-Star, two-time MVP, Finals MVP, two-time WNBA Champion, All-Star Game MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and 7-time All-WNBA First Team honoree.
Not only that, but Candace Parker has had an enormous amount of success overseas. She’s a five-time Russian National League champion, four-time Russian Cup winner, EuroLeague champion, and has two Olympic gold medals. It doesn’t matter where she is, she’s going to be a winner and top performer.
Only 8 WNBA Players Have Scored 6,500+ Career Points
Candace Parker added to her list of accomplishments just one week ago, becoming just the eighth WNBA player to score 6,500 points in their career – joining a coveted list of WNBA legends. She’s also the first WNBA player to ever record 6,500 points, 3,000 rebounds, 1,500 assists, 600 blocks, and 500 steals.
Over the course of her career, Candace Parker is averaging 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game (404 career games played). She scored at least 11 points per game in each of her first 15 seasons and at least 15.0 points per game in 10 of her first 15 seasons.
While her role has diminished in recent years as she enters the tail-end of her career, Candace Parker is still a prominent piece of a Championship-caliber team and will have a prime opportunity to add some hardware to her collection before she retires. We don’t know when that day will come, but it’s coming.
To honor her latest accomplishment, let’s take a look at the seven other WNBA players with at least 6,500 points in their career.
7. Sue Bird – 6,803 points
Sue Bird was drafted by the Seattle Storm as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft and went on to spend her entire 19-year career with the team before retiring at the conclusion of the 2022 season. She didn’t play in the 2013 and 2019 seasons, but was as reliable as they come for most of her career.
She averaged 11.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 31.2 minutes per game (580 games played) – totaling 6,803 points, 1,466 rebounds, 3,234 assists, and 725 steals. She had at least 10.0 points per game in all but two seasons – she averaged 9.8 points in 2020 and 7.8 points in 2022.
Bird accomplished it all during her career. She was a 13-time All-Star, 5-time All-WNBA First Team, 3-time All-WNBA Second Team, 4-time WNBA champion, 2021 Commissioner’s Cup champion, and 2-time WNBA Peak Performer. She was also named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 2021.
She recently had her No. 10 jersey number retired by the Storm, but she had success outside of the WNBA too. She won five Olympic gold medals with Team USA between 2004 and 2020, two NCAA championships with UConn in 2000 and 2002, and a 5-time Russian National League champion.
6. Cappie Pondexter – 6,811 points
Cappie Pondexter was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft and went on to spend 13 seasons in the league – five with the Liberty, four with the Mercury, and three with the Sky before finishing her career split between the Sparks (13 games) and Fever (17 games).
She averaged 16.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 30.7 minutes per game (416 games played) – totaling 6,811 points, 1,520 rebounds, 1,578 assists, and 409 steals. She had at least 17.0 points per game in each of the first seven years of her career and more than 20.0 points three times.
Pondexter was a bonafide winner during her time in the WNBA. She won two WNBA championships with the Phoenix Mercury in 2007 and 2009, and was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2007. She was a 7-time All-Star, 3-time All-WNBA First Team, and was a member of the WNBA All-Defensive First Team in 2010.
She won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2008, four Turkis National League championships, four Turkis President Cup wins, two Russian National League championships, and three Russian Cup wins. She has since started a style management company called 4 Seasons Style Management.
5. Candice Dupree – 6,895 points
Candice Dupree was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft and went on to spend 16 seasons in the league – seven with the Mercury, four with the Sky, and four with the Fever before finishing her career split between with Storm (16 games) and the Dream (10 games).
She averaged 14.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game (494 games played) – totaling 6,895 points, 3,144 rebounds, 904 assists, 431 steals, and 318 blocks. She had at least 11.0 points per game in 15 of her 16 seasons and had a career-high 16.5 points in 2007.
Dupree was a seven-time All-Star between 2006 and 2019. She won her first and only WNBA title in 2014 with the Phoenix Mercury, was a Hungarian champion in 2019, won two gold medals with Team USA at the FIBA World Championship for Women, and another gold medal at the 2005 World University Games.
In 2022, Dupree made her transition to the NBA when she was hired by the San Antonio Spurs as a Player Development coach. She is also the wife of former Phoenix teammate, DeWanna Bonner, and gave birth to twins in 2017 while with the Indiana Fever. Bonner currently plays for the Connecticut Sun.
4. Tina Charles – 7,115 points
Tina Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft and went on to spend 12 seasons in the league – six with the Liberty, four with the Sun, and one with the Mystics before splitting the 2022 season (her last) with the Mercury (16 games) and Storm (18 games).
She averaged 18.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game (391 games played) – totaling 7,115 points, 3,640 rebounds, 870 assists, 312 steals, and 389 blocks. She had at least 14.0 points per game in each of her 12 seasons and had a career-high 23.4 points in 2021.
Charles accomplished everything there was to accomplish. She was the 2010 Rookie of the Year, 2012 MVP, 8-time All-Star, 5-time All-WNBA First Team, 4-time All-WNBA Second Team, 2-time All-Defensive First Team, 2-time All-Defensive Second Team, 4-time Peak Performer, and two-time scoring champ.
She also has quite the resume in college and overseas. She was a two-time NCAA champ at UConn, two-time Turkish Cup winner, 2015 Turkish President Cup winner, 2014 Polish National League champ, 2014 Polish Cup winner, and three-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA between 2012 and 2020.
3. Tamika Catchings – 7,380 points
Tamika Catchings was drafted by the Indiana Fever with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft and went on to spend her entire 15-year career with the team before retiring at the conclusion of the 2016 season. She was a reliable player who consistently put up big stats in the regular season and playoffs.
She averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game (457 games played) – totaling 7,380 points, 3,315 rebounds, 1,488 assists, 1,074 steals, and 385 blocks. She never averaged less than 12.7 points per game in any season and had at least 16 points nine times.
Catchings was a 10-time All-Star, 7-time All-WNBA First Team, 5-time All-WNBA Second Team, 5-time Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time All-Defensive First Team, 2-time All-Defensive Second Team, 2002 Rookie of the Year, 2011 MVP, 2012 WNBA champion, and was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2012.
She led the league in steals on eight occasions and is the all-time leader in steals (regular season), scoring (playoffs), rebounding (playoffs), and steals (playoffs). She was also a Polish National League champion in 2009, won two Turkish Cups in her career, and had her No. 24 jersey retired by the Fever.
2. Tina Thompson – 7,488 points
Tina Thompson was drafted by the Houston Comets with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft and went on to spend 17 seasons in the league – 12 with the Comets, three with the Sparks, and two with the Storm. Throughout her 17-year career, she only played in less than 25 games on three occasions.
She averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 32.4 minutes per game (496 games played) – totaling 7,488 points, 3,070 rebounds, 804 assists, 453 steals, and 372 blocks. She had at least 12 points per game in all but three of her seasons and had a career-high 20.0 points in 2004.
Thompson was a four-time WNBA champion, nine-time All-Star, 2000 All-Star Game MVP, three-time All-WNBA First Team, and 5-time All-WNBA Second Team. The inaugural No. 1 overall pick is a member of the WNBA 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th Anniversary Team and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
She also had her No. 14 jersey retired by USC and helped lead Team USA to two Olympic gold medals, a gold medal at the 1998 World Cup, and a gold medal at the Jones Cup. She was a Russian National League champion in 2017, EuroLeague champion in 2007, and Romanian National League champion in 2010.
1. Diana Taurasi – 9,820 points
Diana Taurasi was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft and has spent the past 19 seasons in the league – all of which with the Mercury. She has more than 2,000 points more than the next closest player all-time and continues to add to her total to this day.
She averages 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 30.9 minutes per game (512 games played ) – totaling 9,820 points, 2,012 rebounds, 2,200 assists, 490 steals, and 335 blocks. She had at least 14.0 points per game in all but one season and had at least 20 points seven times.
Taurasi continues to build upon her impressive resume. She’s a 3-time champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-WNBA First Team, 4-time All-WNBA Second Team, 2004 Rookie of the Year, 5-time scoring champ, 6-time WNBA Peak Performer, and even led the league in assists in 2014.
Outside of the WNBA, she’s a 3-time NCAA champion with UConn, 2003 AP College Player of the Year 6-time EuroLeague champion, 7-time Russian National League champion, 3-time Russian League Player of the Year, Turkish National League champion, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and three-time gold medalist at the World Championships.
WNBA Players Closing in on 6,500 Career Points
While there are just seven WNBA players to ever reach the 6,500-point mark in their career, there are 15 others with at least 5,000 points and two of those players are currently playing in the 2023 regular season – Dewanna Bonner (6,428 points) and Nneka Ogwumike (5,430 points). Both ladies are within reach.
Bonner is going to reach that accomplishment by mid-July, but Nneka will have to work for hers – as of right now, she’s still 1,070 points away. If she finishes strong the rest of this season, then there’s a chance she can do it with an equally-impressive year next season. We’ll see if she stays aggressive and healthy.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Recapping the 24 Rookies Selected in the First Two Rounds of the 2023 WNBA Draft
Other players closing in on the mark include Brittney Griner, who is currently sitting at 4,655 career points, and Elena Delle Donne, who is currently sitting at 4,525 career points. Players to keep an eye on over the next decade include Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Jewell Loyd, and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Contents
What to Read Next...
At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.