List of WNBA career turnovers leaders

This article provides two lists:

A list of Women's National Basketball Association players by total career regular season turnovers recorded.
A progressive list of turnover leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[1]

Turnovers leaders

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This is a list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season turnovers recorded.[2]

Statistics accurate as of the 2024 WNBA season.
 
Diana Taurasi has the most turnovers in WNBA history.
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
§ Eligible for Hall of Fame in 2025[3]
Rank Player Pos Team(s) played for (years) Total turnovers Games played Turnovers per game
average[b]
1 Diana Taurasi^ G Phoenix Mercury (2004–present)[c] 1,520 565 2.69
2 Sue Bird G Seattle Storm (20022022)[d] 1,393 580 2.40
3 Becky Hammon* G New York Liberty (19992006)
San Antonio Silver Stars (20072013)
San Antonio Stars (2014)
1,224 450 2.72
4 Tina Thompson* F Houston Comets (19972008)
Los Angeles Sparks (20092011)
Seattle Storm (20122013)
1,217 496 2.45
5 Lisa Leslie* C Los Angeles Sparks (19972009)[e] 1,193 363 3.29
6 DeLisha Milton-Jones F Los Angeles Sparks (19992004, 20082012)
Washington Mystics (20052007)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2013)
New York Liberty (20132014)
Atlanta Dream (20142015)
1,173 499 2.35
7 Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento Monarchs (19982009)
Los Angeles Sparks (20102011)
Chicago Sky (2012)
1,134 454 2.50
8 Swin Cash* F Detroit Shock (20022007)
Seattle Storm (20082011)
Chicago Sky (20122013)
Atlanta Dream (2014)
New York Liberty (20142016)
1,128 479 2.35
Courtney Vandersloot^ G Chicago Sky (20112022)
New York Liberty (2023–present)
429 2.63
10 Candace Parker F Los Angeles Sparks (20082020)
Chicago Sky (20212022)
Las Vegas Aces (2023)
1,062 410 2.59
11 Tamika Catchings* F Indiana Fever (20022016) 1,043 457 2.28
12 Lindsay Whalen* G Connecticut Sun (20042009)
Minnesota Lynx (20102018)
1,006 480 2.10
13 Sylvia Fowles C Chicago Sky (20082014)
Minnesota Lynx (20152022)
961 408 2.36
14 Tina Charles^ C Connecticut Sun (20102013)
New York Liberty (20142019)
Washington Mystics (2021)
Phoenix Mercury (2022)
Seattle Storm (2022)
Atlanta Dream (2024–present)
957 430 2.23
15 Tanisha Wright G Seattle Storm (20052014)
New York Liberty (20152016, 2019)
Minnesota Lynx (2018)
954 457 2.09
16 Angel McCoughtry F Atlanta Dream (20092019)[f]
Las Vegas Aces (20202021)
Minnesota Lynx (2022)
949 311 3.05
17 Cappie Pondexter G Phoenix Mercury (20062009)
New York Liberty (20102014)
Chicago Sky (20152017)
Los Angeles Sparks (2018)
Indiana Fever (2018)
948 416 2.28
18 Shannon Johnson G Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992003)
San Antonio Silver Stars (20042006)
Detroit Shock (2007)
Houston Comets (2008)
Seattle Storm (2009)
940 352 2.67
19 Katie Smith* G/F Minnesota Lynx (19992005)
Detroit Shock (20052008)
Washington Mystics (2010)
Seattle Storm (20112012)
New York Liberty (2013)
935 482 1.94
20 Taj McWilliams-Franklin PF/C Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992006)
Los Angeles Sparks (2007)
Washington Mystics (2008)
Detroit Shock (20082009)
New York Liberty (2010)
Minnesota Lynx (20112012)
900 440 2.05
21 Candice Dupree§ F Chicago Sky (20062009)
Phoenix Mercury (20102015)
Indiana Fever (20172020)
Seattle Storm (2021)
Atlanta Dream (2021)
872 494 1.77
22 Alana Beard G/F Washington Mystics (20042011)
Los Angeles Sparks (20122019)
854 420 2.03
23 Katie Douglas F/G Orlando Miracle (20012002)
Connecticut Sun (20032007, 2014)
Indiana Fever (20082013)
830 412 2.01
Alyssa Thomas^ PF Connecticut Sun (2014–present) 320 2.59
25 Betty Lennox G Minnesota Lynx (20002001)
Miami Sol (2002)
Cleveland Rockers (2003)
Seattle Storm (20042007)
Atlanta Dream (2008)
Los Angeles Sparks (20092010)
Tulsa Shock (2011)
800 320 2.50

Progressive list of turnovers leaders

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This is a progressive list of turnovers leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[1]

Statistics accurate as of the 2024 WNBA season.
 
Caitlin Clark has the most turnovers in a single season with 223.
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
Team Abbreviations Team listed is the one player was on when he established the record.
ATL Atlanta Dream HOU Houston Comets PHO Phoenix Mercury
CHA Charlotte Sting IND Indiana Fever SAC Sacramento Monarchs
CHI Chicago Sky LAS Los Angeles Sparks SAS San Antonio Silver Stars
CON Connecticut Sun MIN Minnesota Lynx SEA Seattle Storm
DET Detroit Shock NYL New York Liberty WAS Washington Mystics
WNBA progressive leaders and records for turnovers for every season
Season Year-by-year leader TOV Active player leader TOV Career record TOV Single-season record TOV Season
1997 Chantel Tremitiere000SAC 122 Chantel Tremitiere000SAC 122 Chantel Tremitiere000SAC 122 Chantel Tremitiere000SAC 122 1997
1998 Nikki McCray000WAS 126 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 211 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 211 Nikki McCray000WAS 126 1998
1999 Ticha Penicheiro000SAC 135 Cynthia Cooper*000HOU 308 Cynthia Cooper*000HOU 308 Ticha Penicheiro000SAC 135 1999
2000 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 103 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 408 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 408 2000
2001 Rita Williams000IND 100 506 506 2001
2002 Sue Bird000SEA 109 614 614 2002
2003 110 679 679 2003
2004 Becky Hammon*000NYL 118 789 789 2004
2005 Shannon Johnson000SAS 113 889 889 2005
2006 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 126 1,015 1,015 2006
2007 DeLisha Milton-Jones000WAS 121 Shannon Johnson000DET 809 2007
2008 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 119 Lisa Leslie*000LAS 1,134 1,134 2008
2009 Becky Hammon*000SAS 111 1,193 1,193 2009
2010 Diana Taurasi^000PHO 110 Tina Thompson*000LAS 1,062 2010
2011 Becky Hammon*000SAS 119 1,130 2011
2012 Kristi Toliver000LAS 124 Becky Hammon*000SAS 1,168 2012
2013 Angel McCoughtry000ATL 134 Tina Thompson*000SEA 1,217 Tina Thompson*000SEA 1,217 2013
2014 116 Becky Hammon*000SAS 1,224 Becky Hammon*000SAS 1,224 2014
2015 107 DeLisha Milton-Jones000ATL 1,173 2015
2016 Candace Parker000LAS 98 Sue Bird000SEA 1,147 2016
2017 Alyssa Thomas^000CON 98 1,209 2017
2018 Courtney Vandersloot^000CHI 104 1,268 Sue Bird000SEA 1,268 2018
2019 Odyssey Sims^000MIN 112 Diana Taurasi^000PHO 1,199 2019
2020 Skylar Diggins-Smith^000PHO 70 Sue Bird000SEA 1,286 1,286 2020
2021 Betnijah Laney^000NYL 119 1,333 1,333 2021
2022 Natasha Howard^000NYL 113 1,393 1,393 2022
2023 Alyssa Thomas^000CON 137 Diana Taurasi^000PHO 1,452 Diana Taurasi^000PHO 1,452 Alyssa Thomas^000CON 137 2023
2024 Caitlin Clark^000IND 223 1,520 1,520 Caitlin Clark^000IND 223 2024
Season Year-by-year leader TOV Active player leader TOV Career record TOV Single-season record TOV Season

Notes

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  1. ^ a b A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ Average is rounded to the nearest hundredth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before turnovers were officially recorded.
  3. ^ Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
  4. ^ Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.
  5. ^ Leslie did not play the 2007 season due to pregnancy leave.
  6. ^ McCoughtry sat out during 2017 to rest.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "NBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Turnovers". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. ^ "WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Turnovers". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "2025 Hall of Fame Candidates". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ "Dream's Angel McCoughtry Plans to Rest During 2017 Season". WNBA. January 4, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
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