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

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
20	Alyssa Thomas^	G	Connecticut Sun (2014–present)	494	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
23	Sylvia Fowles^†	C	Chicago Sky (2008–2014) Minnesota Lynx (2015–2022)	490	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

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
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*000NYL	85	Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL	85	Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL	85	Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL	85	1997
1998		100		185		185		100	1998
1999		78		263		263			1999
2000	Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU	87		328		328			2000
2001	Debbie Black000MIA	82		383		383			2001
2002	Tamika Catchings*000IND	94		425		425			2002
2003	Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU	77		453		453			2003
2004	Yolanda Griffith*000SAC	75		465		465			2004
2004	Nykesha Sales000CON	75		465		465			2004
2005	Tamika Catchings*000IND	90	Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU	520	Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU	520			2005
2006	Tamika Catchings*000IND	94		584		584			2006
2007	Loree Moore000NYL	75		589		589			2007
2008	Alexis Hornbuckle000DET	79	Ticha Penicheiro000SAC	655	Ticha Penicheiro000SAC	655			2008
2009	Tamika Catchings*000IND	99		685		685			2009
2010	Tamika Catchings*000IND	77		728		728			2010
2011	Epiphanny Prince^†000CHI	79	Tamika Catchings*000IND	775	Tamika Catchings*000IND	775			2011
2012	Sancho Lyttle000ATL	82		845		845			2012
2013	Angel McCoughtry^†000ATL	89		930		930			2013
2014	Sancho Lyttle000ATL	74		957		957			2014
2014	Angel McCoughtry^†000ATL	74		957		957			2014
2015	Angel McCoughtry^†000ATL	72		1,012		1,012			2015
2016	Tamika Catchings*000IND	62		1,074		1,074			2016
2017	Alana Beard000LAS	71	Alana Beard000LAS	653					2017
2018	Maya Moore000MIN	57		697					2018
2019	Natasha Howard^000SEA	74		709					2019
2020	Alyssa Thomas^000CON	42	Sue Bird^†000SEA	659					2020
2021	Brittney Sykes^000LAS	58		687					2021
2022	Brittney Sykes^000LAS	65		725					2022
2023	Jordin Canada^000LAS	86	DeWanna Bonner^000CON	556					2023
2024	Arike Ogunbowale^000DAL	81	Nneka Ogwumike^000SEA	618					2024
Season	Year-by-year leader	Steals	Active player leader	Total steals	Career record	Total steals	Single-season record	Steals	Season

Notes

^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Average is rounded to the nearest hundredth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before steals were officially recorded.
^ Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.
^ Swoopes missed the 2001 season due to an injury.
^ Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
^ Leslie did not play the 2007 season because of a pregnancy leave.
^ 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

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

External links

WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Steals | Basketball-Reference.com - updated daily

[2] 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.

[3] 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.

[4] Average is rounded to the nearest hundredth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before steals were officially recorded.

[5] Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.

[6] Swoopes missed the 2001 season due to an injury.

[7] Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

[8] Leslie did not play the 2007 season because of a pregnancy leave.

[10] 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.

[1] "WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Steals". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 28 September 2022.

[Progressive-9] "WNBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Steals". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 1 October 2022.

[1]

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[f]

[g]

[2]

[h]