Every day this week, the WNBA has unveiled one of five categories for the top 25 moments in the league’s 25-year history. The rankings represent the most-searched WNBA trends on Google since the league was founded in 1997. The categories include cultural influence, championships, WNBA icons, rookies of the WNBA and WNBA history.

On Friday, the league also released a roundtable with some of the WNBA’s biggest stars, breaking down the iconic moments and identifying what their hopes are for the future of the sport. Below are the final results of the top-25 rankings:

WNBA History

There is plenty to celebrate in the WNBA, the longest active professional women’s sports league in the United States. The “WNBA History” category features fans’ favorite moments over the past 25 years, driven by search trends.

Engraved in #WNBA History.

Watch for the most searched moments in WNBA history 🎬 #W25Moments ranked by @Google Search Trends pic.twitter.com/Y5gNEdwWft

— WNBA (@WNBA) December 27, 2021

Earning a spot on the list is the Wubble season and WNBA Virtual Draft in 2020, where the New York Liberty selected Sabrina Ionescu No. 1 and the Dallas Wings reloaded with three picks in the top 10. Next up is one of the most iconic moments in league history, when Lisa Leslie threw down the first-ever dunk on July 30, 2002. Leslie also played a key role in another featured moment, when her Los Angeles Sparks tipped off against the New York Liberty on June 21, 1997 for the first game in WNBA history.

Before that inaugural game, Tina Thompson became the first college player drafted into the league in 1997. Also featured is Diana Taurasi becoming the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2017. The Phoenix Mercury guard continues to add to her total, finishing her 17th season with 9,174 career points.

Cultural Influence

The WNBA isn’t just a basketball league; it has also made an impact on other sports, music, fashion and culture.

From the iconic orange hoodie to @Candace_Parker’s @NBA2K cover…check out the most searched WNBA Cultural Moments. #W25Moments ranked by @Google Search Trends 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ttcWtz5bFJ

— WNBA (@WNBA) December 29, 2021

Maya Moore recreated the iconic Jordan billboard in 2018, giving young athletes everywhere a new poster to hang up on their walls. Following Moore is the WNBA’s iconic orange hoodie, which has been worn by high-profile athletes and celebrities from Drake to Kobe Bryant.

Earlier this year, Candace Parker became the first woman to grace the cover of NBA 2K, just another accolade in a banner year for the Chicago Sky forward. The first WNBA All-Star game at Madison Square Garden, before which Whitney Houston sang the national anthem, also earns a spot. Rounding out the list is Becky Hammon becoming the first female full-time assistant coach in NBA history. Hammon will undoubtedly be leading search trends again, as she is reportedly returning to the WNBA to coach the Las Vegas Aces on a record deal.

WNBA Icons

The WNBA has gifted fans with legendary performances from stars past and present.

History makers 👑

Watch the most searched #WNBA Icon moments 👀 #W25Moments ranked by @Google Search Trends. pic.twitter.com/syrjlvxFqD

— WNBA (@WNBA) December 31, 2021

Candace Parker returns to the list for delivering the second and third dunks in WNBA history during her 2008 rookie season. Next up is “The Shot,” one of the league’s first viral moments: Teresa Weatherspoon hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to lift the New York Liberty to a win in Game 2 of the 1997 WNBA Finals.

More recently, Liz Cambage set the WNBA’s single-game scoring record when she dropped 53 points in the Dallas Wings’ win over the Liberty on July 17, 2018. The next season, Elena Delle Donne became the first WNBA player in league history to join the 50-40-90 club, meaning she shot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Courtney Vandersloot’s single-game record 18 assists in 2020 rounds out the category.

Rookies of the WNBA

From draft nights to on-court achievements, many WNBA rookies have shined from the moment they entered the league.

Rooks makin' BIG moves 💥

We all know rookies can step up big for their teams and make a significant impact 🔥

Take a look at the most searched #WNBA Rookie moments. #W25Moments ranked by @Google Search Trends pic.twitter.com/xKHJNLDX3F

— WNBA (@WNBA) December 30, 2021

The list would be incomplete without the 2013 WNBA Draft, when perhaps the greatest top-three draft picks in league history — Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith — were made. Next up is the 2019 draft, when Notre Dame’s entire starting five were selected within the top 20 (Jackie Young, No. 1; Arike Ogunbowale, No. 5; Brianna Turner, No. 11; Jessica Shepard, No. 16; Marina Mabrey, No. 19). Notre Dame’s five draft picks surpassed only UConn’s in the 2002 draft, when four Huskies starters went in the first round.

Brittney Griner earns another spot for her impressive WNBA debut. The Mercury center became the third player to dunk in a game when she threw down two slams in her first game on May 27, 2013. Coming in next is Candace Parker’s landmark rookie season, when she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP. That same year, she won the AP Female Athlete of the Year award, following it up this week with her second such honor after leading the Chicago Sky to their first WNBA championship.

Championships

Through Google Search, the WNBA identified the title-winning moments that have captivated fans and driven the most conversation over the past 25 years.

The Seattle Storm won their fourth championship in the Wubble in 2020 behind Finals MVP Breanna Stewart, closing out a challenging year on a high note. From there, Diana Taurasi graces the list once again for her game-winning shot in Game 3 of the 2014 WNBA Finals coming out of a huddle with coach Sandy Brondello. Next up is Nneka Ogwumike’s game-winning shot that lifted the Los Angeles Sparks to their third title in 2016. Grabbing an offensive rebound against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5, Ogwumike balanced the ball in her right palm as she fell backwards and sunk the shot with 3.1 seconds left to give the Sparks a 77-76 victory.

Tamika Catchings earns a spot for leading the Indiana Fever to the franchise’s only WNBA championship in 2012. Two years after the Fever lost in the Finals, Catchings scored a game-high 25 points in Game 4 to claim the title over the Minnesota Lynx and earn the Finals MVP award. That same Lynx team is highlighted for winning their fourth championship in 2017 and completing a dynasty that included four titles in seven years.

Aryna Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam of the 2025 WTA season on Saturday, with the world No. 1 defeating then-No. 9 Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to claim the US Open trophy — the final Slam of the year.

"To bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot," Sabalenka said following the match. "I'm super proud right now of myself."

After successfully defending her 2024 US Open title — and claiming tennis's top 2025 paycheck in the process — Sabalenka is now the tournament's first repeat champion since 2014, when Serena Williams claimed a third straight trophy at the New York Slam.

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The 27-year-old narrowly avoided a Slam-less year, going without a trophy despite reaching both the Australian Open and French Open finals as well as the Wimbledon semifinals.

"I think because of the finals earlier this season, this one felt different," Sabalenka said. "All of those lessons are making me tougher, tougher, and tougher."

As for Anisimova, the US rising star added a new career-high WTA ranking alongside her second straight Grand Slam final appearance on her 2025 resume, rising to world No. 4 in Monday's update.

Also earning a noticeable bump on Monday was Japanese star Naomi Osaka, who clocked in at No. 14 after a stellar Grand Slam comeback run to the 2025 US Open semifinals.

The Golden State Valkyries have made WNBA history yet again, setting a new league attendance record by selling out all 22 of the 2025 expansion team's home games this year — and doing so in their debut season.

Even more, the WNBA surpassed the 3 million-fan mark over the weekend, an historic first for the 29-year-old league.

A hit from the very first tip-off, the Valkyries have seen unprecedented support while becoming the first-ever expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs in their inaugural year.

Making the announcement in their final 2025 regular-season home stand against the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, the Valkyries have officially seen fans fill every one of the Chase Center's maximum 18,064 seats all season — claiming a WNBA all-time record for any team's per-game average along the way.

With those season-long record crowds, Golden State also now owns the WNBA total attendance mark at 397,408 fans on the year.

Just behind Golden State are the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty — the only other WNBA teams that will close out the 2025 regular-season with average crowds over 16,000 and totals breaking the 300,000-fan mark.

With one home game still left to play for each team, Indiana has welcomed 349,313 total fans so far, while New York currently sits at a 341,575 total attendance for the 2025 WNBA season.

Attendance has skyrocketed across the WNBA year, thanks in part to the league adding both a 13th franchise as well as two more home games to each team's 2025 schedule.

As a result, the league demolished the previous season-high attendance of 2.36 million set in 2002 and, with 11 games still on the 2025 regular-season schedule, the WNBA is currently on track to push past the 3.1 million mark before the postseason tips off.

Three retired WNBA icons received their flowers over the weekend, as Minnesota Lynx legends Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore and Seattle Storm great Sue Bird took their places in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday — making the 2025 WNBA class arguably the most dominant in HOF history.

"Now that I'm in the Hall, I believe I have become Auntie Maya," Moore said in her enshrinement speech. "I want to challenge you up-and-comers to learn to love and seek out joy and connection as your biggest motivator."

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With 11 Olympic gold medals — more than any other HOF group — and 10 league championships between them, plus countless individual honors, Fowles, Bird, and Moore comprise the strongest women's basketball Hall of Fame class in history.

Even more, this is the first year that the Naismith has added a full trio of WNBA players to its hallowed halls — a testament to the unmatched careers of Bird, Moore, and Fowles.

"Put us on a 3×3 team, you'd have some problems — we'd be pretty good," Bird joked. "It is pretty special to go in with people who aren't just amazing players, having impact on and off the court, but these are players that I got to experience life with."

"I think that would be fair to say that they would have the title of best class ever," Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve said.

The 2025 NWSL season for the No. 5 Orlando Pride has taken a sharp downturn, as the reigning league champions are now winless in their last seven games following Sunday's 5-2 loss to the No. 13 Chicago Stars at Northwestern University's Martin Stadium.

While left back Carson Pickett and defensive midfielder Haley McCutcheon each managed to take a goal back for the Pride, a leaky Orlando back line saw five different Stars players hit the back of the net — including a 10th goal on the season for Chicago star striker Ludmila.

"I apologize to the fans that were watching at home, and I apologize to the fans that were here with their support. That was not us today and we have to get it right," Pride head coach Seb Hines said following the match.

Orlando have continued to slide down the NWSL standings since their last win on June 13th, most recently logging three straight losses as the team struggles to find their form following MVP candidate Barbra Banda's season-ending injury on August 16th.

One of the Pride's rare bright spots on Sunday was record-breaking signee Lizbeth Ovalle, with the Mexican international subbing in at the half to make her NWSL debut.

Chicago, on the other hand, hasn't dropped a match since returning from the midseason summer break, with the surging Stars putting on a Sunday show in their impending lakefront home.

"I feel like it's just a really cool atmosphere, a lot more people can come now, and it's really good vibes," midfielder Julia Grosso said after the match.