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

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This is a list of Women's National Basketball Association players by total career regular season leaders in steals.

Statistics accurate as of May 19, 2024.[1]
^Active WNBA player
*Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
RankPlayerPosition(s)Team(s) played for (years)Total stealsGames played[b]Steals per game
average[c]
1Tamika Catchings*FIndiana Fever (20022016)1,0744572.35
2Ticha PenicheiroGSacramento Monarchs (19982009)
Los Angeles Sparks (20102011)
Chicago Sky (2012)
7644541.68
3Sue BirdGSeattle Storm (20022022)[d]7255801.25
4Alana BeardG/FWashington Mystics (20042011)
Los Angeles Sparks (20122019)
7094201.69
5Sheryl Swoopes*F/GHouston Comets (19972007)[e]
Seattle Storm (2008)
Tulsa Shock (2011)
6573242.03
6Jia PerkinsGCharlotte Sting (20042005)
Chicago Sky (20062010)
San Antonio Stars (20112015)
Minnesota Lynx (20162017)
6344171.52
7Sancho LyttleFHouston Comets (20052008)
Atlanta Dream (20092017)
Phoenix Mercury (20182019)
6303921.61
8Angel McCoughtryF/GAtlanta Dream (20092019)
Las Vegas Aces (20202021)
Minnesota Lynx (2022)
6273112.02
9Katie DouglasG/FOrlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (20012007, 2014)
Indiana Fever (20082013)
6234121.51
10DeLisha Milton-JonesFLos Angeles Sparks (19992004, 20082012)
Washington Mystics (20052007)
San Antonio Silver Stars (2013)
New York Liberty (20132014)
Atlanta Dream (20142015)
6194991.24
11Taj McWilliams-FranklinF/COrlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992006)
Los Angeles Sparks (2007)
Washington Mystics (2008)
Detroit Shock (20082009)
New York Liberty (2010)
Minnesota Lynx (20112012)
5804401.32
12Tully BevilaquaGCleveland Rockers (1998)
Portland Fire (20002002)
Seattle Storm (20032004)
Indiana Fever (20052010)
San Antonio Silver Stars (20112012)
5734251.35
13DeWanna Bonner^F/GPhoenix Mercury (20092019)
Connecticut Sun (2020–present)
5634641.21
14Nneka Ogwumike^FLos Angeles Sparks (20122023)
Seattle Storm (2024–present)
5553581.55
15Yolanda Griffith*C/FSacramento Monarchs (19992007)
Seattle Storm (2008)
Indiana Fever (2009)
5293111.70
16Candace ParkerF/CLos Angeles Sparks (20082020)
Chicago Sky (20212022)
Las Vegas Aces (2023)
5234101.28
17Courtney Vandersloot^GChicago Sky (20112022)
New York Liberty (2023–present)
5134011.30
18Lindsay Whalen*GConnecticut Sun (20042009)
Minnesota Lynx (20102018)
5014801.04
19Diana Taurasi^GPhoenix Mercury (2004–present)[f]4955310.93
20Shannon JohnsonGOrlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992003)
San Antonio Silver Stars (20042006)
Detroit Shock (2007)
Houston Comets (2008)
Seattle Storm (2009)
4943521.40
21Lisa Leslie*CLos Angeles Sparks (19972009)[g]4923631.36
22Nykesha SalesF/GOrlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (19992007)4902781.76
Sylvia FowlesCChicago Sky (20082014)
Minnesota Lynx (20152022)
4081.20
24Becky Hammon*GNew York Liberty (19992006)
San Antonio Stars (20072014)
4884501.08
25Penny TaylorFCleveland Rockers (20012003)
Phoenix Mercury (20042016)[h]
4803551.35

Progressive list of steal leaders

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This is a progressive list of assist leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[2]

Statistics accurate as of May 19, 2024.
^Active WNBA player
*Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[i]
Team abbreviationsTeam(s) listed is the one player was on when she established the record.
ATLAtlanta DreamHOUHouston CometsMINMinnesota Lynx
CHIChicago SkyINDIndiana FeverNYLNew York Liberty
CONConnecticut SunLASLos Angeles SparksSACSacramento Monarchs
DETDetroit ShockMIAMiami SolSEASeattle Storm
Steals leader at the end of every season
SeasonYear-by-year leaderStealsActive player leaderTotal stealsCareer recordTotal stealsSingle-season recordStealsSeason
1997Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL85Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL85Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL85Teresa Weatherspoon*000NYL851997
19981001851851001998
1999782632631999
2000Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU873283282000
2001Debbie Black000MIA823833832001
2002Tamika Catchings*000IND944254252002
2003Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU774534532003
2004Yolanda Griffith*000SAC754654652004
Nykesha Sales000CON
2005Tamika Catchings*000IND90Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU520Sheryl Swoopes*000HOU5202005
2006945845842006
2007Loree Moore000NYL755895892007
2008Alexis Hornbuckle000DET79Ticha Penicheiro000SAC655Ticha Penicheiro000SAC6552008
2009Tamika Catchings*000IND996856852009
2010777287282010
2011Epiphanny Prince000CHI79Tamika Catchings*000IND775Tamika Catchings*000IND7752011
2012Sancho Lyttle000ATL828458452012
2013Angel McCoughtry000ATL899309302013
2014Sancho Lyttle000ATL749579572014
Angel McCoughtry000ATL
2015Angel McCoughtry000ATL721,0121,0122015
2016Tamika Catchings*000IND621,0741,0742016
2017Alana Beard000LAS71Alana Beard000LAS6532017
2018Maya Moore000MIN576972018
2019Natasha Howard^000SEA747092019
2020Alyssa Thomas^000CON42Sue Bird000SEA6592020
2021Brittney Sykes^000LAS586872021
2022657252022
2023Jordin Canada^000LAS86DeWanna Bonner^000CON5562023
2024Jordan Horston^000SEA
Breanna Stewart^000NYL
85632024
SeasonYear-by-year leaderStealsActive player leaderTotal stealsCareer recordTotal stealsSingle-season recordStealsSeason


Notes

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Average is rounded to the nearest hundredth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before steals were officially recorded.
  4. ^ Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.
  5. ^ Swoopes missed the 2001 season due to an injury.
  6. ^ Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
  7. ^ Leslie did not play the 2007 season because of a pregnancy leave.
  8. ^ Taylor did not play the 2008 season due to the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 season due to a knee injury, and 2015 season due to personal reasons.
  9. ^ 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

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