The 20 greatest WNBA rivalries

As of 2024, Copper and Cunningham are teammates with the Phoenix Mercury. However, before these two had to co-exist on the same squad, they didn't seem to like each other as opponents. This might not be the first WNBA rivalry that comes to mind, but it could very well be the most heated. This interaction was essentially limited to the 2021 WNBA Finals between Cunningham's Mercury and Cooper playing for the eventual champion Chicago Sky. Specifically Game 2, where the two got into a mix-up, with Copper being whistled for a foul. The defensive-minded Cunningham claimed Copper grabbed her neck during the tussle. Copper and Cunningham have since made nice.

Sure, New York's Ionescu has been among the WNBA's best since her first full season in the league back in 2021, but she set the stage for Clark to thrive on and off the court in college. A triple-double machine at Oregon, Ionescu was a collegiate superstar. Clark then took it to another level at Iowa. Now, both compete in the WNBA and have already delivered some entertaining head-to-head matchups that should continue to be celebrated for years to come. Ionescu's Liberty are 3-1 versus Clark and the Fever, and the former has averaged 16 points while Clark scored 13.3 through those contests, but also added 8.0 assists and 6.8 rebounds.

They were rivals in college, Catchings at Tennessee and Cash starring for Connecticut. It carried over to the WNBA, starting with four-time All-Star Cash winning two league titles in Detroit, while Catchings was putting together a Hall of Fame career in Indiana. Cash won three total championships and Catchings finally got hers in 2012, and the two also met numerous times during the postseason. Though there was not much flash to this personal rivalry, it was fueled by respect. which both have for each other to this day.

Later on this list, we'll highlight how special the Minnesota Lynx-Los Angeles Sparks rivalry of the mid-2010s was. At the heart of those matchups was Moore, an MVP, 13-time All-Star and four-time league champion, going against Beard, a four-time All-Star and twice-selected WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Some of those head-to-head matchups were pretty intense and certainly physical. Though Moore and Lynx got the best of Beard's Sparks more times than not during that time period, especially when it counted, there might not be a better WNBA offensive-defensive individual player rivalry than this one. 

It's fair to say that the two best WNBA franchises never to win a championship are the Sun and Liberty. They are a combined 0-9 in WNBA Finals series. Though both clubs have no trouble getting motivated against perennial East power Washington, the New York-Connecticut rivalry has remained intact for years, even when the Liberty have struggled. However, that's changed of late. New York eliminated the Sun in the conference finals last season, and entering the 2024 Olympic break, the Liberty were a league-best 21-4, with the Sun right behind at 18-6.

Fowles is one of the all-time greats to run a WNBA floor, and arguably the greatest post-presence to ever play in the league (no offense to Candace Parker). When it came to true post rivalries, Fowles' on-court battles with Griner were pretty special during the last decade. Though Fowles, either with Chicago or Minnesota, held a 16-6 regular-season advantage against Griner and the Phoenix Mercury, and was 5-2 in the playoffs, their head-to-head statistical numbers are comparable. In those 22 regular-season matchups, Fowles averaged 13.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while Griner scored 12.1 points, grabbed 7.0 boards and blocked 3.0 shots per game.

Led by legend Cynthia Cooper, the Houston Comets won the first four WNBA titles (1997-2000). In 1999 and 2000, the Comets got through Los Angeles to reach the Finals series. Then in 2001, it was the Sparks' turn to take over as the stars of the WNBA. Led by its own local legend, Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles won back-to-back titles. The Sparks also reached the WNBA Finals in 2003, but lost to Detroit. However, during the league's infancy, when it was trying to gain and maintain interest in the women's game, these two teams were at the forefront of that mission.

It can argued that Comets great Cynthia Cooper had no true rival since nobody could really match up with her ability. Teammate Sheryl Swoopes, on the other hand, was also among the league's early stars following a legendary college career at Texas Tech. Marking three-time league MVP Swoopes, and doing her own thing with the New York Liberty was Teresa Weatherspoon, an NCAA champion at Louisiana Tech and five-time WNBA All-Star. It was also fun when these league icons matched up, and again, it was driven by respect.

More great post players to highlight from the early years of the W. Lisa Leslie, with the Los Angeles Sparks, was arguably the league's first superstar, the first player it truly marketed to be the face of the WNBA. However, it was Thompson and the Houston Comets who were the dominant force of the league in the first four seasons. When it came to head-to-head action, these superstars (with a combined 17 All-Star nods) played with severe intensity. Both have recorded more than 3,000 rebounds, and in the 34 games they squared off, Leslie and Thompson each averaged 14.3 points.

Back in the early years of the WNBA, teams from the West ruled the game. Of course, the Houston Comets were the queens of the league, but Los Angeles became first team other than Houston to win a title (in 2001 and 2002). Seattle won the 2004 crown. Then there were the Sacramento Monarchs. Arguably, their biggest rival during the first decade of the league was Los Angeles. In 2001, the Sparks beat Sacramento in the conference finals. Then in 2005, the Monarchs swept L.A. in the conference semis en route to winning their only championship, and also eliminated the Sparks in the next season's conference finals. Sadly, the Monarchs franchise dissolved following the 2009 season, leaving only memories.

Griner was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft by Phoenix. Delle Donne was taken second by the Chicago Sky. So, it was only natural that these post-presence superstars were to become natural rivals. And, for a while that was certainly the case. In fact, the two matched up in the 2014 WNBA Finals, where Griner and Co. swept the best-of-five series from Delle Donne and the Sky. In the regular season, Delle Donne is 8-5 versus Griner, but the former's troubled health history has stalled this rivalry in recent seasons.

At the moment, the two-time reigning champion Aces and title-desperate Liberty have shelled out the most money in the WNBA to separate themselves from the pack. They've been dubbed superteams — Vegas with A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray, and New York sporting the likes of Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. The Aces topped the Liberty in four games during the 2023 WNBA Finals, and while they were expected to meet up again with it all on the line this season, Connecticut, Minnesota and Seattle might have something to say about that. 

There has been some luster taken off this rivalry in recent years, but in the annals of the league, it's worthy to note just how intense those Lynx-Sparks matchups from roughly 2012-17 were. During that stretch, Minnesota won three championships, and reached the WNBA Finals two more times. The Lynx eliminated the Sparks from the postseason in both 2012 and '15. Then in 2016, the Sparks, led by Candace Parker, beat the Lynx in five games for the WNBA title — only for Minnesota, and Sylvia Fowles, to return the favor with a five-game Finals triumph over Los Angeles one year later. 

In terms of longevity alone, the Storm-Mercury rivalry is worthy of celebration. Just think of the names associated with these battles — Bird, Jackson, Stewart, Taurasi, Taylor, Griner and on and on and on. These western rivals have a combined seven WNBA titles between them, and no matter what their status may be, every matchup is usually quite intense. As of Aug. 8, 2024, the Storm lead 52-36 in the all-time series, but Phoenix is 8-6 in those postseason matchups.

When it comes to elite WNBA talent, Parker and Fowles are near the top of that list. In fact, the careers of both legends have seemingly intertwined. It started with Fowles at LSU and Parker playing at Tennessee. In the WNBA, each played more than 400 games and combined for 15 All-Star nods, five titles and three MVP awards. They were the stars of Minnesota-Los Angeles rivalry that was so prominent during the mid-2010s. in their 24 regular-season matchups, Parker went 13-11, then 8-7 in the playoffs. In those regular-season titles, Parker averaged 15 points and 8.1 rebounds while Fowles was at 13.7 points and the same 8.1 boards.

Since 2018, Stewart and Wilson have each won two WNBA MVP awards. New York's Stewart won it in 2018 with Seattle, then in 2023, when she averaged a career-high 23 points for the Liberty to become the second player in league history to earn MVP honors for two different teams. Wilson, meanwhile, claimed the award in 2020 and '22, for the Las Vegas Aces. Here's what's even more interesting: As of Aug. 6, 2024, Stewart and Wilson were averaging the same 20.7 points per game for their career. Meanwhile, Wilson leads the 15-12 in head-to-head matchup between these superstars, including the postseason.

During the early years of the WNBA, the Comets and Liberty met in three of the league's first four championships games or finals series. Of course, the Comets, led by Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, won each of those matchups while claiming the first four WNBA titles. That said, the Liberty, paced by Teresa Weatherspoon and Rebecca Lobo, helped the fledgling league endear itself to plenty of fans while playing an elite brand of basketball in America's biggest market. This rivalry, though, gave many a reason to watch women's basketball at the pro level.

This obviously goes back to their recent college days when Clark was starring for Iowa and Reese made a name for herself at LSU. It doesn't matter that the two don't play the same position or match up on the floor. Reese got the upper hand on the college level when her Tigers beat Clark and the Hawkeyes to win the 2023 national championship. But, so far in the WNBA, Clark's Indiana Fever have gotten the better of Reese and the Chicago Sky, winning two of the first three 2024 meetings. While the two appear to have a mutual respect, there is a certain competitive edge to both that lends potential to this being the greatest rivalry in the history of the league.

When it comes to individual rivalries, there are physical ones. Then there is Los Angeles' Leslie and Jackson of the Seattle Storm. The two WNBA icons — who combined for 15 All-Star nods, each won three MVPs and two titles — actually didn't seem to like each other, even though they were two of the best in the game. It started on the international stage, when Australia's Jackson trash-talked American Leslie up and down the court as a 19-year-old. During the gold-medal game of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, in Jackson's home country, she pulled out Leslie's ponytail extension. There were no such drastic incidents between the two in the WNBA, though, where Leslie held a 16-9 record, including the playoffs, versus Jackson. 

We're talking two of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball — regardless of gender. Bird played in the league from 2002-22, won four titles with Seattle, including in three different decades, and was a 13-time All-Star. Meanwhile, her UConn buddy and biggest individual rival, Taurasi began her WNBA career in 2004 and is still playing for the Phoenix Mercury. She's won three titles, been an All-Star 11 times and is the league's all-time leading scorer. And when the two went head-to-head in those Mercury-Storm meetings, it was always special — and intense as ever. Bird went 25-21 during the regular season against Taurasi, whose teams were 8-6 in their playoff encounters.