WNBA All-Time Leading Scorers: Diana Taurasi and the Top 10
Diana Taurasi leads WNBA career scoring with 10,646 points. See the top 10, games played, scoring averages and the shots behind her record.
Diana Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer with 10,646 regular-season points. Tina Charles ranks second with 8,396, followed by DeWanna Bonner with 8,243 and Nneka Ogwumike with 8,047. These are career totals—not points-per-game rankings—and exclude the playoffs. Source: WNBA career leaderboard.
Career scoring measures accumulated production. A player’s scoring rate matters, but so do games played, minutes and offensive role. That distinction explains why a higher career average does not always mean a higher place on this list.
WNBA career scoring leaders: top 10
As of November 2, 2026, following the 2026 regular season. All figures below use the WNBA’s official regular-season career totals. Points per game is calculated as career points divided by games played, rounded to one decimal.
| Rank | Player | Career points | Games played | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diana Taurasi | 10,646 | 565 | 18.8 |
| 2 | Tina Charles | 8,396 | 473 | 17.8 |
| 3 | DeWanna Bonner | 8,243 | 577 | 14.3 |
| 4 | Nneka Ogwumike | 8,047 | 479 | 16.8 |
| 5 | Tina Thompson | 7,488 | 496 | 15.1 |
| 6 | Tamika Catchings | 7,380 | 457 | 16.1 |
| 7 | Candice Dupree | 6,895 | 494 | 14.0 |
| 8 | Breanna Stewart | 6,860 | 334 | 20.5 |
| 9 | Cappie Pondexter | 6,811 | 416 | 16.4 |
| 10 | Sue Bird | 6,803 | 580 | 11.7 |
Just outside the top 10, A’ja Wilson has 6,792 points in 308 games, an average of 22.1. She trails Bird by only 11 points. Stewart and Wilson illustrate the difference between scoring rate and accumulated scoring: both average more points per game than Taurasi, but have played substantially fewer games. Source: WNBA.
How Taurasi built the record
Taurasi passed Tina Thompson’s previous record of 7,488 points on June 18, 2017, against the Los Angeles Sparks. The record-breaking basket was a right-handed layup late in the second quarter, in Taurasi’s 377th career game. Source: Phoenix Mercury.
She announced her retirement on February 25, 2025. Her final regular-season total leaves her 2,250 points ahead of Charles; Charles would need another 2,251 to move past her. Retirement announcement; career totals.
The shots behind Taurasi’s 10,646 points are revealing. From her official career totals, the breakdown is:
- 1,894 two-point field goals: 3,788 points.
- 1,447 three-point field goals: 4,341 points.
- 2,517 free throws: 2,517 points.
Those components sum to 10,646. Her two-point makes are calculated by subtracting three-point makes from her 3,341 total field goals. Source: WNBA.
Charles actually has more career field goals made—3,364—but far fewer three-pointers and free throws made. Counting baskets alone therefore misses why Taurasi has such a large scoring lead: a three is worth an extra point, and free throws add points without adding field goals. Source: WNBA.
What the rankings do—and don’t—tell you
This is a ranking of career scoring volume, not shooting efficiency or peak scoring ability. Points per game helps separate scoring rate from longevity, but it still reflects minutes, shot opportunities and team pace. For field-goal efficiency, examine shot attempts and effective field-goal percentage, which accounts for the extra value of three-pointers but does not include free throws. Total points alone is not an accuracy statistic.
Season length also affects opportunity. The WNBA scheduled 44 games per team in 2026; more available games allow a player to accumulate more points at the same scoring average. That is why games played belongs beside career points when comparing players across eras. Source: WNBA’s 2026 schedule announcement.