List of Women's National Basketball Association career steals leaders

The following is a list of the players who have achieved the most steals during their WNBA careers.

^	Active WNBA player
*	Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
^†	Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration^[a]

WNBA Most steals recorded
Rank	Player	Team(s) played for (years)	Total steals	Games played	Steals per game average
1	Tamika Catchings*	Indiana Fever (2002–2016)	1,074	457	2.35
2	Ticha Penicheiro	Sacramento Monarchs (1998–2009) Los Angeles Sparks (2010–2011) Chicago Sky (2012)	764	454	1.68
3	Sue Bird^†	Seattle Storm (2002–2022)^[b]	725	580	1.25
4	Alana Beard	Washington Mystics (2004–2011) Los Angeles Sparks (2012–2019)	709	420	1.69
5	Sheryl Swoopes*	Houston Comets (1997–2007)^[c] Seattle Storm (2008) Tulsa Shock (2011)	657	324	2.03
6	Jia Perkins	Charlotte Sting (2004–2005) Chicago Sky (2006–2010) San Antonio Stars (2011–2015) Minnesota Lynx (2016–2017)	634	417	1.52
7	Sancho Lyttle	Houston Comets (2005–2008) Atlanta Dream (2009–2017) Phoenix Mercury (2018–2019)	630	392	1.61
8	Angel McCoughtry^	Atlanta Dream (2009–2019) Las Vegas Aces (2020–2021) Minnesota Lynx (2022)	627	311	2.02
9	Katie Douglas	Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (2001–2007, 2014) Indiana Fever (2008–2013)	623	412	1.51
10	DeLisha Milton-Jones	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	Taj McWilliams-Franklin	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
12	Tully Bevilaqua	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
13	Yolanda Griffith*	Sacramento Monarchs (1999–2007) Seattle Storm (2008) Indiana Fever (2009)	529	311	1.70
14	DeWanna Bonner^	Phoenix Mercury (2009–2019) Connecticut Sun (2020–present)	514	422	1.22
15	Lindsay Whalen*	Connecticut Sun (2004–2009) Minnesota Lynx (2010–2018)	501	480	1.04
16	Candace Parker^	Los Angeles Sparks (2008–2020) Chicago Sky (2021–present)	496	392	1.27
17	Shannon Johnson	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
18	Lisa Leslie*	Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009)^[d]	492	363	1.36
19	Nykesha Sales	Orlando Miracle/Connecticut Sun (1999–2007)	490	278	1.76
19	Sylvia Fowles^†	Chicago Sky (2008–2014) Minnesota Lynx (2015–2022)	490	408	1.20
21	Becky Hammon*	New York Liberty (1999–2006) San Antonio Stars (2007–2014)	488	450	1.08
22	Nneka Ogwumike^	Los Angeles Sparks (2012–present)	487	320	1.52
23	Diana Taurasi^	Phoenix Mercury (2004–present)^[e]	482	503	0.96
24	Penny Taylor	Cleveland Rockers (2001–2003) Phoenix Mercury (2004–2016)^[f]	480	355	1.35
25	Sophia Young-Malcolm	San Antonio Stars (2006–2015)	477	301	1.58

All statistics are up to date as of the end of the 2022 WNBA season.^[1]

Progressive list of steal leaders[edit]

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

Statistics accurate as of October 1, 2022.

^	Active WNBA player
*	Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
^†	Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration^[g]

Team abbreviations
ATL	Atlanta Dream
CHI	Chicago Sky
CON	Connecticut Sun
DET	Detroit Shock
HOU	Houston Comets
IND	Indiana Fever
LAS	Los Angeles Sparks
MIA	Miami Sol
MIN	Minnesota Lynx
NYL	New York Liberty
SAC	Sacramento Monarchs
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
Season	Year-by-year leader	Steals	Active player leader	Total steals	Career record	Total steals	Single-season record	Steals	Season

Notes[edit]

^ 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.
^ Bird did not play the 2013 season and 2019 season because of knee surgery.
^ Swoopes missed the 2001 season due to an injury.
^ Leslie did not play the 2007 season because of a pregnancy leave.
^ Taurasi did not play the 2015 season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
^ 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.
^ 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[edit]

^ "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[edit]

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

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

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

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

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

[6] 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.

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

[Progressive-8] "WNBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Steals". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 1 October 2022.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[f]

[1]

[2]

[g]