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| The Greatest Women's Basketball Player of All Time? |
| Cynthia Cooper |
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29% |
[ 20 ] |
| Diana Taurasi |
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54% |
[ 37 ] |
| Other |
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16% |
[ 11 ] |
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| Total Votes : 68 |
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DirtyDiana
Joined: 29 Aug 2014
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 Posted: 09/13/14 9:39 am ::: Cooper vs. Taurasi: GOAT? |
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| These two have demonstrated excellence throughout their careers and their history of winning is unmatched. Other great players like Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes also make a case, but from what I have seen Cooper and Taurasi are widely regarded as the best to ever play and for the purposes of this poll are the two main options. Who do you think is the greatest women's basketball player of all time?
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: 09/13/14 11:16 am ::: |
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It's so hard in the WNBA to determine this because not many players combine ball-handling, passing and scoring ALONG with top level defense.
In the NBA it's easier because players like Lebron and MJ have also been in the upper echelon of their positions defensively.
In terms of these two players specifically, honestly either could be. And I can sit here and make an extensive case for each one based on roles to their teams, championships, level of talent on their own teams, and talent in the league as a whole during the times they each played. It's a hard comparison. Cooper was a bit more of a driving force on her teams in my eyes, but the league is so much better now so it's harder to dominate yet Phoenix did anyway. If you took Houston out of the league and this Phoenix team played in any season from 97-2000 they might have gone undefeated.
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braveniler58
Joined: 30 May 2007
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| Posted: 09/13/14 12:32 pm ::: |
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| For me, the answer is easily Dee, but that's because I never saw Cooper play. I wish I had.
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coffy73
Joined: 24 Sep 2009
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| Posted: 09/13/14 12:42 pm ::: |
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| I saw Cooper play and she was amazing, but Taurasi has my vote by a mile! I just enjoy everything about her game, she really is a Master of the sport!
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:00 pm ::: |
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Although I'm a nostalgic antiquarian regarding most things in life, I don't think this is a close call. Princess Deia has been better than Coop in every facet of the game and at every level of the game since middle school.
GOAT is a difficult conclusion because backcourt players have different jobs and skill sets than frontcourt players do. In my opinion, DT is not only the best all-around guard of all time, but is both the best shooting guard and the best point guard--to the extent those positional parsings make any sense to me. |
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:06 pm ::: |
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Interesting about high school ...
Cooper won a state title at Locke, in Southern California, but wasn't a transcendent star. Taurasi's Chino team never went very far in postseason, and I don't think ever won a Southern Section title, much less a Southern California or state title.
But Taurasi was a great high school player, though Cooper played when the spotlight wasn't nearly as bright on the girls' game.
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jammerbirdi
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Genero36
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RP
Joined: 17 Jul 2010
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:34 pm ::: |
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I don't know about best period, but Lauren Jackson has my vote for best WNBA player ever.
I'll also give a shout to Tamika Catchings, who is routinely looked over in these discussions. She is first on the career list for Win Shares and third for Player Efficiency Rating (behind Cooper and Jackson). Her resume includes an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, five Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-WNBA first team and four second team appearances, and ten straight postseason appearances. Remember when everyone said no one would beat the Lynx in 2012? Well, Catchings did.
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Genero36
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:36 pm ::: |
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| I have never seen Hortencia play in her prime. Therefore, I wouldn't insult her by saying that someone is better than she ever was. I don't understand how anyone who hasn't seen all eras of the greats can make a claim of the greatest ever. You have no ground to stand on if you haven't seen them all to make a fair qualitative analysis. You're just coming from a place of ignorance.
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Genero36
Joined: 24 Apr 2005
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:43 pm ::: |
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| RP wrote: |
I don't know about best period, but Lauren Jackson has my vote for best WNBA player ever.
I'll also give a shout to Tamika Catchings, who is routinely looked over in these discussions. She is first on the career list for Win Shares and third for Player Efficiency Rating (behind Cooper and Jackson). Her resume includes an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, five Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-WNBA first team and four second team appearances, and ten straight postseason appearances. Remember when everyone said no one would beat the Lynx in 2012? Well, Catchings did. |
Not mine. She's a basketball legend, but I've seen Sheryl Swoopes (past her prime) come into her building and record a triple double to eliminate her from the postseason.
Catchings has had WAY TOO MANY games where she has gone 0-8 or 1-10 from the field.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:46 pm ::: |
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| GlennMacGrady wrote: |
Although I'm a nostalgic antiquarian regarding most things in life, I don't think this is a close call. Princess Deia has been better than Coop in every facet of the game and at every level of the game since middle school.
GOAT is a difficult conclusion because backcourt players have different jobs and skill sets than frontcourt players do. In my opinion, DT is not only the best all-around guard of all time, but is both the best shooting guard and the best point guard--to the extent those positional parsings make any sense to me. |
I don't know that either of them are any better than Nancy Lieberman was back in the day.
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hyperetic
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 09/13/14 1:49 pm ::: |
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| Genero36 wrote: |
| I have never seen Hortencia play in her prime. Therefore, I wouldn't insult her by saying that someone is better than she ever was. I don't understand how anyone who hasn't seen all eras of the greats can make a claim of the greatest ever. You have no ground to stand on if you haven't seen them all to make a fair assessment. |
Well, like every great sports debate before it, the choices of the debaters depends mainly on the era/generation they came from. People who saw Bill Russell, Willis Reed, Wilt Chamberlain will argue that they are the G.O.A.T.s while Jordan era people will claim him as the ultimate G.O.A.T. Personally, I pick Cooper-Dykes for G.O.A.T. because she was the best I saw, IMO, for the longest time. And that's not to say that others won't challenge that opinion over time but for now, she's it. Although, I heard Cheryl Miller, in her prime, was better. I never really got a chance to watch her play extensively. |
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 09/13/14 3:13 pm ::: |
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| I would throw a shout-out to Lauren Jackson in this discussion. Injuries hurt the accumulation of her career, but when she was healthy I have never seen anyone better.
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sigur3
Joined: 18 Jun 2013
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| Posted: 09/13/14 3:24 pm ::: |
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| RP wrote: |
I don't know about best period, but Lauren Jackson has my vote for best WNBA player ever.
I'll also give a shout to Tamika Catchings, who is routinely looked over in these discussions. She is first on the career list for Win Shares and third for Player Efficiency Rating (behind Cooper and Jackson). Her resume includes an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, five Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-WNBA first team and four second team appearances, and ten straight postseason appearances. Remember when everyone said no one would beat the Lynx in 2012? Well, Catchings did. |
| PUmatty wrote: |
| I would throw a shout-out to Lauren Jackson in this discussion. Injuries hurt the accumulation of her career, but when she was healthy I have never seen anyone better. |
I agree with you two. Prime LJ was the best to ever play in this league.
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bballgrl
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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| Posted: 09/13/14 3:39 pm ::: |
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| I've seen both Cooper and Diana play. I don't know about who was the GOAT but I know that each was the greatest in THEIR time. I loved watching the Coments and but I think Cooper was the reason they won 4 titles in a roll. When she left the Coments didn't win any more titles. Coop was the best in HER time. Diana may be the best in her time but her team hasn't won a title since 2007. I believe Diana is the best thhis year cause she took her team to the title without BG. I don't know if there is one person who is the GOAT, but their may be many who where the greatest in their time. JMO
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auntie
Joined: 16 May 2006
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| Posted: 09/13/14 4:02 pm ::: |
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If the thread is about all time, we have to consider everything each woman did playing basketball. High School was mentioned. It sounds like Cooper wins that round. Diana certainly had an outstanding college career. I do not know as much about what Cooper did in that stage. I know that Diana has played excellent ball overseas, with her teams winning championships. How was Cooper's overseas play? Both have done amazing things in the WNBA, but I think that the peak of Cooper's playing may have been shorter.
All that said, I am a little biased toward D because I am a UConn and Liberty fan.
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Hoops9092
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
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| Posted: 09/13/14 4:30 pm ::: |
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| Lauren Jackson, hands down.
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Michelle89
Joined: 17 Nov 2010
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| Posted: 09/13/14 4:48 pm ::: |
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| sigur3 wrote: |
| RP wrote: |
I don't know about best period, but Lauren Jackson has my vote for best WNBA player ever.
I'll also give a shout to Tamika Catchings, who is routinely looked over in these discussions. She is first on the career list for Win Shares and third for Player Efficiency Rating (behind Cooper and Jackson). Her resume includes an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, five Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-WNBA first team and four second team appearances, and ten straight postseason appearances. Remember when everyone said no one would beat the Lynx in 2012? Well, Catchings did. |
| PUmatty wrote: |
| I would throw a shout-out to Lauren Jackson in this discussion. Injuries hurt the accumulation of her career, but when she was healthy I have never seen anyone better. |
I agree with you two. Prime LJ was the best to ever play in this league. |
Jep i agree. Lauren in her prime =GOAT
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GEF34
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
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| Posted: 09/13/14 5:16 pm ::: |
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| hyperetic wrote: |
| Genero36 wrote: |
| I have never seen Hortencia play in her prime. Therefore, I wouldn't insult her by saying that someone is better than she ever was. I don't understand how anyone who hasn't seen all eras of the greats can make a claim of the greatest ever. You have no ground to stand on if you haven't seen them all to make a fair assessment. |
Well, like every great sports debate before it, the choices of the debaters depends mainly on the era/generation they came from. People who saw Bill Russell, Willis Reed, Wilt Chamberlain will argue that they are the G.O.A.T.s while Jordan era people will claim him as the ultimate G.O.A.T. Personally, I pick Cooper-Dykes for G.O.A.T. because she was the best I saw, IMO, for the longest time. And that's not to say that others won't challenge that opinion over time but for now, she's it. Although, I heard Cheryl Miller, in her prime, was better. I never really got a chance to watch her play extensively. |
It's hard and practically impossible to say who is the best ever, as there is not one person who has seen every woman who has ever played the game of basketball, and then of course that would just be one person's opinion. Many players have been said to be the best of their time like Cheryl Miller, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, Babe Didrikson, Uljana Semjova, and you have players like Paula Goncalves da Silva, Hortencia Marcari and Denise Curry whom not much is talked about, but are also considered some of the best of their times, and then you have players like Nancy Lieberman and Lynette Woodard who were said to be amazing in their primes, but some only remember them for their short time in the WNBA. And of course that's not counting people like Janeth Arcain who put her ego aside for the good of the Houston Comets so people only see her as a role player, not knowing she was once the leading scorer in Olympic history (I think she is second now). And then of course you have different positions, Lisa Leslie is considered one of the best centers ever, and it's not really a fair comparison to say Sheryl Swoopes who had a completely different skill set. And sure the game has evolved over time, but can it really be said Cheryl Miller or Ann Meyers wouldn't have been as success or more success than current players if they played now. The players played how the era was dictated, it's not like Ann Meyers or Cheryl Miller couldn't have worked on and adapted their games to be successful in today's game.
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GEF34
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
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| Posted: 09/13/14 5:18 pm ::: |
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| Michelle89 wrote: |
| sigur3 wrote: |
| RP wrote: |
I don't know about best period, but Lauren Jackson has my vote for best WNBA player ever.
I'll also give a shout to Tamika Catchings, who is routinely looked over in these discussions. She is first on the career list for Win Shares and third for Player Efficiency Rating (behind Cooper and Jackson). Her resume includes an MVP award, a Finals MVP award, five Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-WNBA first team and four second team appearances, and ten straight postseason appearances. Remember when everyone said no one would beat the Lynx in 2012? Well, Catchings did. |
| PUmatty wrote: |
| I would throw a shout-out to Lauren Jackson in this discussion. Injuries hurt the accumulation of her career, but when she was healthy I have never seen anyone better. |
I agree with you two. Prime LJ was the best to ever play in this league. |
Jep i agree. Lauren in her prime =GOAT |
I won't go as far as saying in her prime Lauren Jackson was the best ever (for the reasons I stated in my previous post), but she was certainly fun to watch because of her versatility. And she will retire (whenever she decides to) as one of the best to ever touch a basketball.
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dtbtbtb
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
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| Posted: 09/13/14 6:19 pm ::: |
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| I've been a fan of WBB since 2002 and for that time period (2002 to now) DT is the GOAT!
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BamaEd
Joined: 11 May 2014
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| Posted: 09/13/14 6:22 pm ::: |
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I think Greatest of All Time can't be fully and accurately quantified. Different eras, different positions, different opponents, etc. You can have some who are among the greatest of all time, but to me, it's impossible to have ONE greatest of all time.
Are Cooper & Taurasi 2 of the greatest of all time? Yes.
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 09/13/14 10:25 pm ::: |
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I think it's hard to compare Lauren to DT. Both dominate the game in different ways.
If I had to pick, I'd pick DT. But at the end of the day you are comparing apples to oranges.
It's almost similar to cooper and DT too. They came from different eras. Personally, I think players are much better now than they were then..but others may feel differently.
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Diana3Taurasi
Joined: 04 Aug 2011
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| Posted: 09/14/14 9:59 am ::: |
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| DT considering her career isn't close to being over imo (unless she gets injured or chooses to retire at an early age). I could see her at least winning 1 more championship, but she'll likely finish her career with 5 or 6 championships if her and Griner remain together. 6 championships, her production on the court, her success at college, and her success internationally would make her the clear GOAT in my opinion. |
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Not even close? How's that? It might seem impossible after watching DT just last night be as amazing as she was but Cooper was even more skilled with a basketball. And just as clutch and I'm going to say even more unstoppable offensively at scoring the ball herself. Swoopes was physically so superior to Taurasi it's not even funny. And that matters. Still push comes to shove I'm not sure DT wouldn't get my vote. She's that amazing. I think this is just something that's beyond any actual answer.