The WNBA has celebrated stars like Taurasi and Fowles but not with the consistency or scale their legacies deserve.
The NBA Builds Legends. The WNBA Still Whispers.
LeBron James is still playing, and every moment feels like part of a living documentary. Even his warmups go viral. Meanwhile, some of the greatest to ever play in the WNBA: Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, Elena Delle Donne, have hit career milestones, retired, or stepped away with far less fanfare.
It’s not that the WNBA hasn’t honored them. It has. But too often, those honors feel brief, isolated, or quietly handled. For a league trying to build long-term loyalty, that’s a missed opportunity.
Taurasi Made History, the Moment Didn’t Last.
In 2023, Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to hit 10,000 career points. She did it with 42 in a single game. It was vintage, confident, electric, unforgettable. There were tributes, of course. Her teammates celebrated. The league shared highlights. But it didn’t feel like a league-wide moment. Not the way it should have.
Even her coach at the time, Nikki Blue, said she had not met anyone like Diana. This wasn’t just a milestone. It was history. And history deserves more than a tweet and a quick postgame quote.
Sylvia Fowles Got Her Flowers. But not from Everyone.
Sylvia Fowles left the game in 2022 as one of the most decorated players of all time. Two-time Finals MVP, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder. Minnesota got it right. They celebrated her in her final game, retired her jersey, and fans showed up. She is also going to be inducted into the 2025 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She’s getting the recognition she deserves.
But outside of Lynx territory, it felt quieter than it should have. Fowles said she had given her all to the league and she hoped her efforts will be remembered. They are. But imagine what more visibility could’ve done for her, for the fans, for the league.
Elena Delle Donne Walked Away. The Silence was Loud.
Elena Delle Donne never needed to scream to be heard. Her game always spoke for itself. An MVP, a champion, one of the smoothest shooters the league has ever seen. She stepped away from the Mystics in early 2024 to focus on her health. This year, she officially retired. She now serves as a special advisor with Monumental Basketball.
There was no major sendoff. No sit-down with national media. Just a statement, quite understated.
That might be her way but for a player of her impact, it still felt like a missed chance to reflect, thank, and inspire.
This Isn’t Just Looking Back. It’s About What’s Missing Now.
The NBA builds storylines that span decades. It doesn’t just celebrate players, it mythologizes them. Farewell tours. Tribute videos in every arena. Studio jobs and jersey retirements that keep them visible.
The WNBA is starting to do more. But the league still struggles to create those long arcs, the kind that let fans grow with a player from rookie to retiree. Too often, the legacy disappears as soon as the final buzzer sounds.
Fixing This Is Easier Than the League Thinks
Nobody’s asking for flash. But imagine a WNBA Legends Weekend. Or rotating tribute nights on national broadcasts. Or a mini-documentary series where current rookies meet their idols. These women made the league what it is. If fans aren’t reminded of that often and loudly, the league risks losing a major part of its story.
