3x NCAA HC Dawn Staley lists her Top 5 WNBA players ever - “Candace is the goat”

Legendary coach and player Dawn Staley has named her top five WNBA players of all time. During an interview shared by the NBA TV on social media platform X, the interviewer asked Staley about her opinion on the "Mount Rushmore" of Women's basketball and she gave the question some thought before answering it.

She said:

"Lisa Leslie, Swoopes, Taurasi, A'Ja Wilson and Sue Bird."

She named the five players she thinks are the pillars of modern-day WNBA. Her selections featured three former and two active players who deserve to be etched onto WNBA's Mount Rushmore.

Going further into the interview, Dawn Staley was asked about her opinion on the men's and women's GOATs in basketball. She immediately named Michael Jordan as the goat of men's basketball and affirmed that no one came close.

For women's basketball, she named four-time NBA champion Cynthia Cooper as the GOAT. The interviewer was intrigued by Staley's answer and asked the coach what she thought about Candace Parker.

"Candace is the GOAT too," Staley said.

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Dawn Staley shares touching message on Candace Parker's retirement

WNBA legend Candace Parker announced her retirement from the game this year on April 28. This came as a shock for many of her fans who were expecting to see their idol play one more season before she hung her boots. However, the former Las Vegas Aces star felt she had done enough and it was time to close this chapter of her life.

Four-time Naismith Coach of the Year Dawn Staley shared a touching message on Parker's retirement.

"The game lost a great one," Staley said (via The Inquirer). "Obviously we want to see all of our legends play forever, but time says otherwise. I was looking forward to seeing her play one more season with A’ja Wilson and Las Vegas, but we see enough of Candace. Her legacy will continue."

Staley said Parker may have retired from professional basketball as a player but there will be opportunities for her to contribute to women's basketball without necessarily being on the court. She reminded the fans that they would see the former Aces star on television.

"She is on television, she makes us proud by covering the NBA and everything in between."