List of WNBA annual assists leaders

In basketball, an assist is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal.[1] The Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) assist title is awarded to the player with the highest assists per game average in a given season.

Courtney Vandersloot holds the all-time record for assists per game (10.00) in a season, achieved in the 2020 season. Alyssa Thomas holds the all-time record for assists in a season (357), achieved in the 2025 season.

Courtney Vandersloot and Ticha Penicheiro have the most assists titles in a career, each with seven. Sue Bird and Lindsay Whalen have each won three assists titles. Nikki Teasley has won two assists titles. Ticha Penicheiro also holds the record for most consecutive seasons leading the league in assists with six accomplishing this in the 1998 season, 1999 season, 2000 season, 2001 season, 2002 season, and 2003 season. Other players to have consecutive seasons leading the league in assists include Courtney Vandersloot in the 2017 season, 2018 season, and 2019 season, 2020 season, 2021 season, and Lindsay Whalen in the 2011 season, and 2012 season.

Key

^ Denotes player who is still active in the WNBA
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
§ 1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2025
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player had been the
assists leader up to and including that season
G Guard F Forward C Center

Annual leaders

Season Player Position[b] Team Games
played 		Total
assists 		Assists
per game 		References
1997 Teresa Weatherspoon* G New York Liberty 28 173 6.18 [2]
1998 Ticha Penicheiro G Sacramento Monarchs 30 224 7.47 [3]
1999 Ticha Penicheiro (2) G Sacramento Monarchs 32 226 7.06 [4]
2000 Ticha Penicheiro (3) G Sacramento Monarchs 30 236 7.87 [4]
2001 Ticha Penicheiro (4) G Sacramento Monarchs 23 172 7.48 [4]
2002 Ticha Penicheiro (5) G Sacramento Monarchs 24 192 8.00 [4]
2003 Ticha Penicheiro (6) G Sacramento Monarchs 34 229 6.74 [4]
2004 Nikki Teasley G Los Angeles Sparks 34 207 6.09 [5]
2005 Sue Bird* G Seattle Storm 30 176 5.87 [6]
2006 Nikki Teasley (2) G Washington Mystics 34 183 5.38 [5]
2007 Becky Hammon* G San Antonio Silver Stars 28 140 5.00 [7]
2008 Lindsay Whalen* G Connecticut Sun 31 166 5.35 [8]
2009 Sue Bird* (2) G Seattle Storm 31 179 5.77 [6]
2010 Ticha Penicheiro (7) G Los Angeles Sparks 32 220 6.88 [4]
2011 Lindsay Whalen* (2) G Minnesota Lynx 34 199 5.85 [8]
2012 Lindsay Whalen* (3) G Minnesota Lynx 33 178 5.39 [8]
2013 Danielle Robinson† G San Antonio Silver Stars 25 168 6.72 [9]
2014 Courtney Vandersloot^ G Chicago Sky 18 101 5.61 [10]
2015 Candace Parker† F Los Angeles Sparks 16 100 6.25 [11]
2016 Sue Bird* (3) G Seattle Storm 34 196 5.76 [6]
2017 Courtney Vandersloot^ (2) G Chicago Sky 27 218 8.07 [10]
2018 Courtney Vandersloot^ (3) G Chicago Sky 30 258 8.60 [10]
2019 Courtney Vandersloot^ (4) G Chicago Sky 33 300 9.09 [10]
2020 Courtney Vandersloot^ (5) G Chicago Sky 22 220 10.00 [10]
2021 Courtney Vandersloot^ (6) G Chicago Sky 32 275 8.59 [10]
2022 Natasha Cloud^ G Washington Mystics 34 239 7.03 [12]
2023 Courtney Vandersloot^ (7) G New York Liberty 39 314 8.05 [10]
2024 Caitlin Clark^ G Indiana Fever 40 337 8.43 [13]
2025 Alyssa Thomas^ PF Phoenix Mercury 39 357 9.2 [14]

Multiple-time leaders

Rank Player Team Times leader Years
1 Ticha Penicheiro Sacramento Monarchs (6) / Los Angeles Sparks (1) 7 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010
Courtney Vandersloot Chicago Sky (6) / New York Liberty (1) 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
3 Sue Bird Seattle Storm 3 2005, 2009, 2016
Lindsay Whalen Connecticut Sun (1) / Minnesota Lynx (2) 2008, 2011, 2012
5 Nikki Teasley Los Angeles Sparks (1) / Washington Mystics (1) 2 2004, 2006

Notes

  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until she has been fully retired for two calendar years.
  2. ^ The player's primary position is listed.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Basketball glossary". FIBA.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  2. ^ "Teresa Weatherspoon Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "Ticha Penicheiro Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Ticha Penicheiro Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Nikki Teasley Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Sue Bird Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  7. ^ "Becky Hammon Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Lindsay Whalen Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  9. ^ "Danielle Robinson Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "Courtney Vandersloot Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  11. ^ "Candace Parker Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  12. ^ "Natasha Cloud Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  13. ^ "Caitlin Clark Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  14. ^ "Alyssa Thomas Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
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