Via Brittanica.com
The old saying is that offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships. Over the years in the WNBA, there have been many impressive perimeter defenders; three players stood out to me as guards.
Alana Beard
Alana Beard is an excellent defender, arguably the best WNBA perimeter defender ever. She will get up on you and swipe the ball away with her quick hands.
Beard is a 5-time first-team WNBA All-Defense and 4-time second-team All-Defense; she also won Defensive Player of the Year two times in her career. Beard averaged 1.7 steals per game and led the WNBA in steals once. Beard can not be left off the list when talking about WNBA top defenders.
Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon was like a pit bull on defense; she would pressure full court and force you into many turnovers. Spoon had quick hands and feet to keep up with any ball handler. She is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time steals leader. Weatherspoon averaged a total of 1.8 steals per game in her career.
If the WNBA had kept track of all defensive teams when Weatherspoon played, she would have been on many of them. It is a joy to hear Spoon talk about playing defense.
Sheryl Swoopes
You can’t mention defense and not bring up one of the best WNBA players of all time. Sheryl Swoopes was an intelligent defender; she knew when to play tight on you and back off you. She excelled at playing the passing lanes and creating fast break opportunities for her teammates. Swoopes won Defensive Player of the Year three times and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive first-team two times. Also, Swoopes led the WNBA twice in steals and averaged two steals a game for her career.
Swoopes was an old-school two-way player; she loved playing both ends on the floor. Those were the Top Perimeter Defenders In WNBA History.
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