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When the WNBA tipped off its inaugural season in 1997, the Houston Comets forever altered the trajectory of women’s professional basketball. By selecting Tina Thompson with the first-ever No. 1 overall pick in the league’s history, the franchise secured the cornerstone of what would become the sport’s first true professional dynasty.
Thompson arrived in Houston following a stellar collegiate career at Southern Cal, where she dominated the paint and the perimeter alike, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Her transition to the professional ranks was seamless, as she immediately validated her top-pick status. Joining forces with fellow legends Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Thompson helped lead the Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000. This historic streak remains the longest championship run in league history.
Known for her versatility at the forward position and her signature red lipstick, Thompson was a force for 12 seasons in Houston before signing with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2009 and concluding her career with the Seattle Storm in 2012. Across 17 seasons, she was the model of consistency and excellence. When she finally stepped away from the court, she did so as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, a record she held from 2010 until 2017. Her career totals of 7,488 points and 3,070 rebounds placed her among the elite in every major statistical category.
Thompson’s accolades are as numerous as her baskets. She was a nine-time WNBA All-Star and earned eight All-WNBA selections. She was a fixture for USA Basketball, helping the Women’s National Team secure Olympic gold medals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. Her international resume also includes a gold medal at the 1998 World Championship.
In 2016, the WNBA honored her as one of its 20 greatest players of all time. Two years later, her impact on the game was immortalized with inductions into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
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