# Best WNBA Player ESPY Award

The Best WNBA Player ESPY Award is an award given at the ESPY Awards show. It has been presented annually since 1998 to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player who has been voted the best in the preceding year before the ceremony. Beginning in 2003, the winner has been chosen by online voting, before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts.
The inaugural winner was Cynthia Cooper, who would go on to win three consecutive awards. Candace Parker has won the award a record four times, while Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi have won the award three times. Only Cooper and Taurasi had their three wins in consecutive years. All winners other than Jackson, who is Australian, have been American. Winners have played all five of the standard Basketball positions, the most honored position is power forward, players playing power forward have won eight awards. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## List of winners

Player was a member of the winning team in the WNBA Finals Player was a member of the losing team in the WNBA Finals † WNBA Finals MVP
| Year | Player | Nationality | Position played | Team represented | Ref |
| 1998 | Cynthia Cooper$^†$ | United States | Point guard | Houston Comets | |
| 1999 | Cynthia Cooper (2)$^†$ | United States | Point guard | Houston Comets | |
| 2000 | Cynthia Cooper (3)$^†$ | United States | Point guard | Houston Comets | |
| 2001 | Sheryl Swoopes | United States | Small forward | Houston Comets | |
| 2002 | Lisa Leslie$^†$ | United States | Center | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2003 | Lisa Leslie (2)$^†$ | United States | Center | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2004 | Lauren Jackson | Australia | Power forward | Seattle Storm | |
| 2005 | Lauren Jackson (2) | Australia | Power forward | Seattle Storm | |
| 2006 | Sheryl Swoopes (2) | United States | Small forward | Houston Comets | |
| 2007 | Lisa Leslie (3) | United States | Center | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2008 | Lauren Jackson (3) | Australia | Power forward | Seattle Storm | |
| 2009 | Candace Parker | United States | Power forward | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2010 | Diana Taurasi$^†$ | United States | Shooting guard | Phoenix Mercury | |
| 2011 | Diana Taurasi (2) | United States | Shooting guard | Phoenix Mercury | |
| 2012 | Diana Taurasi (3) | United States | Shooting guard | Phoenix Mercury | |
| 2013 | Candace Parker (2) | United States | Power forward | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2014 | Maya Moore | United States | Small forward | Minnesota Lynx$^†$ | |
| 2015 | Skylar Diggins | United States | Point guard | Tulsa Shock | |
| 2016 | Maya Moore (2) | United States | Small forward | Minnesota Lynx | |
| 2017 | Candace Parker (3)$^†$ | United States | Power forward | Los Angeles Sparks | |
| 2018 | Maya Moore (3) | United States | Small forward | Minnesota Lynx | |
| 2019 | Breanna Stewart | United States | Power forward | Seattle Storm | |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Breanna Stewart (2) | United States | Power forward | Seattle Storm | |
| 2022 | Candace Parker (4) | United States | Power forward | Chicago Sky | |
| 2023 | A'ja Wilson | United States | Power forward | Las Vegas Aces | |
| 2024 | A'ja Wilson (2)$^†$ | United States | Power forward | Las Vegas Aces | |