Griner owns the blocks crown, but Fowles tops ESPN’s rim list
ESPN’s Michael Voepel ranked Sylvia Fowles No. 1 among WNBA rim protectors, with A’ja Wilson second and Brittney Griner third.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Brittney Griner has more WNBA blocks than anyone, but ESPN’s Michael Voepel put Sylvia Fowles at the very top of his ranking of the league’s best rim protectors.
Voepel’s list, tied to the WNBA’s 30th season, measured more than swats. ESPN said the ranking also weighed a defender’s ability to make opponents change shots, pass up chances at the rim and end possessions with defensive rebounds.
Fowles, the former Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx center, landed at No. 1. Voepel cited her four Defensive Player of the Year awards, 721 career blocks and 7.0 defensive rebounds per game. She is fourth on the WNBA’s career blocks list and sixth in blocks per game at 1.77, according to ESPN.
A’ja Wilson came in second. Voepel noted that the Las Vegas Aces star is 29, in her ninth season, and already owns four MVP awards, three Defensive Player of the Year honors and three WNBA championships. ESPN listed Wilson with 576 blocks, a 1.99 blocks-per-game average and a 7.4 defensive-rebound average, the best among the players on the ranking.
Griner, ranked third, remains the WNBA’s all-time blocks leader with 884, according to ESPN. Voepel also pointed to her NCAA women’s record of 748 blocks at Baylor, her WNBA single-season record of 129 blocks in 2014 and her league-record single-season average of 4.04 blocks in 2015.
Griner is now in her 13th WNBA season and her first with the Connecticut Sun after spending most of her career with the Phoenix Mercury, who drafted her No. 1 in 2013. ESPN reported that she is tied for second in the league this season at 1.8 blocks per game.
Her Phoenix return comes with some fresh box-score sparkle. Voepel wrote that Griner had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, four rebounds, six assists and two blocks in Connecticut’s 90-87 win over the Portland Fire on Tuesday. The Sun visit the Mercury on Friday and again Sunday, with the second game on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.
How the rest of ESPN’s top 10 shook out
No. 4 Lisa Leslie: ESPN credited the Los Angeles Sparks great with three MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, two titles, 822 blocks and a 2.26 blocks-per-game average.
No. 5 Margo Dydek: Voepel wrote that the 7-foot-2 center is the tallest player in league history and ranks second in total blocks with 877, while holding the top career blocks average at 2.72.
No. 6 Lauren Jackson: ESPN listed the Seattle Storm star with 586 blocks, a 1.85 blocks average, three MVP awards, one Defensive Player of the Year award and two WNBA titles.
No. 7 Candace Parker: Voepel cited Parker’s 619 blocks, 6.9 defensive rebounds per game, two MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year honor and three championship stops with the Sparks, Sky and Aces.
No. 8 Breanna Stewart: ESPN noted Stewart’s 453 blocks, 1.44 blocks per game, 7.1 defensive rebounds per game, two MVPs and three All-Defensive first-team selections.
No. 9 Yolanda Griffith: Voepel wrote that Griffith entered the WNBA at 29, but still built a résumé that included MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
No. 10 Tina Charles: ESPN listed Charles with 428 blocks, a 0.9 blocks average, 6.5 defensive rebounds per game, an MVP award and a place at 10th in defensive win shares.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.