The WNBA has a lot of good shot blockers in its history. Protecting the rim is key to an excellent defensive team; it allows your perimeter defenders to gamble for steals. Knowing they have a rim protector to swat the shot away if the gamble does not pay off. Here are some of the best rim protectors in WNBA history.
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner, a 6’9 center, already has 636 blocks in her seven-year career, which is good for third all-time. Griner has led the WNBA in blocks five times in her young career. She led the WNBA in total blocks in five of her seven seasons in the league. Griner has notched 100 blocks three times and topped out 129 blocks. She averages 3.0 blocks per game so far in her career. In 2015, Griner averaged four blocks per game. When it is all said in done, Griner will be the WNBA all-time shot blocks leader and the best rim protector of all-time.
Margo Dydek
Margo Dydek played 11 seasons with the Utah Starzz, San Antonio Silver Stars, Connecticut Sun, and the Los Angeles Sparks. Dydek is the WNBA all-time blocks leader with 877 blocks, she led the WNBA in total blocks nine times and totaled 100 blocks in a season four times. Dydek was 7’2, and it was hard to finish at the rim when she was down in the paint. The most blocks Dydek had in a season is 114. In Dydek’s eleven-year career, she averaged 2.7 blocks per game, and in her rookie season, she averaged a career-high 3.6 blocks per game. I remember watching the WNBA as a kid, and seeing Dydek dominate the paint from a defensive standpoint; she was blocking shots left and right. Dydek is the WNBA version of Dikembe Mutombo.
Lisa Leslie
What more can i say about the Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, she was not only a great offensive player but a great defensive player as well. Leslie is second all-time in blocks behind Margo Dydek with 822. The Hall of Famer led the WNBA in blocks three times and averaged 2.3 blocks per game in her career. The most Leslie ever averaged in a season was 2.9 blocks per game. It was awesome to see her control the paint on both sides of the floor. Leslie is one of the greatest ever to play the game of basketball.
Sylvia Fowles
When you talk about players controlling the paint on both ends of the floor, you can not forget about Sylvia Fowles; her physical play is fantastic. She is also an outstanding shot-blocker, having led the WNBA in total blocks shots three times. Fowles is fourth all-time in shot blocks with 621, she has a career average of 1.8 per game and the highest block average for year 2.4. Fowles is a beast; i love the way she controls the game from the inside on both ends of the floor.
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