Written by Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
On Tuesday, a trio of Trojan greats were named to the WNBA's 20@20 list, a selection of the 20 greatest and most influential players in league history in celebration of the WNBA's 20th anniversary. With three players selected, USC was the second-most represented school on the list.
Tina Thompson, Lisa Leslie and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke made history in their respective careers at USC, but their legacies extend far beyond their time in Cardinal & Gold. As record-breakers and pioneers from the league's earliest days, the trio brought talent, energy and passion to the WNBA. With six WNBA Championships, three gold medals and 33 years of WNBA experience between them, these Women of Troy paved the way for the next generation of women's basketball players.
Heading into her fourth season as head coach for the Women of Troy, Cooper-Dyke's legendary career is continuing to expand where it first started. A standout Trojan guard from 1982 to 1986, she led the Houston Comets to four straight WNBA titles in the first four seasons of the league, winning Finals MVP each time. A two-time WNBA MVP and 1988 gold medalist, Cooper-Dyke returned home as USC's head coach in 2013.
A three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year while at USC, Lisa Leslie was poised for success from the first moment she hit the hardwood. The center was the heard of the Los Angeles Sparks for the entirety of her WNBA career (1997-2006, 2008-09), where she won two WNBA championships, three MVP honors and two gold medals for Team USA. Her incredible 12-year career earned her a spot in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2015.
Rounding out the trio is Thompson, who played 16 years in the WNBA, winning four consecutive WBNA championships alongside Cooper-Dyke with the Houston Comets. A three-time All-American (1994-97) at USC and three-time gold medalist as a member of Team USA, the forward boasts one of the most successful resumes in women's basketball history.
Check out the WNBA's career retrospective on women's basketball pioneer and USC women's basketball head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke...
