Milestone watch: WNBA player stats to watch in 2019
Steals
As the two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, it’s no surprise Alana Beard leads all active players in career steals with 698 entering the 2019 season. In the first couple of games she will likely reach the 700-steal mark and could make a run at Ticha Penicheiro’s second-best total of 764 steals in her career. (It will be many years before we see someone challenge Tamika Catchings’ all-time mark of 1,074, however.)
Others on the move:
- Another perennial defensive threat, Angel McCoughtry is just three steals from 600 entering this season.
- Candace Parker is three steals from 400, and Courtney Vandersloot is five from 300. Moriah Jefferson and Allisha Gray are both likely to reach 100 steals within the first few games of the season.
- Speaking of defensive threats, Sylvia Fowles (365 steals) can become just the third player with 400 steals and 500 blocks, behind Lisa Leslie (490 steals, 820 blocks) and Tangela Smith (456 steals, 556 blocks).