10 Openly LGBTQ+ WNBA Players to Watch this Season

Women's sports has more LGBTQ+ athletes than men's sports, and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the league leading the charge in queer representation. Out Sports reports that 20% of the players in the WNBA identify as non-straight as of the 2022 season, which is over double the amount of people who are out amongst the entire United States population.

With the 2023 WNBA season set to tip off on May 19, we thought now would be a perfect time to celebrate the queerness and diversity of the best women's basketball league on the planet. Some of these players have been around for years, while others are a little newer to the scene. One thing they all have in common though is that they are a great inspiration to the young girls at home who want to play basketball for a living and continue to live freely and openly no matter their sexuality.

Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

Brittney Griner is perhaps the most famous women's basketball player in the world due to her nearly year-long stint in a Russian prison after being arrested for possession of marijuana. Her courage in the face of this adversity inspired millions around the world. Griner has played her entire WNBA career for the Phoenix Mercury. Griner is a WNBA scoring champion, a WNBA champion, and has led the league in blocked shots eight times. Fans are sure to be excited to see her return to the court this season. Off the court, Griner has been married to wife Cherelle Griner since 2019.

Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics

Elena Delle Donne has been one of the biggest stars in the WNBA since 2013. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2013, and what followed was immense success. She switched teams in 2017, and has found even more accolades with the Washington Mystics. Delle Donne has won multiple MVP awards in her career. She is one of the tallest WNBA players, standing at six feet five inches tall, and has talked a lot throughout her career about how her height gave her self-confidence issues. Delle Donne has been married to her wife, Amanda Clifton, since 2017.

Candace Parker, Las Vegas Aces

Candace Parker is one of the oldest players in the world, but she still stands tall as a legend of the game. Most of her career was played with the Los Angeles Sparks, but she now plays for the Las Vegas Aces in 2023 after a short stint with the Chicago Sky. She is a multiple-time WNBA champion. Parker married her wife, Anna Petrakova, in 2019. She has a child with both Petrakova and her ex-husband, Sheldon Williams.

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Breanna Stewart has quickly put together one of the best careers in women's basketball history. Stewart won four consecutive National Championships for the University of Connecticut before being drafted by the Seattle Storm. Paired up with legendary point guard Sue Bird, Stewart won two championships with the Storm before signing with the New York Liberty before the 2023 season. Stewart is married to Marta Xargay, a fellow basketball star. The couple had a daughter born in 2021.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

If there is any women's basketball player that reminds fans of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, it would have to be Diana Taurasi. Blessed with unreal skill and a gigantic will to win, Taurasi has won three WNBA championships, some alongside Brittney Griner. Taurasi is married to Penny Taylor, a woman who played with Taurasi on the Mercury for several years. The two started their relationship while playing together in Phoenix.

Angel McCoughtry, free agent

Angel McCoughtry is one of the most dominant scorers in women's basketball since being drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2009. She is a multiple time scoring champion, but has never won a championship. McCoughtry is currently a free agent looking for a new team in the WNBA. She has been a loud voice for the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, firmly believing that people shouldn't have to label their sexuality. McCoughtry defines her own sexuality as fluid.

Courtney Vandersloot, New York Liberty

While a lot of the best players in the WNBA get acclaim for their scoring abilities, Courtney Vandersloot is a facilitator at heart. She has led the league in assists six different times in her career for the Chicago Sky, a stint which has lasted over a decade now. Vandersloot is a native of Kent, Washington (the exact same city as this author!) and she went to Gonzaga University. She is married to Chicago Sky teammate Allie Quigley.

DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun

DeWanna Bonner was a staple for the Phoenix Mercury teams with Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner for many years in the 2010s, making the All-Star game three different times. She was traded to Connecticut after the 2019 season and made another All-Star team there. Bonner has been in multiple high-profile relationships throughout her career, and is currently in a relationship with her teammate Alyssa Thomas.

Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky

Allie Quigley was already mentioned earlier on this list because she is married to teammate Courtney Vandersloot, but let's give her a little more love here. She is one of the all-time sharpshooters in women's basketball, winning the three-point shootout at the All-Star events four times. Quigley is also a WNBA champion with the Sky and has won Sixth Woman of the Year for her bench production.

Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces

Chelsea Gray is poised to become one of the most famous names in the WNBA this season after leading the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA championship in 2022. She is a four time All-Star and won WNBA Finals MVP. Gray has been married to basketball player Tipesa Moorer since November of 2019.