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Tina Thompson
Tina Thompson cropped.jpg
Thompson at the 2013 WNBA All-Star game
Personal information
Born (1975-02-10) February 10, 1975 (age 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school Morningside
(Inglewood, California)
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 178 lb (81 kg)
Career information
College USC (1993–1997)
NBA Draft 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Houston Comets
Pro career 1997–2014
Coaching career 2015–present
Career history
As player:
1997–2008 Houston Comets
2001–2002 Rovereto Basket
2003 Incheon Kumho Life Falcons
2005–2006 Cheonan Kookmin Bank Savers
2006–2007 Spartak Moscow Region
2009–2011 Los Angeles Sparks
2010 Municipal MCM Târgovişte
2010 Chuncheon Woori Bank Hansae
2012–2013 Seattle Storm
2013–2014 Guri KDB Life Winnus
As coach:
2015–2017 Texas (asst.)
2017–2018 Texas (assoc. HC)
2018–2022 Virginia
Career highlights and awards
  • 4× WNBA champion (1997–2000)
  • 9× WNBA All-Star (1999–2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013)
  • WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
  • 3× All-WNBA First Team (1997, 1998, 2004)
  • 5× All-WNBA Second Team (1999–2002, 2007)
  • WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006)
  • WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011)
  • WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016)
  • WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021)
  • Russian National League champion (2007)
  • EuroLeague champion (2007)
  • Romanian National League champion (2010)
  • Second-team All-American – AP (1997)
  • All-American – USBWA (1997)
  • 3× All-Pac-10 (1995-1997)
  • No. 14 retired by USC
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens Team competition
Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition
World Cup
Gold 1998 Germany Team competition
Bronze 2006 Brazil Team competition
Universiade
Silver 1995 Fukuoka Team competition
Jones Cup
Gold 1996 Team competition

Tina Marie Thompson, born on February 10, 1975, is a famous American basketball player and coach. She coached the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team from 2018 to 2022. Later in 2022, she became a team scout for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Tina Thompson was the very first player chosen in the WNBA draft. The Houston Comets picked her first in 1997. She helped the Comets win four WNBA championships in a row from 1997 to 2000. She also won two Olympic gold medals and played in nine WNBA All-Star Games. Until 2017, she was the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. She is currently ranked fourth in WNBA history for scoring. In 2018, she was added to both the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early Life & College Basketball

Tina Thompson was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up playing basketball with her brother and his friends. They played at Robertson Park in West Los Angeles, California. In high school, she played at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California. She scored over 1,500 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds. She also played volleyball in high school.

After high school, she played basketball at the University of Southern California (USC). She graduated from USC in 1997. Tina Thompson went to both high school and college with another famous WNBA player, Lisa Leslie.

USC College Statistics

Here are some of Tina Thompson's college basketball statistics from USC:

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1993-94 USC 30 427 49.9% 35.7% 64.1% 10.5 0.8 1.3 0.7 14.2
1994-95 USC 28 545 51.9% 20.6% 73.1% 10.5 0.9 1.3 0.9 19.5
1995-96 USC 27 623 50.7% 31.6% 74.2% 9.3 1.6 1.4 1.1 23.1
1996-97 USC 29 653 49.9% 33.9% 78.1% 10.6 2.0 1.9 1.0 22.5
Career 114 2248 50.6% 31.7% 73.1% 10.2 1.3 1.5 0.9 19.7

Playing for Team USA

Tina Thompson played for the US national basketball team many times. In 1995, she played in the World University Games in Japan. Her team won the silver medal. She averaged 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

In 1996, she was part of the Jones Cup team for the US. This team won the gold medal with a perfect 9–0 record. Thompson averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

She was chosen for the 1998 and 2002 World Championship teams, but injuries stopped her from playing. In 2006, she played in the World Championships in Brazil. The team won eight out of nine games and earned a bronze medal. Thompson was the top scorer for her team, averaging 14.4 points per game.

Thompson also won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA. She earned gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, and at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

WNBA Career Highlights

Tina Thompson was the first player ever picked in the WNBA draft in 1997. The Houston Comets chose her. She became a key player for the Comets, helping them win four WNBA championships in a row. These wins happened from 1997 to 2000. She played alongside other stars like Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper.

During her time with the Comets, Thompson won the All-Star MVP award in 2000. She was also chosen for the All-WNBA First Team three times and the All-WNBA Second Team four times.

In 2005, Thompson gave birth to her first child, Dyllan. She returned to play with the Comets just two months later. After her pregnancy, she had a slower season, averaging 10.1 points per game.

By 2006, Thompson was back in top form. She averaged 18.7 points per game and scored a career-high 37 points in one game. The Comets made the playoffs that year but were eliminated in the first round. The Houston Comets team stopped playing after the 2008 season.

In 2009, Thompson joined her hometown team, the Los Angeles Sparks. She played with Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie, who was in her last year before retiring. The Sparks made it to the playoffs. Thompson was close to reaching her fifth WNBA Finals, but the Sparks lost to the Phoenix Mercury.

In August 2010, Thompson became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. She passed Lisa Leslie's record during a game where she scored 23 points. In 2011, fans voted her as one of the top 15 players in the WNBA's 15-year history.

In 2012, Thompson signed with the Seattle Storm. She helped fill important spots on the team. On May 31, 2013, Thompson announced she would retire from the WNBA after the 2013 season.

During her final season in 2013, Thompson was a starter for the Storm. She averaged 14.1 points per game. She was also chosen for the 2013 WNBA All-Star Game. This was her ninth All-Star appearance, which is the second-most in WNBA history. It also made her the only player to be an All-Star in three different decades.

On August 17, 2013, Thompson made history again. She became the first WNBA player to have 7,000 points and 3,000 rebounds. This happened after a win against the Indiana Fever.

Her last regular-season game was on September 14, 2013, a victory over the Tulsa Shock. After the game, a special retirement ceremony was held for her. Her Storm teammates wore her number 7 jersey. The Storm made the playoffs that year.

Thompson's final WNBA game was in the first round of the 2013 WNBA Playoffs. The Storm were eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx. Thompson scored 13 points in that final game.

In 2016, the WNBA honored Thompson again. She was named to the WNBA Top 20@20 list, celebrating the league's 20th anniversary. On March 31, 2018, Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

WNBA Career Statistics

Here are Tina Thompson's WNBA statistics:

† Denotes seasons in which Thompson won a WNBA championship

Regular Season Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
1997† Houston 28 28 31.6 .418 .370 .838 6.6 1.1 0.8 1.0 2.2 13.2
1998† Houston 27 27 32.4 .419 .359 .851 7.1 0.9 1.2 0.9 1.7 12.7
1999† Houston 32 32 33.6 .419 .351 .782 6.4 0.9 1.0 1.0 2.2 12.2
2000† Houston 32 32 34.0 .469 .417 .837 7.7 1.5 1.5 0.8 2.6 16.9
2001 Houston 30 30 36.7 .377 .293 .840 7.8 1.9 1.0 0.7 2.9 19.3
2002 Houston 29 29 36.3 .431 .370 .823 7.5 2.1 0.9 0.7 3.1 16.7
2003 Houston 28 28 34.8 .413 .342 .779 5.9 1.7 0.6 0.8 2.4 16.9
2004 Houston 26 26 36.3° .402 .407 .789 6.0 1.8 0.8 0.9 2.6 20.0
2005 Houston 15 15 29.3 .413 .300 .762 3.8 1.5 0.8 0.3 2.1 10.1
2006 Houston 21 21 33.1 .457 .417 .804 5.6 2.2 1.0 0.6 2.4 18.7
2007 Houston 34 34 36.3° .420 .400 .834 6.7 2.8 0.9 0.7 3.2 18.8
2008 Houston 30 29 35.8° .413 .406 .859 6.9 2.2 1.1 0.7 3.7 18.1
2009 Los Angeles 34 34 34.8 .385 .369 .867 5.9 2.3 0.8 0.7 2.7 13.0
2010 Los Angeles 33 33 33.2 .446 .352 .872 6.2 1.8 1.2 0.7 2.3 16.6
2011 Los Angeles 34 33 25.0 .386 .339 .833 4.6 1.1 1.2 0.7 2.0 9.9
2012 Seattle 29 5 19.0 .442 .427 .833 3.4 0.5 0.5 0.8 1.2 8.9
2013 Seattle 34 34 28.7 .410 .370 .874 5.8 1.1 0.5 0.6 1.4 14.1
Career 17 years, 3 teams 496 470 32.4 .418 .371 .832 6.2 1.6 0.9 0.8 2.4 15.1

Playoff Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
1997† Houston 2 2 37.0 .429 .400 .600 9.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 3.0 13.0
1998† Houston 5 5 37.2 .408 .350 .917 9.2 1.2 1.4 0.8 1.6 11.6
1999† Houston 6 6 34.7 .368 .375 .762 5.0 0.7 0.8 1.2 2.1 11.2
2000† Houston 6 6 38.8 .403 .391 .944 8.0 1.7 0.8 0.8 1.6 12.7
2001 Houston 2 2 34.0 .550 .600 .800 6.0 3.5 0.5 0.0 5.0 14.5
2002 Houston 3 3 42.7° .364 .333 .700 8.0 1.3 2.0 1.0 0.6 14.3
2003 Houston 3 3 35.3 .391 .231 .857 4.7 1.7 0.7 2.0 2.0 15.0
2005 Houston 5 5 33.6 .491 .300 .714 5.6 1.2 0.4 1.2 1.8 13.8
2006 Houston 2 2 31.5 .381 .400 1.000 2.5 1.5 1.0 0.5 2.5 13.5
2009 Los Angeles 6 6 36.3 .378 .462 .958 7.0 2.8 0.8 0.7 2.5 15.2
2010 Los Angeles 2 2 39.0° .333 .286 1.000 6.0 3.0 1.5 2.0 1.5 17.0
2012 Seattle 3 0 17.0 .364 .333 .500 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3 7.0
2013 Seattle 2 2 32.6 .423 .000 .500 8.5 0.0 1.0 0.0 2.0 11.5
Career 13 years, 3 teams 47 44 35.0 .403 .355 .838 6.7 1.5 0.9 0.9 2.0 13.0

International Basketball

Besides playing in the WNBA, Tina Thompson also played for professional teams in other countries. After the 2001 WNBA season, she played for Rovereto Basket in Italy. In 2003, she played for the Kumho Falcons in South Korea.

She also played for teams in Russia and Romania. In 2006-2007, she played for Spartak Moscow Region in Russia. In 2010, she played for Municipal MCM Târgovişte in Romania. She also played for two other teams in South Korea in 2005-2006 and 2012-2014.

Coaching Career

After her playing career, Tina Thompson became a basketball coach. On March 18, 2015, she was hired as an assistant coach for the University of Texas at Austin women's basketball team. Two years later, she was promoted to Associate Head Coach.

On April 16, 2018, Thompson became the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball program. She was hired by Carla Williams, who was the first African American female athletics director at a major university. Thompson coached the team until March 3, 2022.

Head Coaching Record

Here is Tina Thompson's record as a head coach:

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Virginia Cavaliers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2018–2022)
2018–19 Virginia 12–19 5–11 12th
2019–20 Virginia 13–17 8–10 T-9th
2020–21 Virginia 0–5 0–2 N/A
2021–22 Virginia 5–22 2–16 T-14th
Virginia: 30–63 (.323) 15–39 (.278)
Total: 30–63 (.323)

      National champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference tournament champion
      Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference division champion

Awards and Achievements

Tina Thompson has received many awards and achievements throughout her career:

  • 4-time WNBA Champion
  • 2-time Olympic gold medalist
  • 2000 WNBA All-Star Game MVP
  • 9-time WNBA All-Star selection
  • Named to the All-WNBA team 8 times
  • Member of the WNBA All-Decade Team
  • Ranked 3rd in WNBA all-time scoring

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tina Thompson para niños

  • List of WNBA career rebounding leaders
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