Tina Thompson

High School: Tina Thompson

Tina Thompson was born on February 10, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, where she played basketball, volleyball, and track. Thompson earned four varsity letters in basketball and was named All-CIF, All-City, and All-State. Additionally, the Los Angeles Times named her Player of the Year in 1993.

NCAA TINA

Subsequently, Thompson attended the University of Southern California (USC), where she played basketball for four years. She started all four years and led the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament annually. Thompson made the All-Pac-10 First Team three times and won Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1997. She also won the Wade Trophy for the best women’s college basketball player. Here are some more of Thompson’s college achievements:

• Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year (1997)
• Kodak All-America First Team (1997)
• USBWA All-America First Team (1997)
• NABC All-America First Team (1997)
• WBCA All-America First Team (1997)
• Honda Sports Award for Basketball (1997)
• NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1994)
• Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year (1996, 1997)
• Pac-10 Conference Tournament MVP (1996, 1997)
• Pac-10 Conference All-Academic First Team (1996, 1997)
• USC Athletics Hall of Fame (2005)
• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2019)

Professional: Tina Thompson

The Houston Comets selected Thompson first overall in the 1997 WNBA Draft. She played 14 seasons for the Comets, winning four championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). Additionally, Thompson made seven WNBA All-Star teams and won Finals MVP in 1999. She retired in 2011 as the league’s all-time top scorer. Her pro achievements include:

• WNBA Rookie of the Year (1997)
• WNBA All-Rookie First Team (1997)
• WNBA All-WNBA First Team (2000)
• WNBA All-WNBA Second Team (1999, 2001, 2002)
• WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2000)
• WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
• WNBA Finals MVP (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)

Current Status

Presently, Thompson works as an assistant coach at the University of Texas. She is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thompson is one of the most accomplished women’s basketball players ever – a four-time WNBA champion, seven-time All-Star, and the league’s all-time top scorer. She serves as an inspiration to women and girls worldwide and a role model for all athletes.