SEATTLE – Seattle Storm forward Tina Thompson, the first overall pick in the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997, announced Friday that she will retire after this season.
The only player to compete in all WNBA seasons to date, the 38-year-old Thompson will end her career as the league's all-time scoring leader. She currently has 7,018 points. She is an eight-time all-star and was named to the league's All-Decade Team. Thompson also helped lead the Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles between 1997 and 2000.
Thompson, who has also played for Los Angeles, called basketball a "safe haven" and said she would always be grateful for her time in the WNBA.
She played her college ball at Southern California and was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2012.
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