Tina Marie Thompson (born February 10, 1975) is an American former
professional basketball
In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...
player and coach. Most recently, she served as the head coach of the
Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team from 2018 to 2022; she was subsequently hired by the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
as a team scout later in 2022. Thompson was inducted into both the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
and the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 2018.
The first college draft pick in
WNBA history, Thompson was selected first by the
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
. She helped lead the Comets to four consecutive
WNBA Championships in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. She won two Olympic gold medals and made nine
WNBA All-Star Game appearances. Until 2017, she was the WNBA's all-time leading scorer and, as of , she
ranks fourth in WNBA history.
Early life and college
Thompson was born in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. She grew up playing basketball with her brother TJ and his friends at Robertson Park in
West Los Angeles, California. She recorded more than 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds in her high school career at
Morningside High School in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...
, where she also played
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
. She then went on to play basketball at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
, where she graduated in 1997.
She attended both high school and college with fellow WNBA player
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets (basketball), Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando ...
.
USC statistics
Source
USA Basketball
Thompson represented the US at the 1995
World University Games held in
Fukuoka, Japan, in August and September 1995. The team had a record of 5–1, securing the silver medal. The USA team won early and reached a record of 5–0 when the USA beat Yugoslavia. In the semi-final game, the USA faced Russia. The team was behind much of the first half but tied the game at the half. The USA broke the game open in the second half and won, 101–74. The gold medal match was against unbeaten Italy. The Italian team started strong, scoring 12 of the first 14 points of the contest.
Sylvia Crawley scored eight consecutive points to end the first half, but that left the USA nine points behind. The USA took a small lead in the second half, but the team from Italy responded with a ten-point run, and won the game and the gold medal by a score of 73–65. Thompson averaged 9.9 points per game and was second on the team with 7.3 rebounds per game.
Thompson was invited to be a member of the Jones Cup team representing the US in 1996. She helped the team to a 9–0 record, and the gold medal in the event. In the game against Slovakia, which would determine the gold medal, she combined with teammate
Michelle M. Marciniak to score 30 points in a game they had to come from behind to win 72–62. Thompson averaged 9.6 points per game and 6.2 rebounds, both second highest on the team.
Thompson was selected to be a member of the National team for 1998 World Championships, but was injured and unable to compete.
Thompson was named to the national team representing the US at the 2006 World Championships, held in
Barueri
Barueri ( or ) is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 276,982 (2020 est.) in an area of .
Its boundaries are Santana de Parnaíba to ...
and
Sao Paulo, Brazil. The team won eight of their nine contests, but the lone loss came in the semifinal medal round to Russia. The USA beat Brazil in the final game to earn the bronze medal. Thompson led all scorers with 14.4 points per game. In a game against Russia, she tied a team record by hitting four of four three-point attempts.
Thompson also played for Team USA in the
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
and
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
, winning two Olympic gold medals with the team.
WNBA career
Thompson was selected No. 1 overall in the first round of the inaugural
1997 WNBA draft
The 1997 WNBA draft was the 1st draft held by the WNBA through which teams could select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. Unlike later drafts, this draft was unique because there were three d ...
by the
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
.
There, she was a member of a dynasty along with
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time at the 2 ...
and
Cynthia Cooper that won four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000. During her stint with the Comets, Thompson had won All-Star MVP honors at the
2000 WNBA All-Star Game, led all Western Conference players in All-Star voting in 2001, had been named to the All-WNBA First Team three times (1997, 1998, 2004) and All-WNBA Second Team four times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002).
Prior to the 2005 season, Thompson had given birth to Dyllan Thompson-Jones, her first child in May, with then
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player
Damon Jones being the biological father; she resumed playing with the Comets two months later.
Following her pregnancy she had a sluggish season in 2005, averaging only 10.1 ppg.
In 2006, Thompson returned to peak condition, averaging 18.7 ppg and scored a career-high 37 points in a triple-overtime loss to the
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...
. That year the Comets made the playoffs for the final time before folding, after they were eliminated in a two-game sweep by the
Sacramento Monarchs
The Sacramento Monarchs were a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Aren ...
in the first round.
After the Comets folded in 2008, Thompson signed with her hometown team, the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...
in 2009, playing alongside
Candace Parker and
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets (basketball), Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando ...
who was playing in her final year before retirement. Thompson, Leslie and Parker led the Sparks to the playoffs with an 18–16 record. In the playoffs, Thompson was one win away from her fifth Finals appearance but the Sparks lost 2–1 in the second round to the
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...
, who were the champions that year. During the following season in August, Thompson became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, passing Lisa Leslie during a regular-season game loss to the
San Antonio Silver Stars in which she scored 23 points. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the top 15 players in the fifteen-year history of the WNBA.
An unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2011 season, Thompson signed with the
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team was founded by Gi ...
on February 27, 2012, to fill gaps left by Australia's
Lauren Jackson
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson (born 11 May 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. Arguably the most notable Australian women's basketball player, Jackson has had a decorated career with the Australia women's national basketb ...
, concurrent her commitment to the Australian national team for the
2012 Olympics, and small forward
Swin Cash
Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
, who was traded to the
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. Th ...
as part of a package deal for the second-overall pick in the
2012 WNBA draft.
On May 31, 2013, Thompson announced that she would retire from the WNBA at the end of the 2013 season.
During the 2013 season, the 38-year-old Thompson was a starter for the Storm and had averaged 14.1 ppg. She was also selected to the
2013 WNBA All-Star Game to replace an injured
Brittney Griner
Brittney Yvette Griner (; born October 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's natio ...
. It was her ninth career WNBA All-Star Game appearance, the second-most in WNBA history, and it also made her the first and only player in WNBA history to be named an All-Star in three different decades.
On August 17, 2013, Thompson became the first WNBA player to have 7,000 points and 3,000 rebounds following a victory against the
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...
where she scored 23 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
September 14, 2013, marked the final regular-season game of Thompson's career which resulted in a victory over the
Tulsa Shock
The Tulsa Shock were a professional basketball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Detroit, Michigan before the 1998 WNBA season began; ...
. Following the game, an almost hour-long retirement ceremony took place in her honor. Her Storm teammates all wore a number 7 jersey either in a Comets or Storm variant. Despite the absence of
Sue Bird
Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire career with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Bird was drafted first overall pick by t ...
who sat out the whole season while recovering from knee surgery, the Storm made the playoffs with the number 4 seed in the Western Conference.
Thompson's final WNBA career game was Game 2 of the first round in the
2013 WNBA Playoffs. The Storm were eliminated in a two-game sweep by the
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...
who would win the championship that year. Thompson scored 13 points in the loss.
In 2016, Thompson was again honored by the WNBA, being named in the
WNBA Top 20@20
WNBA Top 20@20 are the Women's National Basketball Association's Top 20 Players of All Time, chosen in 2016 on the occasion of the twentieth season of the WNBA from amongst 60 nominees compiled by the league. The group was to comprise the 20 best a ...
in celebration of the league's twentieth anniversary.
On March 31, 2018, Thompson was named to the 2018 class of inductees for the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.
WNBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 28 , , 28 , , 31.6 , , .418 , , .370 , , .838 , , 6.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 1.0 , , 2.2 , , 13.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 27 , , 27 , , 32.4 , , .419 , , .359 , , .851 , , 7.1 , , 0.9 , , 1.2 , , 0.9 , , 1.7 , , 12.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 32 , , 32 , , 33.6 , , .419 , , .351 , , .782 , , 6.4 , , 0.9 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.2 , , 12.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 32 , , 32 , , 34.0 , , .469 , , .417 , , .837 , , 7.7 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.8 , , 2.6 , , 16.9
, -
, align="left" ,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 30 , , 30 , , 36.7 , , .377 , , .293 , , .840 , , 7.8 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , 0.7 , , 2.9 , , 19.3
, -
, align="left" ,
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 29 , , 29 , , 36.3 , , .431 , , .370 , , .823 , , 7.5 , , 2.1 , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 3.1 , , 16.7
, -
, align="left" ,
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 28 , , 28 , , 34.8 , , .413 , , .342 , , .779 , , 5.9 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 2.4 , , 16.9
, -
, align="left" ,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 26 , , 26 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 36.3° , , .402 , , .407 , , .789 , , 6.0 , , 1.8 , , 0.8 , , 0.9 , , 2.6 , , 20.0
, -
, align="left" ,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 15 , , 15 , , 29.3 , , .413 , , .300 , , .762 , , 3.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 2.1 , , 10.1
, -
, align="left" ,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 21 , , 21 , , 33.1 , , .457 , , .417 , , .804 , , 5.6 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , 0.6 , , 2.4 , , 18.7
, -
, align="left" ,
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 34 , , 34 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 36.3° , , .420 , , .400 , , .834 , , 6.7 , , 2.8 , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 3.2 , , 18.8
, -
, align="left" ,
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 30 , , 29 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 35.8° , , .413 , , .406 , , .859 , , 6.9 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.7 , , 3.7 , , 18.1
, -
, align="left" ,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, align="left" ,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 34 , , 34 , , 34.8 , , .385 , , .369 , , .867 , , 5.9 , , 2.3 , , 0.8 , , 0.7 , , 2.7 , , 13.0
, -
, align="left" ,
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, align="left" ,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 33 , , 33 , , 33.2 , , .446 , , .352 , , .872 , , 6.2 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 0.7 , , 2.3 , , 16.6
, -
, align="left" ,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, align="left" ,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 34 , , 33 , , 25.0 , , .386 , , .339 , , .833 , , 4.6 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 0.7 , , 2.0 , , 9.9
, -
, align="left" ,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, align="left" ,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, 29 , , 5 , , 19.0 , , .442 , , .427 , , .833 , , 3.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.8 , , 1.2 , , 8.9
, -
, align="left" ,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, align="left" ,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, 34 , , 34 , , 28.7 , , .410 , , .370 , , .874 , , 5.8 , , 1.1 , , 0.5 , , 0.6 , , 1.4 , , 14.1
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" , 17 years, 3 teams
, 496 , , 470 , , 32.4 , , .418 , , .371 , , .832 , , 6.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.9 , , 0.8 , , 2.4 , , 15.1
Postseason
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 37.0 , , .429 , , .400 , , .600 , , 9.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 3.0 , , 13.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 37.2 , , .408 , , .350 , , .917 , , 9.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 1.6 , , 11.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 34.7 , , .368 , , .375 , , .762 , , 5.0 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 1.2 , , 2.1 , , 11.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
†
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 38.8 , , .403 , , .391 , , .944 , , 8.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 1.6 , , 12.7
, -
, align="left" ,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 34.0 , , .550 , , .600 , , .800 , , 6.0 , , 3.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 5.0 , , 14.5
, -
, align="left" ,
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 3 , , 3 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 42.7° , , .364 , , .333 , , .700 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.6 , , 14.3
, -
, align="left" ,
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 35.3 , , .391 , , .231 , , .857 , , 4.7 , , 1.7 , , 0.7 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , 15.0
, -
, align="left" ,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 33.6 , , .491 , , .300 , , .714 , , 5.6 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.8 , , 13.8
, -
, align="left" ,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, align="left" ,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 31.5 , , .381 , , .400 , , 1.000 , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 2.5 , , 13.5
, -
, align="left" ,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, align="left" ,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 36.3 , , .378 , , .462 , , .958 , , 7.0 , , 2.8 , , 0.8 , , 0.7 , , 2.5 , , 15.2
, -
, align="left" ,
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, align="left" ,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 2 , , 2 , , style="background:#D3D3D3", 39.0° , , .333 , , .286 , , 1.000 , , 6.0 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.5 , , 17.0
, -
, align="left" ,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, align="left" ,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 17.0 , , .364 , , .333 , , .500 , , 6.7 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.3 , , 7.0
, -
, align="left" ,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, align="left" ,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 32.6 , , .423 , , .000 , , .500 , , 8.5 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.0 , , 11.5
, -
, align="left" , Career
, align="left" , 13 years, 3 teams
, 47 , , 44 , , 35.0 , , .403 , , .355 , , .838 , , 6.7 , , 1.5 , , 0.9 , , 0.9 , , 2.0 , , 13.0
International career
Thompson was an alternate for the 2000 Olympic squad. Thompson was a member of the U.S. women's basketball team and she earned a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games:
Beijing 2008. She was named to the 1998 and 2002 USA World Championship teams, but injuries kept her from both competitions. She earned her gold medal in 2004 in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
.
Thompson has also participated in other professional leagues overseas. Following the 2001 WNBA season, Thompson played for Rovereto Basket in Rovereto, Italy, and in 2003 she played for the Kumho Falcons of the
Women's Korea Basketball League (WKBL).
Coaching career
On March 18, 2015, the University of Texas at Austin athletic department announced Thompson's hire as an assistant coach for the Longhorn women's basketball team, beginning her collegiate coaching career. Two years later, Thompson was promoted to Associate Head Coach with the Lady Longhorns.
After three seasons with the Lady Longhorns, Thompson was named head coach of the
Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball program on April 16, 2018. She was hired by the first
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
female athletics director of any
power conference university,
Carla Williams. On March 3, 2022, the university announced that Thompson had been relieved of her duties after going 30-63 during her tenure.
Head coaching record
Overseas
* 2001–2002:
Rovereto Basket
* 2003:
Incheon Kumho Life Falcons
* 2005–2006:
Cheonan Kookmin Bank Savers
* 2006–2007:
Spartak Moscow Region
* 2010:
Municipal MCM Târgovişte
* 2012–2013:
Chuncheon Woori Bank Hansae
* 2013–2014:
Guri KDB Life Winnus
Awards and achievements
* 4-time WNBA Championship
* 2-time Olympic gold medalist
* 2000
WNBA All-Star selection (MVP)
* 9-time
WNBA All-Star selection
* Named to the All-WNBA team 8 times
* Member of the
WNBA All-Decade Team
* 3rd in WNBA all-time scoring
See also
*
List of WNBA career rebounding leaders
References
Citations
Sources
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Tina
1975 births
Living people
African-American basketball coaches
All-American college women's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Romania
American expatriate basketball people in Russia
American expatriate basketball people in South Korea
American women's basketball coaches
American women's basketball players
Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Los Angeles
Club Sportiv Municipal Târgoviște players
Houston Comets players
Los Angeles Sparks players
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
Power forwards
Seattle Storm players
Texas Longhorns women's basketball coaches
Summer World University Games medalists in basketball
FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States
USC Trojans women's basketball players
Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball coaches
Women's Korean Basketball League players
WNBA All-Stars
Medalists at the 1995 Summer Universiade
21st-century African-American sportswomen
20th-century African-American sportswomen
20th-century American sportswomen
United States women's national basketball team players
21st-century American sportswomen