11 Lesbian Women’s Basketball Couples Pulling the Ultimate Power Play

Well my friends it is WNBA All-Star Weekend, when all the stars align and we’re able to see so many of our faves on the court at the same time. I will say that this year’s roster is a bit straighter than I’d like, with only six queer players signed up to compete. But let us never forget that there are 43 current WNBA players and a whole lot of gay former WNBA players and often they date each other, or date other basketball players from all around the world. In fact, let us take a moment to count them out.

This list includes every basketball couple in which:

  • Both have played or are playing basketball at the professional or collegiate level
  • One or both have played or are playing for the WNBA
  • They are still officially confirmed to be together

Currently there are three confirmed couples in which both women are on WNBA teams — Natasha Cloud & Izzy Harrison, Dewanna Bonner & Alyssa Thomas and Dijonai Carrington & Nalyssa Smith. There are heavy rumors and speculation around Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes but neither have officially confirmed so I will let them preserve their peace!


Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) & Azzi Fudd (U-Conn)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 16: Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers are seen at 'Good Morning America' on April 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)

(Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)

The two exceptional basketball players have been best friends for years, having met in high school at a USA basketball camp and played together on youth national teams before ending up at U-Conn together. When they look at each other, hearts and stars explode right out of their eyeballs, it’s really something! The fan edits will make you believe in love again. After a certified hard launch via phone case, Paige Bueckers referred to Azzi Fudd as her girlfriend with entire words on the All-Star orange carpet in an interview with wagtalk. It was a moment to treasure forever and truly beyond adorable. Paige is currently giving it her all for the Dallas Wings while Azzi finishes her last year of school and picks out all of Paige’s shoes.


Nalyssa Smith (Las Vegas Aces) & Dijonai Carrington (Dallas Wings)

UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 07: Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington and Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith pose for a picture after the WNBA game between Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun on July 7, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Naylssa Smith and Dijonai Carrington have been one of the funnest relationships to witness as a fan. They’ve been dating on-and-off since playing together at Baylor, and participated in one of the W’s most viral lesbian moments in 2023 when Smith, playing for The Fever, helped the Sun’s Carrington up with a little extra linger like you would to someone you’d had sex with. This year, Smith and Carrington had the brief opportunity to play on The Dallas Wings together and be Paige’s gay aunties before Smith was traded to Vegas. But their love lives on!


Alyssa Thomas & Dewanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury

UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 25: Connecticut Sun forward/guard DeWanna Bonner (24) and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) arrive to the arena before game 2 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on September 25, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

(Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Alyssa Thomas and Dewanna Bonner started dating in 2020, as teammates on the Connecticut Sun — and Thomas proposed during the 2023 All-Star Weekend. Ahead of the 2025 season, Thomas was traded to Phoenix and Bonner to the Indiana Fever — but Bonner left the Fever in June and got picked up straight away by Phoenix. Isn’t that romantic? Also, Bonner has twins with her ex, Candace Dupree, who was also a basketball player.


Natasha Cloud & Isabelle Harrison, New York Liberty

Tasha is an elite defender, an outspoken activist and one of the W’s biggest personalities, and in an interview this year, said that Izzy Harrison radically transformed her life at a time when she was in need of refocusing, and also that Izzy is a ““beautiful straight woman that fell in love with me,” Okay then! They now have the extreme privilege of playing on the same team after both got traded to the Liberty (Cloud from Phoenix, Harrison from a year overseas).


Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) & Marta Xargay Casademont (Retired WNBA)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: Marta Xargay Casademont celebrates with her wife, Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty, after Game Five of the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the championship. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Stewart’s wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a former player for the Phoenix Mercury and the Spanish National Team. They met playing professional women’s basketball in Russia. In 2021, Marta retired from the sport — the same year in which she and Breanna got engaged, got married, and brought their first child, Ruby Mae, into the world. They had their second kid in October 2023.


Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky) & Allie Quigley (Retired WNBA)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 11: Courtney Vandersloot (L) #22 and Allie Quigley #14 of the Chicago Sky warm up before a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 11, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Known as “The Vanderquigs,” Courtney and Allie met in Slovakia at the end of the 2012-2013 Euroleague season, and ended up on the same flight back to the U.S. to prepare for their upcoming season with the Chicago Sky. Eventually their friendship turned romantic. They hold first and second place for many of the franchise’s all-time statistical categories and are the first married couple to win a professional sports championship together. While Courtney still plays for the Sky, Allie hasn’t played since 2022 but officially retired in May of 2025. They welcomed their first daughter in April.


Maddy Westbeld (Chicago Sky) & Olivia Miles (Notre Dame)

Leading college women’s basketball player Olivia Miles and Chicago Sky rookie Maddy Westbeld have been dating since college and co-parent a cat! Miles was widely predicted to be the #2 pick at the 2025 WNBA draft, after a solid career at Notre Dame, but she opted out of the draft, entering the transfer portal and signing with TCU. But next year they will ideally both be playing in the WNBA and I think that will be very fun.


Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor, Retired WNBA

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 16: (L-R) Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi attend the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Now-retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi (the league’s all time leading scorer!) married her former teammate Penny Taylor in 2017, after eight years of dating. Taylor had their first son in 2018, and in 2021, her second pregnancy went past its due date and overlapped with The Phoenix Mercury’s WNBA final games. In her post-game interview Taurasi told her wife, “hold it in babe, I’m coming,” and then flew home to Phoenix from Vegas to witness the birth. That’s iconic behavior!


Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and Victoria Vivians, Retired WNBA

Vivians spent six years in the WNBA and now serves as assistant coach for her alma mater, Mississippi State Bulldogs. She got engaged to Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, formerly of the Washington Mystics and the Los Angeles Sparks, in 2021, and they are now married and very cute together!


Candace Parker (Retired WNBA) & Anna Petrakova (Retired Russian Professional Basketball)

Another WNBA GOAT, Candace Parker, delighted us all when she revealed to the world in 2021 that she’d married Anna Petrakova in 2019 and they were henceforth expecting their first child. Parker met Petrakova, retired Olympian and former Russian Premier League player of the year, in 2012 while playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA offseason. They now have three kids — Parker’s daughter Lailaa from a previous marriage and two sons they’ve had together, Airr and Hartt.


Mikaela Dombkins (Retired WNBL) and Leilani Mitchell (Former WNBA, Currently WNBL)

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 20: Leilani Mitchell of the Flyers celebrates with partner Mikaela Dombkins and son Kash after winning the WNBL Grand Final match between the Southside Flyers and the Townsville Fire at the Townsville Stadium, on December 20, 2020, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Mitchell, a dual citizen of the U.S. an Australia, was drafted to the Phoenix Mercury in 2008 and currently plays with the Southside Fliers of the WNBL in Australia. Mikaela Dombkins currently coaches the Bendigo Spirit of the WNBL but also played for eleven seasons. Dombkins gave birth to their sun Kash in 2018, and their daughter Elle in June of 2022.


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Riese

Riese is the 43-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3344 articles for us.

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