Cappie Pondexter

American professional basketball player who won two WNBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, known for her scoring ability and clutch performances.

Cappie Marie Pondexter was born on 7 January 1983 in Oceanside, California, and attended John Marshall Metropolitan High School in Chicago, where she was named Illinois Miss Basketball in both 2000 and 2001, before starring at Rutgers University, where she was named Big East Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in 2006. The Phoenix Mercury selected Pondexter second overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, and she developed into one of the most dynamic scoring guards of her generation, helping the franchise win back-to-back championships in 2007 and 2009, earning WNBA Finals MVP honours in the former for a series of clutch, high-scoring performances. Pondexter earned seven WNBA All-Star selections across her career and was named to three All-WNBA First Teams, while also building an extensive and decorated overseas career, winning multiple championships in both Turkey and Russia during WNBA offseasons with clubs including Fenerbahçe and UMMC Ekaterinburg. Pondexter played for the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky in the latter stages of her WNBA career before retiring in 2018, and was later named to the league's 15th, 20th, and 25th Anniversary Teams, recognitions that reflected her standing as one of the most consistently excellent guards of the WNBA's first two decades.

Athletic scoring guard with exceptional speed and finishing ability

One of the most explosive scorers in WNBA history

• WNBA Champion 2007, 2009
• WNBA All-Star multiple times
• WNBA Finals MVP 2007