You’re in the stands or in your living room, watching your favorite team’s game come down to the wire. Your pulse is racing as the clock ticks to zero. Who will take the last shot?

Stats experts contend there’s no such thing as a consistent clutch player in any sport. Players who come up big at the buzzer or final whistle are typically the ones who do it at any time of the game.

But anecdotes and memories stick with us. And in those make-or-break moments, we know who we want to take that shot.

So who are the biggest clutch shooters in the WNBA, when a game is on the line and a team needs a bucket to tie the score or win the game?

That’s the scenario we had in mind as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel determined the players on all 13 teams who are most likely to rise to the occasion in that situation.

Realistically, every player on the floor could do it. But here are our picks for the players who should have the ball in their hands with the game on the line.

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ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND | LV | LA | MIN | NY | PHO | SEA | WAS

A 6-foot guard, Gray can score in many ways: driving to the rim, hitting a pull-up jump shot, making a backdoor cut for a layup and nailing a 3-pointer. She could always do it all, but now she’s having the best season of her WNBA career, averaging 18.7 points and shooting 44.7% from the field and 38.8% from behind the arc. She has scored 44 clutch points — the most for the Dream and in the top 10 of the league this season — while shooting 46.4% in those scenarios. — Michael Voepel

There haven’t been many clutch opportunities this season for the Sky (9-28). Atkins, their leading scorer in the final five minutes of games within five points, ranks 27th in the WNBA with 26 points. Although Chicago’s offense is typically built around the high-low duo of frontcourt stars Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, such sets are more difficult to execute against late-game pressure. As a result, the Sky would probably put the ball in the hands of the versatile Atkins, a two-time All-Star with the Washington Mystics. — Kevin Pelton

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Ariel Atkins somehow gets the clutch shot to fall for the Sky

Ariel Atkins hits the acrobatic jumper to keep the Sky in front of the Lynx late on.

It was over a week ago that Mabrey hit a clutch shot from the logo over an extended Lexie Hull to put the Sun up 3 on the Indiana Fever with 90 seconds left. It’s moments like those that prove Connecticut should put the ball in Mabrey’s hands with the game on the line. — Kendra Andrews

Fellow guard Arike Ogunbowale has made a name with her clutch shooting — her buzzer-beaters in successive games at the Final Four for Notre Dame are some of the biggest shots in women’s hoops history — but the 2025 No. 1 draft pick might be the better choice for this exercise. Bueckers, the Wings’ top scorer this season, showed up in big moments during her time at UConn, and her 44-point performance recently against the Los Angeles Sparks indicates just how clutch and efficient of a shotmaker she can be as a pro. — Alexa Philippou

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Bueckers rattles in a 3 to give Dallas a late lead

Paige Bueckers pulls up from long range and sinks a 3-pointer for the Wings.

Despite her season-ending knee injury in July, Thornton remains the Valkyries’ No. 1 choice in the clutch: She still leads Golden State in averaging 2.1 points in clutch scenarios, where she also shoots 47%. Thornton hit a 3-pointer to secure an overtime win over the Sparks in June and produced several other shots at the end of the clock throughout the season.

With Thornton out, honorable mention goes to forward Cecilia Zandalasini, who hit a game-winning baseline jumper against the Dream last week before a calf injury sidelined her. — Andrews

The Fever have several great options for taking the final shot, including the efficient Aliyah Boston and the sharpshooting Caitlin Clark. But Mitchell led the league in clutch scoring last season (64 points on 48.8% shooting) and is 11th this season in the same category (38 points on 48.5% shooting). Mitchell has been everything for Indiana this year throughout its injuries, including setting a franchise single-season record for points (787). — Philippou

You have to pick the player who is making a case to win her fourth MVP award. The 6-4 center is second in the WNBA in scoring average (23.4). In clutch situations, Wilson scored 40 points, averaging 2.7 — both of which rank top 10 in the league. Teammates Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young are also statistically and anecdotally known as strong players in big situations. But when you’ve got Wilson, she’s the go-to player whenever possible. — Voepel

The unflappable Plum delivered one of this season’s most clutch shots earlier this month against the Wings: a floater at the buzzer to seal a comeback and keep the Sparks in the playoff hunt. Overall, she ranks third in clutch win probability added, according to Inpredictable.com, just ahead of teammate Dearica Hamby — also a key late-game option for Los Angeles, but often off a pick-and-roll with Plum. That’s how Hamby hit the Aug. 1 winner against the Seattle Storm in double overtime. — Pelton

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Kelsey Plum wins it for the Sparks at the buzzer

Kelsey Plum hits the game winner to lead the Sparks to victory over the Wings.

The leading MVP candidate for most of the season, Collier is the heartbeat of the Lynx, and her versatility, efficiency and ability to score from anywhere on the floor make her a prime candidate to take Minnesota’s last shot. She has a precedent of rising to the occasion, too, as evidenced by her leading all players in points, rebounds, steals and blocks during the 2024 WNBA playoffs. — Philippou

Ionescu isn’t the Liberty’s most efficient shooter, but as she has proved throughout her career, she knows how to meet the moment. Her ridiculous go-ahead 3 to win Game 3 of the 2024 Finals for New York will go down as one of the most clutch shots not just in franchise history but in WNBA lore. She also excels in high-pressure 3-point contests, most famously scoring an NBA- and WNBA-record 37 points at the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend. — Philippou

THIS SABRINA GAME-WINNER 🤯

The Liberty come back from 15 down to take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals! pic.twitter.com/b6zAhpP8PD

— NBA (@NBA) October 17, 2024

Few players thrive in the clutch like Thomas, who seems to flip a switch when it’s time to close a game. She shoots 77.3% from the field in these scenarios, the third-best mark among players who have competed in at least 10 clutch games this season. Whether it’s hitting a big-time shot or drawing a foul and knocking down free throws, Thomas executes and knows how to get points on the board. — Andrews

This scenario played out Sunday when the score was tied in the closing seconds at Washington. Seattle coach Noelle Quinn actually called a pick-and-roll with Ogwumike screening for Skylar Diggins in the hopes of getting Diggins going to the basket.

Instead, Diggins adjusted the play to have Ogwumike slip the screen, setting her up for a jumper that bounced in at the buzzer. The score was Ogwumike’s third career go-ahead shot in the final two seconds of regulation or overtime in the regular season, per ESPN Research, tied for second most in WNBA history. And Ogwumike hit one of the biggest shots in WNBA history to win the deciding Game 5 of the 2016 Finals. — Pelton

The No. 3 draft pick from April, Citron joins Bueckers as the only rookies to make this list. Citron was an All-Star in July and is leading the Mystics in scoring at 15.2 points per game. She is shooting 47.1% from the field and 42.4 % from 3. In clutch situations, she has scored 42 points, seventh best in the league this season. She has just a few months of pro experience, but she already performs like a dependable veteran. — Voepel