Before becoming the first to score a basket and free throw in WNBA history, Penny Toler took the DMV girls basketball scene to another level.
Born in Washington D.C. on March 24, 1966, Toler, the second youngest of eight siblings, learned the value of teamwork from an early age.
“We had a large family, and from that I learned how to care,” Toler said in a Swish Appeal interview. “My mom told me, ‘Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because you never know when you’re gonna need it.’”
She attended St. Anthony’s High School in Northeast D.C. and burst on the local basketball scene with such impressive skills, she gained national attention from recruiters and media.
The mercurial guard was named All-Met for three years and ultimately a Parade All-American.
Toler would go on to star at San Diego State and Long Beach State and spent the first eight years of her professional basketball career overseas before coming back to the United States for the inaugural WNBA season.
The native Washingtonian played for the L.A. Sparks from 1997-1999 and is only the second player to have her jersey retired for the franchise along with Lisa Leslie.
She also served as a vice president and general manager for the Sparks, before being fired in October 2019, after allegedly using heated language in the locker room after a semi-finals loss. She alleged she was wrongfully fired and settled with the team in 2022.
Toler continues to use her platform to empower women in sports, as one of the supporters and representatives for the company Football is Sexy, “where women talk and teach football,” founded by her friend Monica Madrid.