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WNBA Finals

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WNBA Finals
StatusActive
GenreSporting event
FrequencyAnnual
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1997 (1997)
SponsorYouTube TV (2018–present)
Most titlesHouston Comets
Minnesota Lynx
Seattle Storm
(4 titles each)

The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002.

The series is played between the winners of the playoff semifinals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winner of the WNBA Finals is presented the championship trophy. The WNBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every WNBA season in history, the first being held in 1997.

Since 2005, the winner of the WNBA Finals has been determined through a 2–2–1 format. The first, second, and fifth games of the series are played at the arena of the team who earned home court advantage by having the better record during the regular season. Beginning in 2025, the Finals will switch to a best-of-seven series with a 2–2–1–1–1 format similar to that of the NBA Finals.

History

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WNBA Finals logo used until 2018.

The WNBA's playoff format has changed several times in the league's history. In 1997, a single championship game was held to decide the champion. In 1998, after the addition of two teams, the WNBA finals were turned into a best-of-three series. The finale series was known as the WNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001, before changing to WNBA Finals to reflect its NBA counterpart. In 2005, the WNBA Finals adopted a best-of-five format. In 2016, the WNBA began seeding teams #1 through #8 regardless of conference making it possible for two Eastern Conference or two Western Conference teams to meet in the Finals. In 2025, the WNBA Finals will become a best-of-seven series and a homecourt system of 2–2–1–1–1 similar to the NBA Finals, where the team with homecourt advantage hosts games 1 and 2, and if necessary, games 5 and 7.[1]

Map of champions

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WNBA Finals is located in the United States
Aces
Aces
Mystics
Mystics
Sky
Sky
Comets*
Comets*
Shock*
Shock*
Fever
Fever
Liberty
Liberty
Lynx
Lynx
Storm
Storm
Sparks
Sparks
Mercury
Mercury
Monarchs*
Monarchs*
Location of WNBA Champions # titles: 1-white 2-blue 3-green 4-yellow *denotes defunct

Results

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Year Winner Result Runner-up Finals MVP TV
1997 Houston Comets[a] 1–0 New York Liberty Cynthia Cooper NBC
1998 Houston Comets[b] 2–1 Phoenix Mercury Cynthia Cooper Game 1 and 3: ESPN
Game 2: NBC
1999 Houston Comets 2–1 New York Liberty Cynthia Cooper Game 1: Lifetime
Game 2 and 3: NBC
2000 Houston Comets 2–0 New York Liberty Cynthia Cooper Game 1: Lifetime
Game 2: NBC
2001 Los Angeles Sparks 2–0 Charlotte Sting Lisa Leslie Game 1: ESPN
Game 2: NBC
2002 Los Angeles Sparks 2–0 New York Liberty Lisa Leslie Game 1: ESPN
Game 2: NBC
2003 Detroit Shock 2–1 Los Angeles Sparks Ruth Riley ESPN2
2004 Seattle Storm 2–1 Connecticut Sun Betty Lennox
2005 Sacramento Monarchs 3–1 Connecticut Sun Yolanda Griffith Game 1, 2 and 4: ESPN2
Game 3: ABC
2006 Detroit Shock 3–2 Sacramento Monarchs Deanna Nolan ESPN2
2007 Phoenix Mercury 3–2 Detroit Shock Cappie Pondexter
2008 Detroit Shock 3–0 San Antonio Silver Stars Katie Smith
2009 Phoenix Mercury 3–2 Indiana Fever Diana Taurasi
2010 Seattle Storm 3–0 Atlanta Dream Lauren Jackson Game 1: ABC
Game 2 and 3: ESPN2
2011 Minnesota Lynx 3–0 Atlanta Dream Seimone Augustus Game 1: ESPN
Game 2 and 3: ESPN2
2012 Indiana Fever 3–1 Minnesota Lynx Tamika Catchings Game 1, 3 and 4: ESPN2
Game 2: ESPN
2013 Minnesota Lynx 3–0 Atlanta Dream Maya Moore Game 1: ESPN
Game 2 and 3: ESPN2
2014 Phoenix Mercury 3–0 Chicago Sky Diana Taurasi Game 1: ABC
Game 2: ESPN
Game 3: ESPN2
2015 Minnesota Lynx 3–2 Indiana Fever Sylvia Fowles Game 1: ABC
Game 2, 3 and 5: ESPN2
Game 4: ESPN
2016 Los Angeles Sparks[c] 3–2 Minnesota Lynx Candace Parker Game 1: ABC
Game 2, 4 and 5: ESPN
Game 3: ESPN2
2017 Minnesota Lynx[d] 3–2 Los Angeles Sparks Sylvia Fowles Game 1: ABC
Game 2 and 3: ESPN2
Game 4 and 5: ESPN
2018 Seattle Storm 3–0 Washington Mystics Breanna Stewart Game 1: ESPNews
Game 2: ABC
Game 3: ESPN2
2019 Washington Mystics[e] 3–2 Connecticut Sun Emma Meesseman Game 1 and 2: ESPN
Game 3: ABC
Game 4 and 5: ESPN2
2020 Seattle Storm[f] 3–0 Las Vegas Aces Breanna Stewart Game 1: ESPN2
Game 2: ABC
Game 3: ESPN
2021 Chicago Sky 3–1 Phoenix Mercury Kahleah Copper Game 1: ABC
Game 2 and 4: ESPN
Game 3: ESPN2
2022 Las Vegas Aces 3–1 Connecticut Sun Chelsea Gray Game 1: ABC
Game 2–4: ESPN
2023 Las Vegas Aces 3–1 New York Liberty A'ja Wilson Game 1 and 3: ABC
Game 2 and 4: ESPN
2024 New York Liberty 3–2 Minnesota Lynx Jonquel Jones Games 1, 3–5: ESPN
Game 2: ABC
  1. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 1997, two Eastern Conference teams met in the championship game
  2. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 1998, two Western Conference teams met in the championship series
  3. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 2016, two Western Conference teams met in the Finals.
  4. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 2017, two Western Conference teams met in the Finals.
  5. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 2019, two Eastern Conference teams met in the Finals.
  6. ^ Due to the WNBA's playoff structure in 2020, two Western Conference teams met in the Finals.

Highlights

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  • In 2001, the #4 seed Charlotte Sting were the lowest seed to make the WNBA Finals in the conference playoff format.
  • The 2003 Finals was best known for rekindling a heated rivalry between the two teams' head coaches, Los Angeles Sparks head coach Michael Cooper and Detroit Shock head coach Bill Laimbeer. Both coaches were fierce NBA competitors who played in the NBA Finals against each other in 1988 and 1989.
  • 2006 marked the first time that a #1 seed did not participate in the WNBA Finals. Detroit and Sacramento were both #2 seeds.
  • The New York Liberty have the most Finals appearances (5) before winning their first championship (2024).
  • The Las Vegas Aces are the seventh team to win multiple championships (following Houston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, and Minnesota, respectively).
  • 2006 marked the first time that the team with the best point-differential in the regular-season did not win the WNBA Finals or even advance to the WNBA Finals. The Connecticut Sun had the best point differential in '06 but were ousted by the Shock in the Eastern Conference Finals.
  • The Detroit Shock hosted the three largest crowds in Finals History (22,076 in Game 3 of 2003 WNBA Finals, 19,671 in Game 5 of 2006 WNBA Finals and 22,076 in Game 5 of the 2007 WNBA Finals)
  • The 2007 game-five win by the Phoenix Mercury marked the first time in WNBA history that a team won the Finals while playing on their opponent's home court.
  • In 2008 the San Antonio Silver Stars became the first team in the history of the WNBA Finals to be swept in a five-game series, losing to the Detroit Shock.
  • The 2009 Finals series saw around a 60% increase in viewership from the previous season's series.
  • The 2011 WNBA Finals was the first coached by two women.
  • In 2014, the Chicago Sky became the first team to appear in the WNBA Finals with a sub-.500 record.
  • In 2016, the Los Angeles Sparks won by one point despite a later announcement by the WNBA that officials missed an earlier shot-clock violation at 1:14, which should not have counted.[2]
  • In 2021, the #6 seed Chicago Sky were the lowest seed to make the WNBA Finals in the current playoff format.

Finals appearances

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The Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx, and Seattle Storm hold the distinction of having won the most championships with four titles each. The New York Liberty have lost the most championships with five. The Lynx have the most appearances in the championships with seven (including 2024). Highlighted teams have folded and can no longer reach the WNBA Finals.

Statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual game wins and losses.

Teams Win Loss Total Win % Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Minnesota Lynx 4 3 7 .571 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 2012, 2016, 2024
Houston Comets [a] 4 0 4 1.000 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 -
Seattle Storm 4 0 4 1.000 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020 -
Los Angeles Sparks 3 2 5 .600 2001, 2002, 2016 2003, 2017
Phoenix Mercury 3 2 5 .600 2007, 2009, 2014 1998, 2021
Detroit Shock [b] 3 1 4 .750 2003, 2006, 2008 2007
Las Vegas Aces [c] 2 2 4 .500 2022, 2023 2008, 2020
New York Liberty 1 5 6 .167 2024 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2023
Indiana Fever 1 2 3 .333 2012 2009, 2015
Sacramento Monarchs [d] 1 1 2 .500 2005 2006
Washington Mystics 1 1 2 .500 2019 2018
Chicago Sky 1 1 2 .500 2021 2014
Connecticut Sun 0 4 4 .000 - 2004, 2005, 2019, 2022
Atlanta Dream 0 3 3 .000 - 2010, 2011, 2013
Charlotte Sting [e] 0 1 1 .000 - 2001
  1. ^ disbanded in December 2008
  2. ^ now known as Dallas Wings
  3. ^ previously known as San Antonio Silver Stars (2003–2013) and San Antonio Stars (2014–2017)
  4. ^ folded on November 20, 2009
  5. ^ folded on January 3, 2007

Former teams that had no WNBA Finals appearances:

Records

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This table shows a list of records through the history of the WNBA Finals.

Finals records
Milestone Player Team Date Statistic
Points, individual Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream October 5, 2011 38 points
Rebounds, individual Sylvia Fowles Minnesota Lynx October 4, 2017 20 rebounds
Assists, individual Sue Bird Seattle Storm October 2, 2020 16 assists
Steals, individual Breanna Stewart New York Liberty October 13, 2024 7 steals
Blocks, individual Brittney Griner Phoenix Mercury September 7, 2014 8 blocks
Points, team N/A Phoenix Mercury September 29, 2009 120 points vs. Indiana (OT)
Rebounds, team N/A Detroit Shock September 8, 2007 50 rebounds vs. Phoenix
Assists, team N/A Seattle Storm October 4, 2020 33 assists vs. Las Vegas
Steals, team N/A Connecticut Sun October 8, 2004 15 steals vs. Seattle
Blocks, team N/A Minnesota Lynx October 2, 2011 11 blocks vs. Atlanta
Career wins, coach Van Chancellor
Cheryl Reeve
Houston Comets
Minnesota Lynx
1997-2000
2011-2017
4 wins
Margin of victory N/A Seattle Storm October 6, 2020 33-point win (92-59)
over Las Vegas
Attendance, one game N/A Detroit Shock September 16, 2003
September 16, 2007
22,076

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV Expand to Best-of-Seven Format Beginning in 2025". www.wnba.com. 2024-10-10. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  2. ^ WNBA Ogwunikes' shot should not have counted October 21, 2016
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