WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals are 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. Starting 2016 Verizon is the official sponsor.

WNBA Finals logo

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.

History
Further information: WNBA Playoffs

The WNBA's playoff format has changed several times in the league's history. From 1997 to 1998, 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 games series. The finale series was known as the WNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001, before changing to reflect its NBA counterpart. In 2005, the WNBA Finals adopted a best-of-five format. In 2016, the WNBA changed to its current playoff format 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.

Year Winner Result Runner-up Finals MVP
1997Houston Comets[lower-alpha 1]1–0New York LibertyCynthia Cooper
1998Houston Comets2–1Phoenix Mercury[lower-alpha 2]Cynthia Cooper
1999Houston Comets2–1New York LibertyCynthia Cooper
2000Houston Comets2–0New York LibertyCynthia Cooper
2001Los Angeles Sparks2–0Charlotte StingLisa Leslie
2002Los Angeles Sparks2–0New York LibertyLisa Leslie
2003Detroit Shock2–1Los Angeles SparksRuth Riley
2004Seattle Storm2–1Connecticut SunBetty Lennox
2005Sacramento Monarchs3–1Connecticut SunYolanda Griffith
2006Detroit Shock 3–2Sacramento MonarchsDeanna Nolan
2007Phoenix Mercury3–2Detroit ShockCappie Pondexter
2008Detroit Shock3–0San Antonio Silver StarsKatie Smith
2009Phoenix Mercury3–2Indiana FeverDiana Taurasi
2010Seattle Storm3–0Atlanta DreamLauren Jackson
2011Minnesota Lynx3–0Atlanta DreamSeimone Augustus
2012Indiana Fever3–1Minnesota LynxTamika Catchings
2013Minnesota Lynx3–0Atlanta DreamMaya Moore
2014Phoenix Mercury3–0Chicago SkyDiana Taurasi
2015Minnesota Lynx3–2Indiana FeverSylvia Fowles
2016Los Angeles Sparks[lower-alpha 3]3–2Minnesota LynxCandace Parker
2017Minnesota Lynx[lower-alpha 4]3–2Los Angeles SparksSylvia Fowles
2018Seattle Storm3–0Washington MysticsBreanna Stewart
2019Washington Mystics[lower-alpha 5]3–2Connecticut SunEmma Meesseman
2020Seattle Storm[lower-alpha 6]3–0Las Vegas AcesBreanna Stewart
  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
  • In 2001, the #4 seed Charlotte Sting was the lowest seed to make the WNBA Finals.
  • 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 former 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 (4) without winning a championship.
  • The Minnesota Lynx are the 6th team to win multiple championships (following Houston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Phoenix and Seattle, 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 was 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)
  • Only four Eastern Conference franchises have won the WNBA Finals: the 1997 Houston Comets (who moved to the Western Conference the following year); the Detroit Shock (who are now in the Western Conference first as Tulsa, now as Dallas), the Indiana Fever in 2012, and the Washington Mystics in 2019.
  • 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.[1]

Finals appearances

Statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual game wins and losses. Teams in red have folded and can no longer reach the WNBA Finals.

FinalsTeamWinsLossesPct.Years WonYears Lost
6Minnesota Lynx42.6672011, 2013, 2015, 20172012, 2016
5Los Angeles Sparks32.6002001, 2002, 20162003, 2017
4Houston Comets 2401.0001997, 1998, 1999, 2000
4Detroit Shock 331.7502003, 2006, 20082007
4Phoenix Mercury31.7502007, 2009, 20141998
4New York Liberty04.0001997, 1999, 2000, 2002
4Seattle Storm401.0002004, 2010, 2018, 2020
3Indiana Fever12.33320122009, 2015
3Atlanta Dream03.0002010, 2011, 2013
3Connecticut Sun03.0002004, 2005, 2019
2Sacramento Monarchs 411.50020052006
2Washington Mystics11.50020192018
2Las Vegas Aces502.0002008, 2020
1Charlotte Sting 101.0002001
1Chicago Sky01.0002014

Records

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

Finals records
Milestone Player Team Date Information
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 Kristin Haynie Sacramento Monarchs August 30, 2006 5 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

References
  1. WNBA Ogwunikes' shot should not have counted October 21, 2016
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