Sacramento Monarchs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sacramento Monarchs
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997
Dissolved	2009
History	Sacramento Monarchs 1997–2009
Arena	ARCO Arena
Location	Sacramento, California
Team colors	Purple, Red, White, Silver
Championships	1 (2005)
Conference titles	2 (2005, 2006)

The Sacramento Monarchs were a professional basketball team. They were based in Sacramento, California. The team played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). They were active from 1997 until November 20, 2009. Their home games were played at ARCO Arena.

The Monarchs were one of the WNBA's first eight teams. They were known for great players like Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton, and Yolanda Griffith. The Monarchs were the sister team to the Sacramento Kings NBA team. They were a very successful WNBA team. In 2005, the Monarchs won their first and only WNBA championship. This was a big win for Sacramento.

The Monarchs' Journey: Team History

How the Monarchs Started (1997–2003)

The Monarchs quickly made a name for themselves in the WNBA. They signed talented players early on. These players included Ticha Penicheiro from Portugal. Also, popular player Ruthie Bolton joined the team. Yolanda Griffith, a great scorer, was also a key player. All these players became WNBA All-Stars. The Monarchs usually made it to the playoffs. However, they often lost before reaching the WNBA Finals.

Becoming Champions (2004–2006)

In 2004, the Monarchs lost to the Seattle Storm. After this, they made big changes to their team. They brought in younger players. Coach John Whisenant focused on strong defense. Ruthie Bolton, an original player, became a free agent. The team decided not to keep her as a player. However, they offered her a job in their front office.

In 2005, the Monarchs made some trades. They got Nicole Powell, Olympia Scott-Richardson, and Erin Buescher. They also signed two players from China, Miao Lijie and Sui Feifei. In the 2005 WNBA Draft, they picked Kristin Haynie and Chelsea Newton.

These changes helped the Monarchs a lot. The team had its best season ever. They won 25 games and lost only 9. Coach Whisenant was named WNBA Coach of the Year. Nicole Powell won the WNBA Most Improved Player Award. The Monarchs finally beat their rivals, the Houston Comets and Los Angeles Sparks. They swept both teams in the playoffs. This led them to their first WNBA Finals appearance.

The Monarchs won their first WNBA Finals. They beat the Connecticut Sun three games to one. This brought Sacramento its first major sports championship. After winning, the Monarchs were the first women's team to be on a Wheaties box.

The Monarchs stayed strong in 2006. They finished second in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they swept Houston and Los Angeles again. They reached the Finals for the second year in a row. But this time, they lost to the Detroit Shock. The series went to five games, which was a first for the WNBA Finals.

Later Years and End of the Team (2007–2009)

In 2007, the Monarchs had another good season. But they lost in the playoffs to the San Antonio Stars. This ended their two-year run as Western Conference champions.

In 2008, the Monarchs were not as strong. But they still made the playoffs as the fourth seed. They faced the San Antonio Stars again. The Monarchs lost the first game at home. They then won Game 2 in San Antonio. This forced a deciding Game 3. In Game 3, the Stars started strong. They had a 14-point lead at one point. But the Monarchs fought back hard. They scored seven points in the last 90 seconds. This tied the game and sent it to overtime. However, the Silver Stars won in overtime, ending the Monarchs' season.

In 2009, the Monarchs had one of their worst seasons. Coach Jenny Boucek was replaced by John Whisenant. He was the coach who led them to their championship in 2005. The team finished last in the conference. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Why the Team Ended

On November 20, 2009, it was announced that the Maloof family would no longer own the Monarchs. The league tried to move the team to the San Francisco Bay area. But on December 8, 2009, no new owner was found. A special draft was held for the Monarchs' players. As of 2019, the Monarchs were the last WNBA team to stop playing.

Could the Monarchs Come Back?

In 2009, there were talks about moving the Monarchs to Oakland. But this never happened. The current owners of the Sacramento Kings want to bring the Monarchs back. They would share the new Golden 1 Center arena. Former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson also wants the team to return.

Team Records: Season by Season

Players and Coaches Who Shaped the Team

The Final Roster: Who Played in 2009?

Sacramento Monarchs roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From C 32 Brunson, Rebekkah 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Georgetown C 15 Harper, Laura 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Maryland PG 4 Haynie, Kristin 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) 147 lb (67 kg) Michigan State PG 20 Lawson, Kara 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Tennessee PF 9 Maïga-Ba, Hamchétou 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Old Dominion SG 2 Newton, Chelsea 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 154 lb (70 kg) Rutgers C 3 Paris, Courtney 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Oklahoma SG 21 Penicheiro, Ticha 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 145 lb (66 kg) Old Dominion PF 14 Powell, Nicole 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Stanford SF 5 Robinson, Scholanda 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) LSU PF 22 Walker, DeMya 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Virginia	Head coach John Whisenant (New Mexico State) Assistant coaches Tom Abatemarco (Dowling College) Monique Ambers (Arizona State) Athletic trainer Jill Jackson (Sacramento State) Strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Duba (Connecticut) Legend (C) Team captain (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured

Who Were the Head Coaches?

• Mary Murphy (1997)
• Heidi VanDerveer (1997–1998)
• Sonny Allen (1999–2001)
• Maura McHugh (2001–2003)
• John Whisenant (2003–2006, 2009)
• Jenny Boucek (2007–2009)

Who Were the General Managers?

• Jerry Reynolds (1997-2003)
• John Whisenant (2003–09)

Monarchs in the Hall of Fame

Some Monarchs players were so good, they made it into the Hall of Fame!

• Bridgette Gordon
• Ruthie Bolton
• Ticha Penicheiro
• Yolanda Griffith

Retired Jersey Numbers

Teams sometimes retire jersey numbers to honor special players. This means no one else on the team will wear that number again.

¹ The Monarchs' first General Manager, Jerry Reynolds, had a special "GM" jersey retired. It was hung in the ARCO Arena in 2004.

Other Famous Monarchs Players

Many other great players played for the Sacramento Monarchs:

• Chantelle Anderson
• Cass Bauer-Bilodeau
• Cindy Blodgett
• Rebekkah Brunson
• Erin Buescher
• Latasha Byears
• Edna Campbell
• Bridgette Gordon
• Lady Grooms
• Yolanda Griffith
• Kristin Haynie
• Kedra Holland-Corn
• Kara Lawson
• Hamchetou Maiga-Ba
• Pamela McGee
• Courtney Paris
• Ticha Penicheiro
• Nicole Powell
• Scholanda Robinson
• Laure Savasta
• Olympia Scott-Richardson
• Tangela Smith
• Kate Starbird
• Katy Steding
• Chantel Tremitiere
• DeMya Walker
• Kara Wolters
• Adrian Williams-Strong

Monarchs All-Stars Through the Years

Players chosen for the All-Star game are considered among the best in the league.

• 1999: Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, Yolanda Griffith
• 2000: Ticha Penicheiro, Yolanda Griffith
• 2001: Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, Yolanda Griffith
• 2002: Ticha Penicheiro
• 2003: Yolanda Griffith
• 2004: No Monarchs All-Stars, but Yolanda Griffith was on the USA Olympic Team.
• 2005: Yolanda Griffith, DeMya Walker
• 2006: Yolanda Griffith
• 2007: Yolanda Griffith, Kara Lawson, Rebekkah Brunson
• 2008: No All-Star Game was held this year.
• 2009: Nicole Powell

Images for kids

• 

  The logo of the Sacramento Monarchs.

See also

In Spanish: Sacramento Monarchs para niños