WNBA Finals facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WNBA Finals |
|
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Sporting event |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1997 |
| Sponsor | YouTube TV (2018–present) |
| Most titles | Houston Comets Minnesota Lynx Seattle Storm (4 titles each) |
The WNBA Finals is the exciting championship series for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). It's the final part of the league's postseason, happening every fall. Before 2002, this series was called the WNBA Championship.
The Finals are played between the two teams that win their playoff semifinal games. After the championship round, the winning team gets a special trophy. The WNBA Finals have been held at the end of every WNBA season since the league started in 1997.
Since 2005, the winner of the WNBA Finals has been decided in a "best-of-five" series. This means a team needs to win three games to become champion. The first, second, and fifth games are played at the home arena of the team that had a better record during the regular season. As of 2025, the Finals are now a best-of-seven series. This means a team needs to win four games. The home court system for this series is 2–2–1–1–1.
Contents
History of the Finals
The way the WNBA playoffs work has changed a few times over the years. In 1997, the champion was decided by just one game. In 1998, after more teams joined, the WNBA Finals became a "best-of-three" series. This meant a team had to win two games to be champion.
The championship series was known as the WNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001. Then, it changed to WNBA Finals to be more like the NBA's championship, the NBA Finals. In 2005, the WNBA Finals changed again to a "best-of-five" format.
In 2016, the WNBA started ranking teams from #1 to #8 for the playoffs, no matter which conference they were in. This made it possible for two teams from the same conference to play in the Finals. As of 2025, the WNBA Finals are a "best-of-seven" series. The team with the home court advantage hosts games 1 and 2, and if needed, games 5 and 7.
Map of Champions
Finals Results by Year
| Year | Winner | Result | Runner-up | Finals MVP | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Houston Comets | 1–0 | New York Liberty | Cynthia Cooper | NBC |
| 1998 | Houston Comets | 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 | 3–2 | Minnesota Lynx | Candace Parker | Game 1: ABC Game 2, 4 and 5: ESPN Game 3: ESPN2 |
| 2017 | Minnesota Lynx | 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 | 3–2 | Connecticut Sun | Emma Meesseman | Game 1 and 2: ESPN Game 3: ABC Game 4 and 5: ESPN2 |
| 2020 | Seattle Storm | 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 |
Memorable Moments and Facts
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- In 2001, the Charlotte Sting were the lowest-ranked team (seed #4) to reach the WNBA Finals in the old playoff system.
- The 2003 WNBA Finals was famous for the rivalry between the coaches. Michael Cooper of the Los Angeles Sparks and Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Shock had played against each other in the NBA Finals in 1988 and 1989.
- In 2006, for the first time, the top-ranked team (seed #1) did not make it to the WNBA Finals. Both Detroit and Sacramento were #2 seeds.
- The Detroit Shock hosted the largest crowd in Finals history. They had 22,076 fans in Game 3 of the 2003 Finals and Game 5 of the 2007 Finals.
- The Phoenix Mercury's win in Game 5 of 2007 was a first. It was the first time a team won the Finals while playing on their opponent's home court.
- In 2008, the San Antonio Silver Stars were the first team to be "swept" (lose all games) in a five-game series. They lost to the Detroit Shock.
- The 2011 WNBA Finals was special because it was the first time two women coaches led their teams in the Finals.
- In 2014, the Chicago Sky became the first team to play in the WNBA Finals with a losing record (more losses than wins) during the regular season.
- In 2016, the Los Angeles Sparks won by just one point. Later, the WNBA announced that officials missed a shot-clock violation.
- In 2021, the Chicago Sky, ranked #6, became the lowest-ranked team to reach the WNBA Finals under the current playoff system.
- The New York Liberty have lost the most championships (5 times) before finally winning their first one in 2024.
Team Appearances in the Finals
The Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx, and Seattle Storm have each won the most championships, with four titles. The New York Liberty have played in the Finals the most times, with seven appearances, including 2024. They have lost five of those. Teams highlighted in light red have stopped playing and can no longer reach the WNBA Finals.
The numbers below show how many times teams have won or lost the entire series, not individual games.
| 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 | 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 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .750 | 2003, 2006, 2008 | 2007 |
| Las Vegas Aces | 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 | 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 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | - | 2001 |
Teams That Didn't Make the Finals
Some teams played in the WNBA but never made it to the Finals:
- Cleveland Rockers (1997–2003)
- Miami Sol (2000–2002)
- Portland Fire (2000–2002)
Finals Records
This table shows some of the top records from 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
In Spanish: Finales de la WNBA para niños
- WNBA playoffs
- List of WNBA seasons
- WNBA Coach of the Year
- WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player
- WNBA Most Valuable Player
- WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
- WNBA Most Improved Player
- WNBA Rookie of the Year
- Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
