1997 WNBA Season
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The 1997 WNBA Season was the Women's National Basketball Association's first in existence. It started off with 8 franchises: Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and the Utah Starzz. It featured an inaugural game between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks. The Liberty won 67-57. The season ended with the Comets defeating the Liberty in a one game series 65-51. Cynthia Cooper was named MVP of the game.
Contents |
[edit] Regular Season Standings
| Team | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Comets | 18 | 10 | .643 | - |
| New York Liberty | 17 | 11 | .607 | 1 |
| Phoenix Mercury | 16 | 12 | .571 | 2 |
| Charlotte Sting | 15 | 13 | .536 | 3 |
| Cleveland Rockers | 15 | 13 | .536 | 3 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 14 | 14 | .500 | 4 |
| Sacramento Monarchs | 10 | 18 | .357 | 8 |
| Utah Starzz | 7 | 21 | .250 | 11 |
[edit] Regular Season Awards
Season MVP- Cynthia Cooper
Coach Of The Year- Van Chancellor
Defensive Player of the Year- Teresa Weatherspoon
Sportmanship Award- Haixia Zheng
[edit] Media Coverage
[edit] Other Years
- For more details on this topic, see WNBA Finals.
| Season | Winner | Series | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Houston Comets | 1-0 | New York Liberty |
| 1998 | Houston Comets | 2-1 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 1999 | Houston Comets | 2-1 | New York Liberty |
| 2000 | Houston Comets | 2-0 | New York Liberty |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Sparks | 2-0 | Charlotte Sting |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Sparks | 2-0 | New York Liberty |
| 2003 | Detroit Shock | 2-1 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2004 | Seattle Storm | 2-1 | Connecticut Sun |
| 2005 | Sacramento Monarchs | 3-1 | Connecticut Sun |
| 2006 | Detroit Shock | 3-2 | Sacramento Monarchs |
| Preceded by 1997 was inaugural season |
WNBA seasons 1997 |
Succeeded by 1998 WNBA season |
