document_title: Zelena (Once Upon a Time)

question_text: whos the green witch in once upon a time

text: Zelena (Once Upon a Time)

text: Casting[edit]

text: In December 2013, Rebecca Mader was cast as the Wicked Witch of the West, to serve as the new antagonist for the second half of the third season of Once Upon a Time.[6] She made multiple appearances during the second half of season four and was promoted to a series regular for the show's fifth season.[7] The role of the Wicked Witch of the West was written specifically for Rebecca Mader.[8] It was announced that the writers had chosen not to continue with Zelena's storyline and Mader would not be returning for the seventh season of the show.[9] However, Mader later revealed that she would be returning for multiple season seven episodes.

text: Development[edit]

text: Characterization[edit]

text: Zelena (which means "green" in some Slavic languages) is a vile woman with a soft spot for flying monkeys. Born to Cora in the Enchanted Forest, Zelena spent her life in Oz after being abandoned by Cora when she was a baby. After finding out about her sister, Zelena becomes envious of her sister's privileged life and literally turns green with envy. Like her mother and half-sister, Zelena was trained in magic by Rumplestiltskin, but the Dark One realized that Zelena was too emotionally unstable to be controlled, and abandoned her in favor of Regina.

text: Zelena has white skin, red hair and blue eyes. Her envy for her sister and Dorothy turned her skin green. Like the other characters in the series, Zelena remained ageless for twenty-eight years until the first Dark Curse was broken. In the episode "Our Decay", her birthday was revealed to be the fifteenth of April.

text: Relationships[edit]

text: When Zelena traveled to the Enchanted Forest for the first time, she fell in love with Rumplestiltskin but she was not matched and when she returned to Oz and took control of the Emerald City she has a brief love affair with the Lord of the Underworld, Hades.

text: Rivalries and friendships[edit]

text: Zelena is known for her rivalries with her half-sister Regina and Dorothy Gale. Zelena spent much of her life trying to create a Time Travel spell in order to take the place of her half sister. After Emma, Killian and Zelena went through the Time Travel portal, Zelena took the place of the deceased ex-wife of Robin Hood to ruin the life of her half sister. Zelena hates Dorothy because according to an ancient prophecy of Oz, Dorothy is the only one who could stop her. After leaving Oz to realize her revenge against her half-sister, Zelena was banished back to Oz years later by Regina. As soon as she arrived in Oz, Zelena took the Emerald City again and put Dorothy under a Sleeping Curse in order to steal the silver slippers and return to Storybrooke. Later Dorothy's Sleeping Curse was broken by Ruby/Red Riding Hood's true love kiss. After having a daughter and remembering her brief friendship with Regina as children, Zelena seeks a relationship with her half sister; the two of them decide to put the past behind them and get along fairly well now. This is proven as Regina appears distraught to learn Zelena ended up stuck in the Land of Untold Stories. Their relationship becomes more inconsistent throughout season 6 as Regina repeatedly blames Zelena for Robin Hood's demise at the hand of Hades, Zelena's love interest. By the end of season 6, Zelena and Regina's relationship improves as observed during Emma and Killian's wedding.

text: History[edit]

text: Early life[edit]

text: Clinging to her dream to being more than a miller's daughter, Cora abandons her child in the woods, where a passing cyclone whisks the babe to Oz. Whilst walking along the yellow brick road, a woodcutter and his wife witness a cyclone and a small baby fall through it. The woman wishes to raise the baby as their own but her husband is more skeptical after seeing the baby move a tree with just a wave of her hand. After much persistence, the wife manages to persuade her husband to take in the baby and they decide to call her Zelena. ("It's Not Easy Being Green", "Bleeding Through")

text: Sometime during her childhood, Zelena's adoptive mother dies. During her time as a teenager, Zelena, who by now is discovering her powers was about to be punished by her father, but is saved by Cora, and is brought to the Enchanted Forest to help save Regina after she tampered with a wand that left her unconscious. Zelena then saved Regina and the two become bonded but when Cora tells them that they're sisters, Cora erased their memories of having met each other because her presence could alter Regina's future as the Queen. Zelena is sent back to Oz with her memories of meeting her mother and Regina wiped. ("Sisters")

text: Time passes as Zelena grows into an adult. Zelena is reduced to helping her father and shaving her father. During one shave, she accidentally cuts him and uses magic to produce a cloth. This angers the woodcutter who declares that she is wicked and that he only looked after her because Zelena's 'mother' wanted the girl. He then reveals that Zelena is actually adopted to which she responds by walking out on him and going to ask the Wizard of Oz for help. Arriving at the Wizard's palace, she explains her situation to the great Wizard. She discovers that her birth mother was Cora and that Zelena was originally from the Enchanted Forest. At Zelena's request to visit this world, the Wizard supplies her with silver slippers that allows the wearer to visit any location so Zelena could find out more about her birth family. After meeting Rumplestiltskin, Zelena learns how to use her magic but also discovers that her younger sister, Regina is being taught magic and that she will cast a curse for Rumplestiltskin. Jealous, Zelena discovers that she isn't allowed to cast the curse so returns to Oz before Rumplestiltskin can get her silver slippers. Zelena goes to visit the Wizard so he could help her change the past. The Wizard refuses to help which only angers Zelena more. The young witch removes the Wizard's curtain and discovers that he is just a mortal named Walsh. She transforms him into an obedient flying monkey, before spying on Rumplestiltskin telling Regina that she is his greatest student. This causes Zelena to be jealous of her younger sister and her skin turns green with envy. ("It's Not Easy Being Green")

text: Shortly after, Glinda, the Witch of the South, recruits Zelena into a sisterhood of witches. Along with the Witch of the East and the Witch of the North, the trio believe Zelena is destined to join them because of a prophecy foretelling of a sorceress arriving by cyclone and becoming the Witch of the West. Zelena is still obsessed about changing her past, but with Glinda's encouragement, she decides her own future as a good witch is more important. After receiving a pendant to harness her powers, Zelena views the western area of Oz, which she will be responsible for watching over. She and Glinda approach the wreckage from a cyclone to rescue a young girl named Dorothy. Fearing this child, who also arrived by cyclone, is the actual Witch of the West, Zelena researches the prophecy in the Book of Records, discovering that the sorceress will "unseat the greatest evil the realm has ever seen", which she believes is herself. Even with Glinda's advisement that her fears may be not true, Zelena plots to get rid of Dorothy by attacking the girl with fire. However, Dorothy counters her assailant with water, causing Zelena to physically melt away. Despite being seemingly dead, Zelena reemerges at the Wizard's Emerald City palace. Glinda offers Dorothy the opportunity to join the sisterhood, but she declines since she only wants to go home. Assuming the Wizard's voice, Zelena sends Dorothy back to Kansas with the silver slippers, and then reveals herself to a shocked Glinda. Zelena reaffirms her goal of changing her own past, and to keep Glinda from finding another sorceress to fulfill the prophecy, she banishes the Witch of the South to the Enchanted Forest. ("Kansas")

text: With the Wizard under her control and Glinda trapped in the Enchanted Forest, Zelena takes dominion over the Emerald City and its guards. Zelena had one of her flying monkeys bring Scarecrow to her so that she can take his brain for her first attempt at a time-traveling spell. When Dorothy returns, she and Toto free Scarecrow and escape from Zelena. With help from Hades, Zelena finds where they are hiding. Zelena then uses her magic to magically freeze Dorothy and then rips out Scarecrow's brain, leaving him without a brain. Before she can show Hades, Zelena noticed that Hades was not there. ("Heart of Gold")

text: Intending to prove that Cora deserted the wrong daughter, she moves forward with creating a time travel spell, by getting the Scarecrow's brain. Before she can, Dorothy storms the palace to stop her. While Zelena prepares to finish her with a fireball, Dorothy's dog Toto wanders the room without her noticing. Zelena tosses the fireball at Dorothy, who ducks, with the flame incinerating a guard instead. Toto then pulls at a wall string, making the curtains topple onto Zelena, giving Dorothy time to flee with her dog and the Scarecrow. Blaming the munchkins for Dorothy's return, she tries to intimidate them into giving up the girl's hiding spot, but the munchkins scatter after being frightened by Hades' flaming hair. Hades thanks her for providing him with many souls in the Underworld and later offers to help her find the Scarecrow. Sympathetic to her plight, Hades explains that, he too, has to compete with an older sibling who has everything he wants. Leading her to an area where Dorothy landed in Oz years ago, he persuades Zelena into riding Dorothy's old bicycle with him, until they crash onto the ground, both giddy with laughter. After Zelena puts a tracking spell on the bike, she and Hades find Dorothy at a cottage. When Hades flirts with her, Zelena leans in to kiss him, but the romantic moment is cut short once they spot the Scarecrow. Confronting Dorothy, Zelena works quickly to extract the Scarecrow's brain, but she finds Hades gone. She returns to the palace, where Hades has prepared a celebratory banquet for her. Hades professes that he wants to be with Zelena, and his belief that a kiss of true love between them can restart his non-beating heart. Zelena rejects him, suspecting he wants the time spell for himself, since only one of them can use it. Believing no one can love her, she reasons that if he does love her, he won't stand in the way of her revenge. With a tone of finality, she sends him away, warning him to never show his face again. ("Our Decay")

text: One day, a thief known as Robin of Locksley travels to Oz to acquire a potion called the Elixir of the Wounded Heart. He meets a young man named Will Scarlet, who helps him break into the Wicked Witch's palace. Zelena catches Robin, who narrowly escapes with some of the elixir. However, rather than taking it with him, Robin chooses to give the elixir to Will Scarlet. ("Heart of Gold")

text: Season 3[edit]

text: After the first Dark Curse was broken, Zelena took control of large swathes of the Enchanted Forest in preparation for Regina's eventual return. Although Snow White is the one who enacted the second Dark Curse to take the people of the Enchanted Forest back into Storybrooke, Zelena is able to hijack it and be the one to retain her memory and become the town's manipulator. After being confronted by the heroes, Zelena has a showdown with Regina and loses to her half-sister's new light magic, leading to Zelena's arrest. Later, while in a cell, Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold stabs her and is led to believe that he killed her. ("New York City Serenade"), ("Witch Hunt"), ("The Tower"), ("Quiet Minds"), ("It's Not Easy Being Green"), ("The Jolly Roger"), ("Bleeding Through"), ("A Curious Thing"), ("Kansas")

text: Instead, Zelena travels the time portal with Emma and Hook to change the past, where she takes the opportunity to kill Robin's wife, Marian, and takes her place instead using magic to conceal her true identity. At some point after turning into Marian, Zelena uses magic to learn everything she can about her.[10]

text: Season 4[edit]

text: Zelena's true identity is finally revealed while living with Robin and Roland in New York after she becomes pregnant with Robin's child. She travels back to Storybrooke with Regina, Lily, Robin and Emma. Zelena is locked in a cell beneath the hospital until her child is born. ("Snow Drifts"), ("There's No Place Like Home"), ("A Tale of Two Sisters"), ("Rocky Road"), ("Heroes and Villains"), ("Heart of Gold"), ("Lily"), ("Mother"), ("Operation Mongoose")

text: Season 5[edit]

text: Zelena is mistakenly freed from her cell by Hook. She kidnaps Robin Hood, the Apprentice's Wand being ransom. She states that she wishes to transport her and her baby back to Oz so she will be free from Regina. As she conjures a tornado, the spell fizzles, but carries on. This distracted Zelena long enough for Regina to put a magical binding cuff to her sister's wrist. Zelena travels with the heroes to Camelot in search of Emma, after becoming the Dark One. She is told to pretend to be Regina's mute handmaiden (Regina having taken her voice). In Camelot, Zelena is threatened by Regina that her baby will be taken by Regina once it has been born. She takes this as a strategy to kidnap Snow/Mary Margaret as the rest of the group tries to sneak into Camelot (having been thrown out) and regains her magic with King Arthur's help. She enchants the main hilt of Excalibur to bind Merlin's soul, allowing its holder to control him. Zelena, Arthur and Merlin hold Emma's friends captive with the Protheum flame and the Dark One Dagger as ransom. Before she can do anything, she is tricked by Emma and tied by magic around a tree. After a battle between Merlin and Emma, Zelena transports herself and Arthur back to Camelot. Arthur and her plan to take a magical helm from the kingdom of DunBroch. After many failed attempts to reach the helm, including a battle between Arthur, Zelena and Red, Mulan and Mérida, she transports herself back to Camelot, where Emma casts the Dark Curse, ripping everyone back to Storybrooke without their memories of ever stepping foot in Camelot. Zelena awakens in Granny's Diner and is almost immediately put back in her cell. Zelena is met by the Dark Swan (name for Emma as the Dark One) and is told she will need an ally in the town after people learn the truth. Zelena eats darkly enchanted onion rings (made by Emma) and as a result, her pregnancy is sped up from two months to nine. She gives birth to a baby girl and is taken away by Emma into her basement with Hook at her side. She is freed from her cuff once again and leaves Hook in Emma's house, wanting to get answers. Zelena steps back inside after Emma finds him. She brings in an enchanted dreamcatcher, which holds the memories of Hook becoming a Dark One (it is Emma's fault) in order to save him. Zelena learns that Robin and Regina are allowing her to see her baby, as long as one of them is with her. This is when she shares a bonding moment with her child. During the Dark Siege of Storybrooke, Zelena plans to take Regina's place in Storybrooke including her office. After claiming full custody of her baby, Zelena is transported by Regina (and the Apprentice's Wand) back to Oz. She claimed they will see each other again. ("The Dark Swan"), ("The Price"), ("Siege Perilous"), ("The Bear and the Bow"), ("Nimue"), ("Birth"), ("The Bear King"), ("Broken Heart"), ("Swan Song")

text: Unfortunately, this proves true when Zelena returns to take her still-unnamed daughter back. This leads her into a struggle with Belle and Mother Superior as a portal to the Underworld is opened. Now in Hades' realm, Zelena leaves her daughter with Robin and the heroes. She later runs into Hades, who reveals that the love he's felt for her since their first meeting has never died; he remodeled the Underworld to look like Storybrooke because he wanted to give her everything that Regina wanted. Shocked, but worried about her daughter, Zelena vows to get her back alone; Hades is willing to wait until she's ready to accept his love, and eventually gives in. When Hades asks Zelena to be his partner in chaos, the news leaves Zelena awkward and Regina (who saw this through her mirror) furious, prompting her to bring Cora in to stop this relationship from happening. The tensions between Zelena and Regina worsens until Cora intervened and restored their previous memory of having met each other as young girls, which also became Cora's "Unfinished Business" to make peace with Zelena and Regina, restarting their relationship with Regina giving Zelena a chance to help Hades. However, Gold is upset with Zelena giving Belle the spindle that placed his wife in a sleeping state in order to protect their child, and with the help of Peter Pan kidnaps her as payback to what she done to him back in Storybrooke. When Hades realize that Gold used Zelena as leverage, Hades tore up the contract to take Gold and Belle's unborn child, allowing Zelena to be with Hades, whose true love's kiss freed him from being confined to the Underworld. When Hades agreed to let everyone return to Storybrooke through a portal, he told Zelena to go first but left out the part that he wanted to trap the others (but they escaped before it closed). When they returned to Storybrooke, Zelena felt that Hades truly loved her but when Emma, Regina and Robin told her that he was using her in order to create a new kingdom, Zelena thought they were going to kill Hades because he hasn't changed, until he revealed a family heirloom, the Olympian Crystal, which he wants to use on the living Storybrooke residents that he posed as a threat. Emma showed Zelena the new pages that confirmed his plot and when she returned to Regina's office she saw Robin's deceased body on the floor and after Regina knocked the crystal out of Hades' hands she picked it up and killed Hades instantly. During Robin's funeral Zelena told Regina that has named her daughter Robin in honor of her father. ("Our Decay"), ("Her Handsome Hero"), ("Ruby Slippers"), ("Sisters"), ("Firebird"), ("Last Rites")

text: After a tremor erupts in town, Zelena and the heroes investigate the clock tower, where they learn the tremor resulted from Mr. Gold tethering Storybrooke's magic into a piece of the Olympian Crystal. While Emma and Regina pursue Henry, who has disappeared with the crystal, Zelena uses the Apprentice's wand to create a portal so Merida, the Merry Men, and the Camelot natives can return home. Afterwards, Zelena tries to close the portal, but her control on the wand goes awry because the town's magic is linked to the crystal. She, Snow, David, and Hook are then pulled into another realm named the Land of Untold Stories, where the wand becomes broken. They seek magic from a groundsman, Jekyll, to fix it, but he is too terrified to help them. An orderly, Poole, shows up and magically tasers them into unconsciousness, before locking them up in a caged cell. There, a warden named Hyde accuses them of working for the Dark One, and though Snow convinces him otherwise, he still refuses to let them go. While Hyde is away, Jekyll agrees to fix the wand for them if they take him with them when they return home. As the heroes wait for Jekyll frees them, however, he lost the wand to Hyde. When they reach the outside city, Jekyll provides the heroes with a backstory of this land, which is home to people of all backgrounds that have fled from various dangers. They stop by Hyde's house, where Jekyll finishes making a red serum to defeat the warden for good, but Poole makes him to ingest a blue serum that forces Hyde to manifest in the body. When Zelena's magic apparently has no effect on Hyde, the heroes flee the house. After Hyde takes the red serum to separate himself and Jekyll, the group return in time to save Jekyll. Poole tries to stop their leaving, but Zelena takes care of him with a bolt of her magic. As the heroes and Jekyll attempt to get out of the city, they run into Hyde. With magical help from the Land Without Magic, a portal opens, allowing them to return home. On return to Storybrooke, Zelena joins David as he shows Jekyll to the town diner. ("Only You"), ("An Untold Story")

text: Season 6[edit]

text: In Zelena's past, the witch is asked by her childhood friend, Stanum, to help him find the Crimson Heart, which would restore him back to human form after he was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the North, turning him slowly into tin. Unfortunately, Zelena's envy and her refusal to give up her magic to find happiness leads to her betraying Stanum, as she keeps the Heart and leaves him to become the Tin Man. In the Present, The Black Fairy tempts Zelena with an offer to join her, only to have Zelena seeking revenge against her. This vendetta brings Regina into the chaos when they find the Black Fairy and Gideon in the Mines, where the Black Fairy tricks Zelena into utilizing her unstable Dark Magic to help her prepare for the Final Battle, which later causes a rift between the sisters. Realizing that there is nothing left for her back in Oz, Zelena decides to help the residents fight back against the Black Fairy, by using the Crimson Heart to restore the crystals in the mines, at the cost of her magic. Regina and Emma then use their magic and one of the crystals to bring Mother Superior out of her coma after Zelena tells them where she's been("Where Bluebirds Fly"). After losing her magic Regina teaches her how to drive in case they lose the Final Battle and so Zelena can escape to New York with Robin and Henry, she has some struggle with learning but gets the hang of it when she runs the Black Fairy over to save Regina. The day of Emma and Hook’s wedding Zelena helps Regina to prevent the Black Fairy’s curse from being cast, after planning to stop time with a small potion from the first curse to prevent the new curse, Gold steals the potion and uses it on Zelena, Regina, David, Snow, and Hook. After Emma gets her powers back she sings the song in her hearts and unfreezes everyone, Zelena is present at Emma and Hook’s wedding with Robin and dances with Regina. When the curse is cast Zelena and Robin are sent to Oz, she then uses the Mad Hatter’s hat to escape the apocalyptic Oz with some Munchkins. Zelena helps Regina with trying to find a way back to Storybrooke, they also get help from the Evil Queen. When the Black Fairy dies Zelena and everyone return to Storybrooke, she is present when Emma fights Gideon. After the Final Battle is over Zelena and Robin go to Granny’s for a family dinner with everyone.

text: Season 7[edit]

text: Years after the Final Battle Zelena continues to raise Robin in Storybrooke who is now 18 years old and has been practicing magic but Zelena forbids her from doing so, after an argument between them Robin disappears and Zelena travels to the New Enchanted Forest to tell Regina. Wish Realm Hook then offers to help Zelena find Robin when they discover it was Mother Gothel who took her, afterwards they find Robin with Gothel and Madame Leota. Robin tells Zelena she ran away and wants to stay with Gothel and for her to leave, Hook then convinces Zelena to don’t walk away from her daughter and to fight for her, Zelena then tries to save Robin when Gothel tries to use her a sacrifice to revive Leota but Robin saves her. Robin then decides to give up using magic to train to use a bow like her father and gives her magic which is in the resurrection amulet to Zelena. Eight years later, Zelena and Robin continue to live in the New Enchanted Forest on a farm, when Regina arrives to tell them about Drizella being freed by Gothel. Zelena reveals the others who helped her are powerful witches who are part of a cult called “The Coven of the Eighth”, but Regina thinks they are stronger then them and asks her for her help, to which Zelena agrees. When Regina, Zelena, Ella, Hook, and Jack arrive to stop Gothel, Drizella and the witches from casting the curse they find out that they’ve poisoned Henry and they only way to save him is to cast the curse to send him to a land without magic to which Regina (who is the only who can cast it) does. Zelena is sent to Hyperion Heights with everyone from the New Enchanted Forest under the new name “Kelly”, who owns the bar with her sister Roni (who is Regina) but after Roni ruins her daughter’s life, she is later pushed out of the neighborhood by Victoria Belfry and moves to San Francisco and becomes a spin instructor. After Regina is awakened by Drizella, she travels to San Francisco with Henry to bring Zelena back, who still hates and refuses to speak to her. Regina then gives her a drink with a potion mix in (that Drizella gave her) to give her memories back and as Zelena agrees to return to Seattle with her, she is confused with what to do as she is getting married. Zelena still agrees to return to Seattle with Regina and they start a plan to save both Henry and Lucy.

text: Reception[edit]

text: This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2016)

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ Zelena traveled back in time with Emma and Hook and killed Maid Marian and took her place to ruin Regina's happiness.
Jump up ^ Zelena disguised as Ariel during the season three episode "The Jolly Roger" in order to trick Hook.
Jump up ^ Zelena disguised as Blue Fairy/Mother Superior during the season five episode "Our Decay" in order to trick Bell.

tag: ol


document_title: Women's National Basketball Association

question_text: who are the oldest players in the wnba

question_tokens: who are the oldest players in the wnba

root

text: Women's National Basketball Association

text: History[edit]

text: League founded and play begins (1996–97)[edit]

text: The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996,[2] and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance.[3] The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League, another professional women's basketball league that began play in 1996.

tag: p

text: The WNBA began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference.[4]

text: While not the first major women's professional basketball league in the United States (a distinction held by the defunct WBL), the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA.[5] The WNBA logo, "Logo Woman", paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs.[4]

text: On the heels of a much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the WNBA began its first season on June 21, 1997 to little fanfare. The first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles. The game was televised nationally in the United States on the NBC television network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals in place with NBC (NBA rights holder), and the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN and Lifetime Television Network, respectively. Penny Toler scored the league's first point.[6][7]

text: Houston domination and league expansion (1997–2000)[edit]

text: The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes.[8] In the league's first season, Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks underperformed and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy. The WNBA's true star in 1997 was WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper, Swoopes' teammate on the Houston Comets. The Comets defeated Lobo's New York Liberty in the first WNBA Championship game. The initial "We Got Next" advertisement ran before each WNBA season until it was replaced with the "We Got Game" campaign.

text: Two teams were added in 1998 (Detroit and Washington)[9] and two more in 1999 (Orlando and Minnesota), bringing the number of teams in the league up to twelve.[10] The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and the league,[11] marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women's professional sports.[citation needed] The WNBA also announced in 1999 that it would add four more team for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever, the Seattle Storm, the Miami Sol, and the Portland Fire), bringing the league up to 16 teams, with WNBA President Val Ackerman discussing expansion: "This won't be the end of it. We expect to keep growing the league."[12]

text: In 1999, the league's chief competition, the American Basketball League, folded. Many of the ABL's star players, including several Olympic gold medalists (such as Nikki McCray and Dawn Staley) and a number of standout college performers (including Kate Starbird and Jennifer Rizzotti), then joined the rosters of WNBA teams and, in so doing, enhanced the overall quality of play in the league. When a lockout resulted in an abbreviated NBA season, the WNBA saw faltering TV viewership.

text: On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden. Before this invitation, only men's sports teams had traveled to the White House.

text: At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since the league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and four-time Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor, the team posted a 98–24 record through their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league and the Comets dynasty came to an end.

text: The L.A. Sparks; new league ownership and contraction (2001–2002)[edit]

text: The top contender in the 2001 season was the Los Angeles Sparks. Led by Lisa Leslie, the Sparks posted a regular-season record of 28–4. They advanced to their first ever WNBA Finals and swept the Charlotte Sting.

text: Looking to repeat in 2002, the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason, going 25–7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers. Again, Leslie dominated opponents throughout the Playoffs, leading the Sparks to a perfect 6–0 record through all three rounds, beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals.

text: Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002, when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party, as a result of the dot-com bubble. This led to two teams moving: Utah moved to San Antonio, and Orlando moved to Connecticut and became the first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise. This sale of teams also led to two teams folding, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire, because new owners could not be found.

text: Bill Laimbeer leaves his mark (2003–2006)[edit]

text: The WNBA Players Association threatened to strike in 2003 if a new deal was not worked out between players and the league. The result was a delay in the start of the 2003 preseason. The 2003 WNBA Draft was also delayed and negative publicity was gained from this strike.[13]

text: After taking over a struggling franchise in 2002, former Detroit Pistons forward Bill Laimbeer had high hopes for the Detroit Shock in 2003. The team was just 9–23 in 2002. The Shock had three all-stars in the 2003 All-Star Game (Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, and Deanna Nolan). Laimbeer orchestrated a worst-to-first turnaround and the Shock finished the season 25–9 in first place in the Eastern Conference. Winning the first two rounds of the Playoffs, the Shock faced two-time champion Los Angeles Sparks and Lisa Leslie in the 2003 Finals. The Shock beat the Sparks, winning game three on a three-pointer by Deanna Nolan.

text: After the 2003 season, the Cleveland Rockers, one of the league's original eight teams, folded because the owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise.

text: Val Ackerman, the first WNBA president, resigned effective February 1, 2005, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. Ackerman later became president of USA Basketball. On February 15, 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender, who had been serving as the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League, would be Ackerman's successor as of April 2005.

text: The WNBA awarded a expansion team to Chicago (later named the Sky) in February 2006. In the off-season, a set of rule changes was approved that made the WNBA more like the NBA.[14]

text: In 2006, the league became the first team-oriented women's professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons.[citation needed] On the occasion of the tenth anniversary, the WNBA released its All-Decade Team, comprising the ten WNBA players to have contributed, through on-court play and off-court activities, the most to women's basketball during the league's existence.

text: After missing out on the Finals in 2004 and 2005, the Shock bounced back in 2006 behind newly acquired Katie Smith, along with six remaining members from their 2003 Finals run (Cash, Ford, Holland-Corn, Nolan, Powell, and Riley). The Shock finished second in the Eastern Conference, and knocked off first-seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs. The Shock faced reigning champion Sacramento Monarchs in a five-game series. The Shock won game five on their home floor.

text: Bringing "Paul Ball" to the WNBA (2007–2009)[edit]

text: In December 2006, the Charlotte Bobcats organization announced it would no longer operate the Charlotte Sting. Soon after, the WNBA announced that the Sting would not operate for 2007. A dispersal draft was held January 8, 2007. Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records; Chicago received the first pick.

text: Former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach Paul Westhead was named head coach of the Phoenix Mercury on October 11, 2005, bringing his up-tempo style of play to the WNBA. This fast-paced offense was perfect for his team, especially after the league shortened the shot clock from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in 2006. Much like the early Houston Comets championship teams, the Phoenix Mercury had risen to prominence led by their own "Big Three" of Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi, and Penny Taylor.

text: The Mercury were well-suited for fast offense behind these three players. Phoenix averaged a league-record 88.97 points per game in 2007; teams could not keep up with the new style of play, and the Mercury were propelled into first place in the Western Conference. Facing the reigning champion Detroit Shock, the Mercury imposed their high-scoring offense with hopes of capturing their first title in franchise history. Averaging 93.2 points per game in the Finals series, the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22,076 fans in game five to claim their first ever WNBA title.

text: In October 2007 the WNBA awarded another expansion franchise to Atlanta. Atlanta businessman Ron Terwilliger was the original owner of the new team. Citizens of Atlanta were able to vote for their choices for the new team's nickname and colors.[15] The Dream, as they were named, played their first regular season game on May 17, which was a 67–100 loss to the Connecticut Sun.

text: Paul Westhead resigned from the Mercury after capturing the 2007 title and Penny Taylor opted to stay home to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics, causing the Mercury to falter in 2008. The team posted a 16–18 record and became the first team in WNBA history to miss the Playoffs after winning the championship in the previous season. In their place, the Detroit Shock won their third championship under coach Bill Laimbeer, solidifying their place in WNBA history before Laimbeer resigned early in 2009, effectively ending the Shock dynasty.

text: During the 2008 regular season, the first ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.[citation needed][16] The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71–55 in front of over 19,000 fans.

text: Late in 2008, the WNBA took over ownership of one of the league's original franchises, the Houston Comets. The Comets ceased operations on December 1, 2008 after no owners for the franchise could be found.[17] A dispersal draft took place on December 8, 2008 and with the first pick, Sancho Lyttle was taken by the Atlanta Dream.

text: After an unsatisfying conclusion in 2008, the Mercury looked to bounce back to championship caliber. New head coach Corey Gaines implemented Paul Westhead's style of play, and the Mercury averaged 92.82 points per game throughout the 2009 season. Helped by the return of Penny Taylor, the Mercury once again locked up first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals. The championship series was a battle of contrasting styles as the Mercury (number one league offense, 92.82 points per game) had to face the Indiana Fever (number three league defense, 73.55 points per game). The series went five games, including arguably one of the most thrilling games in WNBA history in game one of the series (Phoenix won in overtime, 120–116. The Mercury beat the Fever in game five, this time on their home court, to capture their second WNBA championship.

text: Not only did Paul Westhead's system influence his Mercury team, but it created a domino effect throughout the league. Young athletic players were capable of scoring more and playing at a faster pace. As a league, the 2010 average of 80.35 points per game was the best ever, far surpassing the 69.2 average in the league's inaugural season.

text: Changing of the guard (2010–2012)[edit]

text: On October 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma; the team is called the Tulsa Shock.[18] On November 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners, the Maloof family, who were also the owners of the Sacramento Kings at the time. The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay area; however, no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009.

text: The 2010 season saw a tight race in the East, with three teams being tied for first place on the final day of the regular season. Five of the six teams in the East were in first place at some point during the season. The East held a .681 winning percentage over the West, its highest ever. In the 2010 Finals, two new teams represented each conference: the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream. Seattle made their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2004 and Atlanta, coming into the playoffs as a four seed, impressively swept its opponents in the first two rounds to advance to the Finals in only the third year of the team's existence.

text: After the 2010 season, President Orender announced she would be resigning from her position as of December 31. On April 21, 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that former Girl Scouts of the USA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Laurel J. Richie would assume duties as President on May 16, 2011.

text: The 2011 season began with strong publicity helped by the rising young stars of the league and the NBA lockout.[19] The 2011 NBA lockout began on July 1, 2011. Unlike the previous lockout, which affected the WNBA, president Laurel J. Richie confirmed that this lockout would have no effect on the WNBA. If the NBA season was shortened or canceled, the 2012 WNBA season (including the WNBA teams still owned by NBA owners) would run as planned. The lockout ended on November 26, and NBA teams would play a 66-game regular season following the lockout.

text: Many news outlets began covering the league more frequently. NBA TV, the television home of the NBA scheduled over 70 regular season games to be televised (along with a dozen more on ESPN2 and ABC). The new influx of young talent into the league gave many teams something to be excited about. Players like Candace Parker of the Sparks, Maya Moore of the Lynx, DeWanna Bonner of the Mercury, Angel McCoughtry of the Dream, Sylvia Fowles of the Sky, Tina Charles of the Sun, and Liz Cambage of the Shock brought a new level of excitement to the game, adding talent to the teams of young veterans such as Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter. The level of play was getting better, as evidenced by higher scoring, better defense, and higher shooting percentages. Fans responded to the new stars in the league; by the end of the 2011 regular season, nine of the twelve teams in the league had increased attendance over their 2010 averages.[20]

text: The new influx of talented young players showed that the league's longevity gave young girls something to work towards. Rookies coming into the league had the luxury of growing up watching veterans like Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Teresa Weatherspoon. For the first time ever, young girls could now look at the WNBA as an opportunity for basketball to continue after college.

text: The new players delivered in 2011. Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles set a league record for double-doubles in a season with 23. Also, Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky became only the second player in WNBA history to finish a season averaging at least 20 points (20.0ppg) and 10 rebounds (10.2rpg) per game. The San Antonio Silver Stars experienced boosts from their young players as well; rookie Danielle Adams scored 32 points off the bench in June and fellow rookie Danielle Robinson had a 36-point game in September. Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry was the first player in league history to average over 20 points per game (21.6ppg) while playing under 30 minutes per game (27.9mpg).

text: McCoughtry led her team to the Finals for the second straight year, but despite breaking her own Finals scoring record, the Dream was swept for the second straight year, this time by the Minnesota Lynx, which won its first title behind a fully healthy Seimone Augustus.

text: 2012 featured a long Olympic break, but still saw the league grow. The Indiana Fever won the WNBA championship.

text: The Three to See (2013)[edit]

text: The much publicized 2013 WNBA Draft produced Baylor University star Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins (now Diggins-Smith) as the top three picks, the draft was the first to be televised in primetime on ESPN. Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins were thus labelled "The Three To See", but with the draft also came standouts such as Tayler Hill, Layshia Clarendon and Alex Bentley. The retirement of legends Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Ticha Penicheiro, and Sheryl Swoopes coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked the end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another.[citation needed]

text: On the court, the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years, defeating the Atlanta Dream in the Finals, and becoming the first team to sweep the playoff since the Seattle Storm.

text: The promotion of Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent, and half of teams ended the season profitable.[21][22] The improved health of the league was on display after the season, when the Los Angeles Sparks' ownership group folded; it took the league only a few weeks to line up Guggenheim Partners to purchase the team, and the franchise also garnered interest from the ownership of the Golden State Warriors.

text: Teams[edit]

text: The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997, and through a sequence of expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 12 teams. There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history.

text: As of the league’s next season in 2018, the Las Vegas team (formerly the Utah Starzz and San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars), Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997.

text: Arenas reflect those to be used in the 2018 season.

text:
Conference
Team
City
Arena
Capacity
Joined
Head coach

Eastern

Atlanta Dream
Atlanta, GA
McCamish Pavilion[note 1]
8,600
2008
Nicki Collen

Chicago Sky
Chicago, IL
Wintrust Arena
10,387
2006
Amber Stocks

Connecticut Sun
Uncasville, CT
Mohegan Sun Arena
9,323
1999*
Curt Miller

Indiana Fever
Indianapolis, IN
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
18,165
2000
Pokey Chatman

New York Liberty
New York City, NY
Madison Square Garden
19,812
1997
Katie Smith

Washington Mystics
Washington, D.C.
Capital One Arena
20,356
1998
Mike Thibault

Western

Dallas Wings
Arlington, TX
College Park Center
7,000
1998*
Fred Williams

Las Vegas WNBA team
Paradise, NV
Mandalay Bay Events Center
12,000
1997*
Bill Laimbeer

Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles, CA
Staples Center
18,997
1997
Brian Agler

Minnesota Lynx
Minneapolis, MN
Target Center
19,356
1999
Cheryl Reeve

Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix, AZ
Talking Stick Resort Arena
18,055
1997
Sandy Brondello

Seattle Storm
Seattle, WA
KeyArena
15,354
2000
Dan Hughes

An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.

tag: table

text: Jump up ^ Due to renovations to Philips Arena, the Dream will play their 2018 home games at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech, where they also played in 2017.[23]

text: Relationship with NBA teams[edit]

text: Seven WNBA teams are associated with the NBA team from the same market and are known as sister teams. These teams include the Indiana Pacers and Fever, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sparks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, the New York Knicks and Liberty, the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, the Atlanta Hawks and the Dream, and the Washington Wizards and Mystics. Of these teams, only the Dream and the Sparks are owned separately. Through the 2017 season, the San Antonio Spurs and Stars were also paired, but that relationship ended in October 2017 when the Stars were bought by MGM Resorts International and moved to Las Vegas.[24]

text: Three WNBA teams are in the same market as an NBA team but are not affiliated. Though located in the same market, the Chicago Sky are not affiliated with the Bulls, as evidenced by their differing home arenas: the Sky will move from Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont to Wintrust Arena in Chicago's Near South Side for 2018 and beyond, while the Bulls play at United Center in the city's Near West Side. The Dallas Wings, which had been the Tulsa Shock before moving to the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex after the 2015 season, are not affiliated with the existing NBA team in the Metroplex, the Dallas Mavericks. As with the Sky and Bulls, the Wings and Mavericks play in different arenas, with the Wings playing at College Park Center in Arlington as opposed to the Mavericks playing just outside downtown Dallas at American Airlines Center.

text: The remaining WNBA team, the Seattle Storm, was formerly the sister team of the now relocated SuperSonics but was sold to a Seattle-based group before the SuperSonics moved and become the Oklahoma City Thunder.

text: The now defunct Utah Starzz, Charlotte Sting, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, Cleveland Rockers, Orlando Miracle, Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs were also sister teams of the Jazz, Hornets, Heat, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Magic, Rockets and Kings, respectively. The Detroit Shock was the sister team of the Pistons until the teams' owner sold the Shock to investors who moved the team to Tulsa, Oklahoma. During its tenure in Tulsa, it was not affiliated with Oklahoma's NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

text: The Liberty, Sparks, and Wings are currently the only teams that share a market with an NBA G League team; the Liberty share the New York City market with Long Island Nets and the Westchester Knicks, the Sparks share the Los Angeles market with the Agua Caliente Clippers and South Bay Lakers, and the Wings share the Dallas market with the Texas Legends. In addition, four teams are located within 150 miles of WNBA teams (the Delaware 87ers, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Austin Spurs, and Northern Arizona Suns being near the Mystic, Fever, Stars, and Mercury, respectively).

text: The Mystics will be joined by a new team in 2018–19, and the Dream will be joined by the Erie BayHawks upon the BayHawks' relocation to the Atlanta area in 2019–20. The Shock shared the Tulsa market with the Tulsa 66ers until the latter team was relocated to become the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014.

text: Membership timeline[edit]

text:
WNBA expansion
and contraction

Season(s)
# Teams

1997
8

1998
10

1999
12

2000–2002
16

2003
14

2004–2005
13

2006
14

2007
13

2008
14

2009
13

2010–present
12

text: Relocated teams[edit]

text:
Detroit Shock – 1998–2009 (relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Orlando Miracle – 1999–2002 (relocated to Uncasville, Connecticut)
Utah Starzz – 1997–2002 (relocated to San Antonio, Texas)
Tulsa Shock – 2010–2015 (relocated to Arlington, Texas)
San Antonio Stars – 2014–2017 (relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada)

tag: ul

text: Folded teams[edit]

text:
Charlotte Sting – 1997–2007
Cleveland Rockers – 1997–2003
Houston Comets – 1997–2008
Miami Sol – 2000–2002
Portland Fire – 2000–2002
Sacramento Monarchs – 1997–2009

text: Season format[edit]

text: Regular season[edit]

text: Teams hold training camps in May. Training camps allow the coaching staff to prepare the players for the regular season, and determine the 12-woman roster with which they will begin the regular season. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held.

text: The WNBA regular season begins in May. During the regular season, each team plays 34 games, 17 each home and away. Each team plays one in-conference team 4 times and the remaining in-conference teams 3 times each (12 games). Each team then plays the six out-of-conference teams 3 times (18 games). As in the NBA, each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season.

text: WNBA All-Star Game[edit]

text: In 1999 the league held its first ever All Star Game where the best players of the Eastern Conference played against the best players of the Western Conference. Since the All Star games were ongoing, the west has been dominant until 2006 the east finally won a game.

text: In July, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual WNBA All-Star Game. The game is part of a weekend-long event, held in a selected WNBA city each year. The actual game is played on the selected WNBA team's home court. The All-Star Game features star players from the Western Conference facing star players from the Eastern Conference. During the season, fans vote for the players they would like to see start the game. In 2004, The Game at Radio City was in held in place of a traditional All-Star Game. The 2006 All-Star Game was the first game to feature custom uniforms that match the decade anniversary logo. No WNBA All-Star Game is held in every Olympic year since 2008. In 2010, an exhibition game (Stars at the Sun) was held.

text: Shortly after the All-Star break is the trading deadline. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline.

text: During years in which the Summer Olympics are held, the WNBA takes a month off in the middle of the season to allow players to practice and compete with their respective national teams.

text: WNBA Playoffs[edit]

text: The WNBA Playoffs begin in late September, with eight teams qualifying for the playoffs. Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first two seeds get double byes, and the next two seeds get first-round byes, having a higher seed generally means one will be facing a weaker team. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage. Since 2016 Verizon is the official sponsor.

text: The first two playoff rounds follow a tournament format with each team playing a rival in a single elimination game, whichever team that wins, advances into the next round, while losers are eliminated from the playoffs. For the first round, the matchups by seed are 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th. In the second round, the matchups by seed are 3rd vs the lowest remaining seed and 4th vs the highest remaining seed. In the semifinals, the matchups by seed are 1st vs the lowest remaining seed and 2nd vs the highest remaining seed. This leaves two teams left to play each other in the WNBA Finals. In the first and second rounds, is a single elimination game. In the semifinals, the best-of-five series follows a 2–2–1 home-court pattern, meaning that the higher-seeded team will have home court in games 1, 2, and 5 while the other team plays at home in game 3 and 4. This pattern has been in place since 2016 (changed from the best-of-three series 1–1–1 format for four teams in each conferences, where the higher seed hosted the opening game in the first two rounds).

text: WNBA Finals[edit]

text: The final playoff round, a best-of-five series between the victors of each conference, is known as the WNBA Finals, and is held annually, currently scheduled for October. Each player on the winning team receives a championship ring. In addition, the league awards a WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. For this round, the series follows a 2–2–1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, and 5, while the other plays at home in games 3 and 4. The 2–2–1 pattern in the WNBA Finals has been in place since 2005.

text:
The WNBA Finals

1990s[show]

Season
Champion
Runner-Up
Format
Result
Finals MVP

Team
Coach
Team
Coach

1997
Houston Comets
Van Chancellor
New York Liberty
Nancy Darsch
Single game
65–51
Cynthia Cooper

1998
Houston Comets
Phoenix Mercury
Cheryl Miller
Best-of-three
2–1

1999
Houston Comets
New York Liberty
Richie Adubato

2000s[show]

Season
Champion
Runner-Up
Format
Result
Finals MVP

Team
Coach
Team
Coach

2000
Houston Comets
Van Chancellor
New York Liberty
Richie Adubato
Best-of-three
2–0
Cynthia Cooper

2001
Los Angeles Sparks
Michael Cooper
Charlotte Sting
Anne Donovan
Lisa Leslie

2002
Los Angeles Sparks
New York Liberty
Richie Adubato

2003
Detroit Shock
Bill Laimbeer
Los Angeles Sparks
Michael Cooper
2–1
Ruth Riley

2004
Seattle Storm
Anne Donovan
Connecticut Sun
Mike Thibault
Betty Lennox

2005
Sacramento Monarchs
John Whisenant
Connecticut Sun
Mike Thibault
Best-of-five
3–1
Yolanda Griffith

2006
Detroit Shock
Bill Laimbeer
Sacramento Monarchs
John Whisenant
3–2
Deanna Nolan

2007
Phoenix Mercury
Paul Westhead
Detroit Shock
Bill Laimbeer
Cappie Pondexter

2008
Detroit Shock
Bill Laimbeer
San Antonio Silver Stars
Dan Hughes
3–0
Katie Smith

2009
Phoenix Mercury
Corey Gaines
Indiana Fever
Lin Dunn
3–2
Diana Taurasi

2010s[hide]

Season
Champion
Runner-Up
Format
Result
Finals MVP

Team
Coach
Team
Coach

2010
Seattle Storm
Brian Agler
Atlanta Dream
Marynell Meadors
Best-of-five
3–0
Lauren Jackson

2011
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
Seimone Augustus

2012
Indiana Fever
Lin Dunn
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
3–1
Tamika Catchings

2013
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
Atlanta Dream
Fred Williams
3–0
Maya Moore

2014
Phoenix Mercury
Sandy Brondello
Chicago Sky
Pokey Chatman
Diana Taurasi

2015
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
Indiana Fever
Stephanie White
3–2
Sylvia Fowles

2016
Los Angeles Sparks
Brian Agler
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
Candace Parker

2017
Minnesota Lynx
Cheryl Reeve
Los Angeles Sparks
Brian Agler
Sylvia Fowles

text: League championships[edit]

text: The Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx hold the distinction of having won the most championships with 4 titles each. The Comets folded in 2008. The Lynx have the most appearances in the championship with 6, all occurring in the 7-year period from 2011-2017.

text:
Teams
Win
Loss
Total
Year(s) won
Year(s) lost

Minnesota Lynx
4
2
6
2011, 2013, 2015, 2017
2012, 2016

Houston Comets (folded in 2008)
4
0
4
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
-

Los Angeles Sparks
3
2
5
2001, 2002, 2016
2003, 2017

Phoenix Mercury
3
1
4
2007, 2009, 2014
1998

Dallas Wings
3
1
4
2003, 2006, 2008
2007

Seattle Storm
2
0
2
2004, 2010
-

Indiana Fever
1
2
3
2012
2009, 2015

Sacramento Monarchs (folded in 2009)
1
1
2
2005
2006

New York Liberty
0
4
4
-
1997, 1999, 2000, 2002

Atlanta Dream
0
3
3
-
2010, 2011, 2013

Connecticut Sun
0
2
2
-
2004, 2005

Chicago Sky
0
1
1
-
2014

San Antonio Stars
0
1
1
-
2008

Charlotte Sting (folded in 2007)
0
1
1
-
2001

text: Current teams that have no WNBA Finals appearances:

text: Washington Mystics

text: Former teams that have no WNBA Finals appearances:

text:
Cleveland Rockers (1997-2003)
Miami Sol (2000-2002)
Portland Fire (2000-2002)

text: Players and coaches[edit]

text: In 2011, a decade and a half after the launch of the WNBA, only two players remained from the league's inaugural season in 1997: Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson. Thompson holds the record for the number of years in the league (fifteen). Lisa Leslie was the longest-tenured player from the 1997 draft class; she spent her entire career (1997–2009) with the Los Angeles Sparks. Tangela Smith has played the most games in her career (415).

text: The members of the WNBA's All-Decade Team were chosen in 2006 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the WNBA from amongst 30 nominees compiled by fan, media, coach, and player voting. The team was to comprise the 10 best and most influential players of the first decade of the WNBA, with consideration also given to sportsmanship, community service, leadership, and contribution to the growth of women's basketball.

text: Players for the WNBA's Top 15 Team were chosen in 2011 on the anniversary of the league's fifteenth season from amongst 30 nominees compiled in a similar manner to that of the All-Decade Team process.

text: Over 30 players have scored more than 3,000 points or more in their WNBA careers. Only six WNBA players have reached the 6,000 point milestone: Tina Thompson, Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, Katie Smith, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson.

text: In 2007, Paul Westhead of the Phoenix Mercury became the first person to earn both NBA and WNBA championship rings as a coach.

text: In 2008, 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman became the oldest player to play in a WNBA game. She signed a seven-day contract with the Detroit Shock and played one game, tallying two assists and two turnovers in nine minutes of action. By playing in the one game Lieberman broke a record that she herself had set in 1997, when she was the league's oldest player at 39.

text: Ticha Penicheiro (Portugal) provided 2,599 assists in 454 games playing for the Sacramento Monarchs, Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky since 1998. she also holds the record for most assists per game, with 5.7.[25]

text: Milestones[edit]

text:
WNBA Milestones

Milestone
Player
Team
Date
Information

First player signed
Sheryl Swoopes
Houston Comets
October 23, 1996
Signed by the WNBA and assigned to Houston.

First points scored
Penny Toler
Los Angeles Sparks
June 21, 1997
Scored the first points on a baseline jump-shot.

First triple double
Sheryl Swoopes
Houston Comets
July 27, 1998
14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists

First goaltending call
Sylvia Fowles
Chicago Sky
June 3, 2008
Trying to block a layup by Lisa Leslie.

First slam dunk
Lisa Leslie
Los Angeles Sparks
July 30, 2002
Dunked on a fast break against Miami.

Most career points
Diana Taurasi
Phoenix Mercury
2004–2014, 2016–present
7,494 points

Most career rebounds
Tamika Catchings
Indiana Fever
2002–2016
3,316 rebounds

Most career assists
Sue Bird
Seattle Storm
2002-present
2,611 assists

Most 3-pointers
Diana Taurasi
Phoenix Mercury
2004–2014, 2016–present
927 3-pointers

Most points in a game
Riquna Williams
Tulsa Shock
September 8, 2013
51 points

Most rebounds in a game
Chamique Holdsclaw
Washington Mystics
May 23, 2003
24 rebounds

Most assists in a game
Ticha Penicheiro
Sacramento Monarchs
July 29, 1998
16 assists

Most career wins for a coach
Mike Thibault
Conn. Sun / Wash. Mystics[26]
2003–present
239 wins

Most team points in one game
N/A
Phoenix Mercury
July 24, 2010
127 points in double overtime against Minnesota

Largest margin of victory
N/A
Seattle Storm
August 7, 2010
46-point win (111–65) over Tulsa

Largest attendance for one game
N/A
Detroit Shock
September 16, 2007
22,076 in game 5 of 2007 Finals

text: Awards[edit]

text: Around the beginning of September, the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards. The Sixth Woman of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started).[27] The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the player who shows the outstanding sportsmanship on and off the court. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for (her team) that season.

text: Also named are the All-WNBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are two All-WNBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There is one All-Rookie team, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.

text: Most recent award winners[edit]

text: Winners are from the most recent season unless otherwise indicated.

text:
Award
Winner
Position
Team
Votes/Statistic

Most Valuable Player Award
Sylvia Fowles
Center
Minnesota Lynx
35 out of 40

Finals MVP Award
Sylvia Fowles
Center
Minnesota Lynx

Rookie of the Year Award
Allisha Gray
Guard
Dallas Wings
30 out of 40

Most Improved Player Award
Jonquel Jones
Forward/center
Connecticut Sun
32 out of 40

Defensive Player of the Year Award
Alana Beard
Guard/forward
Los Angeles Sparks
28 out of 40

Sixth Woman of the Year Award
Sugar Rodgers
Guard
New York Liberty
15 out of 40

Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
Sue Bird
Guard
Seattle Storm
20 out of 40

Peak Performer: Points
Brittney Griner
Center
Phoenix Mercury
21.9 PPG

Peak Performer: Rebounds
Jonquel Jones
Forward/center
Connecticut Sun
11.9 RPG

Peak Performer: Assists
Courtney Vandersloot
Guard
Chicago Sky
8.1 APG

Coach of the Year Award
Curt Miller
Coach
Connecticut Sun
36 out of 40

text: Notable international players[edit]

text: A number of international players that have played in the WNBA have earned multiple all-stars or won MVP awards:

text:
Elena Baranova, Russia – the first international player in the WNBA (1997), one-time All-Star (2001).
 Lauren Jackson, Australia – two-time champion (2004, 2010), three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star
 Ticha Penicheiro, Portugal – won a championship with the Monarchs in 2005 and four-time All-Star
 Penny Taylor, Australia – three-time champion (2007, 2009, 2014) and four-time All-Star
 Tammy Sutton-Brown, Canada – two-time All-Star
 Sophia Young, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – four-time All-Star

text: Some of these players, among them Penicheiro, Sutton-Brown, and Young, played U.S. college basketball.

text: Rules and regulations[edit]

text: Rules are governed by standard basketball rules as defined by the NBA, with a few notable exceptions:

text:
The three-point line is 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.7501 m) from the middle of the basket, 21 feet 8 inches (6.60 m) at the corners. This is the same distance used under new FIBA rules; FIBA had increased its three-point distance to 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.7501 m) since October 1, 2012 (for domestic competitions).
The regulation WNBA ball is a minimum 28.5 inches (72 cm) in circumference and weighs 20.0 ounces (570 g), 1 inch (2.5 cm) smaller and 2 ounces (57 g) lighter than the NBA ball. Since 2004, this size has been used for all senior-level women's competitions throughout the world in full-court basketball. Competitions in the half-court 3x3 variant used the women's ball until 2015, when a dedicated ball with the circumference of the women's ball but the weight of the men's ball was introduced.
Quarters are 10 minutes in duration instead of 12.

text: Games are divided into four 10-minute quarters as opposed to the league's original two 20-minute halves of play, similar to FIBA and NCAA women's college rules (many WNBA players play in European, Chinese, or Australian leagues, which all use the FIBA rule set).

text: A recent trend with new WNBA rules has been to match them with a similar NBA rule. Beginning with the 2006 WNBA season:[28]

text:
The winner of the opening jump ball shall begin the 4th quarter with the ball out of bounds. The loser shall begin with the ball out of bounds in the second and third quarter. Previously under the two-half format, both periods started with jump balls, presumably to eliminate the possibility of a team purposely losing the opening tip in order to gain the opening possession of the second half. This is not a problem under the four-quarters because the winner of the opening tip gets the opening possession of the final period.
The shot clock was decreased from 30 to 24 seconds. The rule changes signaled a move away from rules more similar to those of college basketball and toward those that provide a more NBA-like game. FIBA also uses a 24-second clock.

text: The 2007 WNBA season brought changes that included:[29]

text:
The amount of time that a team must move the ball across the half-court line went from 10 to 8 seconds.
A referee can grant time-outs to either a player or the coach.
Two free throws and possession of the ball for clear-path-to-the-basket foul. Previously only one free throw was awarded as well as possession.

text: In 2012, the WNBA added the block/charge arc under the basket. As of 2013 the defensive three-second rule and anti-flopping guidelines were introduced. The three-point line was also extended.

text: Starting in 2017, Tissot will be the official timekeeper for the league, as it will use a unified game clock/shot clock system.

text: Court dimensions[edit]

text:
WNBA Court Dimensions

Area
Imperial
Metric

Length of court (baseline to baseline)
94 ft
28.65 m

Width of court (sideline to sideline)
50 ft
15.24 m

Rim height (floor to rim)
10 ft
3.05 m

Center circle diameter
12 ft
3.66 m

Three-point line distance from center of basket
22 ft 1.75 in
6.75 m

3-point line distance from center of basket (corners)
21 ft 8 in
6.6 m

Shaded area/Lane/Key length
19 ft
5.8 m

Shaded area/Lane/Key width
16 ft
4.88 m

Restricted area (aka "block/charge arc")
(distance from center of basket)
4 ft
1.22 m

Free-throw line (distance from backboard)
15 ft
4.57 m

Free-throw half-circle radius
6 ft
1.83 m

Backboard width (side to side)
6 ft
1.83 m

Coaching box width (from baseline)
28 ft
8.54 m

*All dimensions are in line with NBA regulations except the three-point arc.

text: Business[edit]

text: Finance[edit]

text: The WNBA did not start out able to support itself. During the mid-2000s, the NBA spent more than $10 million per year to keep the WNBA financially solvent.[30] In 2007, teams were estimated to be losing $1.5 million to $2 million a year.[31]

text: The league has begun to do better financially in recent years. In December 2010 Donna Orender said that the league had its first-ever "cash flow positive" team (Connecticut Sun) for the 2010 season.[32] In 2011, three teams were profitable, and in 2013, six of the league's 12 teams reported a profit.[33] The league has also signed extended television contracts with ESPN and sponsorship agreements with Boost Mobile.

text: Sponsorships[edit]

text: On June 1, 2009, the Phoenix Mercury was the first team in WNBA history to announce a marquee sponsorship. The team secured a partnership with LifeLock to brand their jerseys and warm-ups.[34] It was the first branded jersey in WNBA history. Following the expiration of the LifeLock deal, the Mercury secured a new uniform sponsorship deal with Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort on February 3, 2014.[35]

text: Other teams eventually followed in the Mercury's footsteps to bring the total to nine current teams with sponsorship deals:

text:
Indiana Fever – Finish Line, Inc.
Minnesota Lynx – Mayo Clinic
San Antonio Stars – H-E-B
Chicago Sky – Magellan Corporation
Los Angeles Sparks – EquiTrust Life Insurance; team was formerly sponsored by Farmers Insurance
New York Liberty – DraftKings; team was formerly sponsored by Foxwoods Casino
Connecticut Sun – Frontier Communications
Seattle Storm – Swedish Medical Center; team was formerly sponsored by Bing

text: The now-relocated Tulsa Shock (Osage Casino) and currently active Washington Mystics (Inova Health System) had jersey sponsorships at one time.

text: On August 22, 2011, the WNBA announced a league-wide marquee sponsorship with Boost Mobile.[36] The deal would allow the Boost Mobile logo to be placed on eleven of the 12 teams' jerseys (excluding San Antonio) in addition to branding on the courts and in arenas. A source said the deal is a "multiyear, eight-figure deal."[37]

text: On March 14, 2016, the WNBA was completing a deal with Verizon Wireless to place them on 10 of the 12 team jerseys. The deal includes a space on the front of 10 jerseys, excluding the Stars and Sun, in-arena advertising, and reserved commercial space during WNBA broadcasts. The deal also includes the sponsorship of the All-Star Game, Inspiring Women Luncheon, and other unspecified events, The deal will not include the Monthly and Yearly Awards.[38]

text: On March 28, the league introduced new uniforms, with the new Verizon sponsor, which eliminated white jerseys and made the secondary color a basis for a uniform. The jersey font will remain unchanged as well as the primary color used for the away uniform. Teams can use either jersey for home and away games. Pictures of the jerseys can be seen on the WNBA website, although the Storm and Wings have not released their jerseys yet.

text: In 2009, the Phoenix Mercury became the first American professional basketball team to feature advertisements on their uniform when they sold an ad to LifeLock Insurance on the front of their jerseys, leading many people to wonder if ads on NBA uniforms were coming soon. Since then several other WNBA teams have followed suit. The NBA announced in the summer of 2016 that they will begin to feature advertisements on jerseys, with the first team to do so being the Philadelphia 76ers (with a StubHub sticker now on their jerseys). Before the start of the 2011 season, every team announced a new look for their uniforms. The supplier of the uniforms for the league, Adidas, upgraded all teams to new high-tech designs, much like they did for the NBA prior to the start of their season.

text: Sponsorships have come from major companies such as; Boost Mobile and Farmers Insurance. Pepsi and Nike have also partnered up with the WNBA.

text: Salaries, rosters, and collective bargaining[edit]

text: Prior to the 2009 season, the maximum team roster size was changed from 13 players (11 active and 2 inactive) to 11 players (all active). Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury or any other factor outside of the control of the team will, upon request, be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games. As soon as the injured (or otherwise sidelined) player(s) is able to play, the roster hardship player(s)—not any other player on the roster—must be waived. In March 2014, the WNBA and players signed a new, 8-year collective bargaining agreement, increasing the number of players on a roster to 12.[39]

text: The WNBA Draft is held annually every spring. The draft is three rounds long with each of the 12 teams in the league (trades aside) getting three picks each. The draft order for the eight teams that made the playoffs the previous year are based on team records, and the team with the highest previous record will pick last. For the remaining top four picks, a selection process similar to the NBA Draft Lottery is conducted for the four teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

text: In 2008, a new six-year collective bargaining agreement was agreed upon between the players and the league. The salary cap for an entire team in 2010 is $827,000 (although it was later lowered to $775,000). By 2013 (the sixth year under this agreement), the cap for an entire team will be $900,000. In 2010, the minimum salary for a player with three-plus years of experience is $51,000 while the maximum salary for a six-plus year player is $101,500 (the first time in league history that players are able to receive over $100,000). The minimum salary for rookies is $35,190.[40][41] Many WNBA players supplement their salaries by playing in European, Australian, or more recently Chinese women's basketball leagues during the WNBA off-season. The WNBA has been criticized for paying female players less than their NBA counterparts.[42]

text: The decision of superstar Diana Taurasi to sit out the 2015 WNBA season was seen by some in the media as a harbinger of salary-related troubles in the future. The Russian club for which she was playing at the time, UMMC Ekaterinburg, offered her a bonus well in excess of the league's salary cap to sit out that season. Taurasi accepted largely because she had not had an offseason since she was playing college basketball more than a decade earlier. Such offers have often been made to star American players, including Taurasi herself, but none were accepted until Taurasi did so in 2015.[43]

text: WNBA players are awarded bonuses for certain achievements. Some of the bonuses given by the league (amount is per player) include: WNBA champion: $10,500; Runner-up: $5,250; Most valuable player: $15,000; All-WNBA First Team member: $10,000; All-Star Game participant: $2,500.[44]

text: Merchandise[edit]

text: The following shows the top jersey sales since the start of the 2017 season.

text:
Jersey Sales

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Player
Elena Delle Donne
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Maya Moore
Sue Bird
Candace Parker
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Brittney Griner
Moriah Jefferson
Nneka Ogwumike

Team
Washington
Seattle
Phoenix
Minnesota
Seattle
Sparks
Dallas
Phoenix
San Antonio
Sparks

text: The following shows the top teams sales since the start of the 2017 season.

text:
Team Sales

Rank
1
2
3
4
5

Team
Minnesota
Washington
Seattle
Phoenix
Los Angeles

text: WNBA Presidents[edit]

text:
Val Ackerman, 1997–2005
Donna Orender, 2005–2010
Laurel J. Richie, 2011–2015
Lisa Borders, 2016–present

text: Attendance[edit]

text: In 2012, however, average attendance per game dropped from 7,955 to 7,457 (-6.3%). Attendance per game stayed consistent at around 7,520 per game. However, in 2015 the WNBA’s attendance per game decreased by 3.4 percent to 7,318. This is a record low for the WNBA since it was created in 1997. Many teams have experienced drops within their attendance; (San Antonio Stars: -37.4%, Washington Mystics: -7.9%, Tulsa Shock: -7.2%)[45] these losses have caused the attendance of the WNBA to drop.

text: President Laurel Richie stated that after the 2015 season ends they will create an expansion committee and begin evaluating if and how the WNBA should go about expanding their reach.

text:
Attendance

1990s[show]

Year
Team

CHA
CLE
DET
HOU
LA
MIN
NY

1997
8,307
7,971

9,814
8,937

13,270

1998
8,561
10,350
10,229
12,602
7,653

14,935

1999
7,080
9,350
8,485
11,906
7,625
10,494
14,047

Year
Team
League

ORL
PHX
SAC
UTA
WAS
Regular season
Postseason

1997

13,703
7,858
7,611

9,684
14,849

1998

13,764
6,578
8,104
15,910
10,869
11,964

1999
9,801
12,219
8,626
7,544
15,306
10,207
12,647

2000s[show]

Year
Team

ATL
CHA
CHI
CLE
CON
DET
HOU
IND
LA
MIA
MIN

2000

5,685

8,596

6,716
12,255
12,267
6,563
7,983
7,290

2001

6,595

9,211

6,834
11,320
8,683
9,278
8,840
7,538

2002

6,667

9,318

5,686
10,866
8,434
11,651
8,828
7,819

2003

7,062

7,400
6,023
7,862
8,835
8,340
9,290

7,074

2004

6,846

6,707
9,462
8,086
7,588
10,428

7,359

2005

5,768

7,173
9,374
7,099
8,382
8,854

6,673

2006

5,941
3,390

7,417
9,380
7,682
7,222
8,311

6,442

2007

3,915

7,970
9,749
8,166
7,032
8,695

7,119

2008
8,316

3,656

7,644
9,569
6,585
7,702
9,508

6,968

2009
7,102

3,932

6,794
8,004

7,939
10,387

7,537

Year
Team
League

NY
ORL
PHX
POR
SAC
SA
SEA
UTA
WAS
Regular season
Postseason

2000
14,498
7,363
10,130
8,317
7,928

8,912
6,420
15,258
9,074
12,222

2001
15,671
7,430
8,558
8,604
8,350

5,954
6,907
15,417
9,074
11,430

2002
14,670
7,115
8,737
8,041
9,011

6,989
7,420
16,202
9,228
11,537

2003
12,123

8,501

9,125
10,384
7,109

14,042
8,800
9,205

2004
9,886

8,017

8,679
8,395
7,899

12,615
8,613
9,490

2005
10,140

7,303

8,542
7,944
8,891

10,088
8,172
8,397

2006
9,120

7,459

8,691
7,397
8,568

7,839
7,490
8,397

2007
8,698

7,737

8,387
7,569
7,974

7,788
7,819
10,312

2008
9,045

8,522

8,180
7,984
8,265

9,096
7,948
8,420

2009
9,800

8,523

7,744
7,527
7,874

11,338
8,039
9,979

LA moved from The Forum to Staples Center prior to the 2001 season.
HOU moved from Compaq Center to Toyota Center prior to the 2003 season.
NY played six games at Radio City Music Hall in 2004.
HOU moved from Toyota Center to Reliant Arena prior to the 2008 season.

2010s[hide]

Year
Team

ATL
CHI
CON
DAL
IND
LA
MIN
NY

2010
6,293
4,293
7,486

8,265
9,468
7,622
11,069

2011
6,487
5,536
7,056

8,054
10,316
8,447
7,702

2012
5,453
5,573
7,266

7,582
10,089
9,683
6,779

2013
5,853
6,601
6,548

8,164
9,869
9,381
7,189

2014
5,864
6,685
5,980

7,900
8,288
9,333
8,949

2015[46]
6,122
6,894
5,557

7,485
9,065
9,364
9,159

2016
5,614
7,009
5,837
5,298
8,575
9,638
9,266
9,724

Year
Team
League

PHX
SA
SEA
TUL
WAS
Regular season
Postseason

2010
8,982
8,041
8,322
4,812
9,357
7,834
10,822

2011
9,167
8,751
8,659
4,828
10,449
7,954
9,232

2012
7,814
7,850
7,486
5,203
8,639
7,452
9,195

2013
8,557
7,914
6,981
5,474
7,838
7,531
7,574

2014
9,557
7,719
6,717
5,566
8,377
7,578[47]
8,200

2015[46]
9,946
4,831
6,516
5,167
7,714
7,318[48]
8,799

2016
10,351
6,385
7,230
—
6,929
7,655[49]
8,719

CHI moved from UIC Pavilion to Allstate Arena prior to the 2010 season.
NY moved temporarily from Madison Square Garden to Prudential Center from 2011 through 2013.
SA moved temporarily from AT&T Center to Freeman Coliseum for the 2015 season.
TUL moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Arlington, Texas prior to the 2016 season and became the Dallas Wings.

text: Media coverage[edit]

text: Currently, WNBA games are televised throughout the U.S. by ABC, ESPN2 and NBA TV.

text: In the early years, two women's-oriented networks, Lifetime and Oxygen, also broadcast games including the first game of the WNBA. NBC showed games from 1997 to 2002 as part of their NBA on NBC coverage before the league transferred the rights to ABC/ESPN.

text: In 2007, the WNBA and ESPN came to an 8-year television agreement. The agreement would be the first to pay television rights fees to the league's teams. Never before has an agreement promised rights fees to a women's professional league. The agreement runs from 2009 to 2016 and is worth millions of dollars.[50]

text: In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN. The new television deal runs from 2009 to 2016. A minimum of 18 games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 each season; the rights to broadcast the first regular season game and the All-Star game are held by ABC. Additionally, a minimum of 11 postseason games will be broadcast on any of the three stations.[51] Along with this deal, came the first ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" will be "dispersed to the league's teams."[50]

text: In 2013 the WNBA and ESPN signed a six-year extension on the broadcast deal to cover 2017–2022. In the new deal, a total of 30 games would be shown each season on ESPN networks. Each team would receive around $1 million per year.[52]

text: Some teams offer games on local radio, while all teams have some games broadcast on local television stations:

text:
Atlanta – Fox Sports South (FS-S), Fox Sports Southeast (FS-SE)
Chicago – WCIU, The U Too
Connecticut – WCCT, WTIC
Dallas – Fox Sports Southwest (FS-SW), KTXD
Indiana – Fox Sports Indiana (FS-I), WISH, WNDY
Los Angeles – Spectrum SportsNet

Minnesota – Fox Sports North (FS-N)
New York – MSG Network (MSG), MSG Plus (MSG+)
Phoenix – Fox Sports Arizona (FS-A)
San Antonio – Fox Sports Southwest (FS-SW)
Seattle – KZJO, KCPQ
Washington – Monumental Network

text: From 2010 to 2011 the regular season broadcast drew 270,000 viewers a growth of 5 percent from 2010s’ numbers.[53] As sponsorships continued to grow with deals from ESPN to air WNBA games on ESPN and ESPN 2. The league did experience some success on the digital forefront. Its saw increases on it mobile page views by 26 percent along with a major increase in its social media space; Instagram grew by 51 percent this past year.

text: WNBA League Pass[edit]

text: In 2009, the WNBA announced the launch of WNBA LiveAccess, a feature on WNBA.com that provides fans with access to more than 200 live game webcasts throughout the WNBA season. All of the WNBA LiveAccess games are then archived for on-demand viewing. Most games (except broadcasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, which are available on ESPN3) are available via this system. The first use of LiveAccess was the E League versus Chicago Sky preseason game.[54]

text: Prior to the 2011 season, LiveAccess was given an overhaul, and the system became more reliable and many new features were added. Before the 2012 season, it was announced that users of LiveAccess would have to pay a $4.99 subscription fee to use the service. In 2013, this was increased to $14.99. In 2014 the streaming service was renamed WNBA League Pass.

text: Viewership[edit]

text:
Year
Season
Telecasts on ESPN2
Average Viewership
+/- over Previous

2005
Regular
Unknown
282,000
+

2006
Regular
14
242,000
+

2007
Regular
16
221,000
–

2008
Regular
13
248,000
+

Playoffs
12
282,000
–

2009
Regular
12
269,000
+

Playoffs
13
435,000
+

2010
Regular
18
258,000
–

Playoffs
7
370,000
–

2011
Regular
11
270,000
+

Playoffs
15
Unknown

2012
Regular
10
180,000
–

Playoffs
19
301,000
+

2013
Regular
13
231,000[55]
+

Playoffs
17
344,000[56]
+

2014
Regular
19
240,000[57]
+

Playoffs
10
489,000[58]
+

2015
Regular
11 (includes 1 on ESPN)
202,000[46]
-

Playoffs
Unknown
Unknown

2016
Regular
Unknown
224,000[59]
+

Playoffs
Unknown
Unknown

text: On the 2008 season opening day (May 17), ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup to showcase new rookie sensation Candace Parker. The game received a little over 1 million viewers.

text: Ratings still remain poor in comparison to NBA games. In 2008, WNBA games averaged just 413,000 viewers, compared to 1.46 million viewers on ESPN and over 2.2 million on ABC for NBA games.[60] In addition, WNBA games have much poorer visibility, attendance, and ratings than NCAA games.[61]

text: All-time franchise history[edit]

text:
Team
Years
Attendance
Avg.
W
L
PCT
Playoffs
Playoffs W
Playoffs L
Playoffs PCT
Titles

Atlanta Dream
2008–present
6,455
131
141
.481
6
14
17
.452
0

Charlotte Sting
1997–2006
6,851
143
179
.444
6
6
13
.316
0

Chicago Sky
2006–present
5,054
149
191
.438
3
5
9
.357
0

Cleveland Rockers
1997–2003
8,885
108
112
.491
4
6
9
.400
0

Connecticut Sun (total) 1
1999–present
7,132
304
266
.533
9
21
20
.512
0

Connecticut Sun
2003–present
6,887
244
198
.552
8
20
18
.526
0

Dallas Wings (total) 3
1998–present
7,382
269
331
.448
9
30
21
.588
3

Dallas Wings
2016–present

0
0
.000
0
0
0
.000
0

Detroit Shock
1998–2009
8,463
210
186
.530
7
30
19
.612
3

Houston Comets
1997–2008
9,592
241
149
.618
9
20
14
.588
4

Indiana Fever
2000–present
8,138
284
254
.528
12
35
32
.522
1

Los Angeles Sparks
1997–present
9,080
372
256
.592
15
34
32
.515
3

Miami Sol
2000–2002
8,556
48
48
.500
1
1
2
.333
0

Minnesota Lynx
1999–present
8,008
292
278
.512
7
30
14
.682
3

New York Liberty
1997–present
10,873
328
300
.522
13
27
34
.443
0

Orlando Miracle
1999–2002
7,927
60
68
.469
1
1
2
.333
0

Phoenix Mercury
1997–present
9,307
324
304
.516
10
32
23
.582
3

Portland Fire
2000–2002
8,321
37
59
.385
0
0
0
.000
0

Sacramento Monarchs
1997–2009
8,287
224
200
.527
9
24
19
.558
1

San Antonio Stars (total) 2
1997–present
7,692
276
352
.439
9
10
23
.303
0

San Antonio Stars
2003–present
7,857
189
252
.429
7
8
18
.308
0

Seattle Storm
2000–present
7,697
272
266
.506
11
19
20
.487
2

Tulsa Shock
2010–2015
5,173
59
145
.289
1
0
2
.000
0

Utah Starzz
1997–2002
7,334
87
99
.468
2
2
5
.286
0

Washington Mystics
1998–present
11,288
242
358
.403
9
6
18
.250
0

text:
1 The Connecticut Sun was known as the Orlando Miracle 1999–2002.
2 The San Antonio Stars were known as the Utah Starzz 1997–2002 and the San Antonio Silver Stars 2003–2013.
3 The Dallas Wings were known as the Tulsa Shock 2010–2015 and the Detroit Shock 1998–2009.