On April 24, 1996, women’s basketball announced “We Got Next” as the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to begin play in June 1997. Since then, the WNBA has been the home for the best women’s basketball talent in the world. With the league celebrating its 22nd season in 2018, take a look back at WNBA’s bright history.
Jump to: Champions | All Star | Draft | Awards | WNBA20 Video Vault
CHAMPIONS
The Seattle Storm concluded a dominant season by defeating the Washington Mystics, 3-0, in the 2018 WNBA Finals. Seattle entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after finishing with a 26-8 record. Regular season MVP Breanna Stewart also earned Finals MVP honors.
More: All-Time WNBA Champions
Playoffs: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 |
WNBA ALL-STAR
For the third straight All-Star Game, Maya Moore earned MVP — this time under a new format that pitted Candace’s Team Parker against Elena’s Team Delle Donne following the first-ever All-Star player draft. The Minnesota Lynx star tallied 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in Team Parker’s 119-112 victory. All-Star will shift to Las Vegas next season, being held July 27, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
More: Past All-Star Game Results
Recent All-Star Hubs: 2018 | 2017 | 2015
WNBA DRAFT
With their second draft pick since their move to Las Vegas, the Aces selected Notre Dame guard Jackie Young as No. 1 overall in WNBA Draft 2019 at the Nike New York Headquarters.
Team History: Atlanta | Chicago | Connecticut | Dallas | Indiana | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Minnesota | New York | Phoenix | Seattle | Washington
Drafts: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
League Info: All-Time Draft Picks | Past No. 1 Picks Gallery
SEASON AWARDS
In just her third WNBA season, Breanna Stewart earned MVP honors after leading the Seattle Storm to the league’s best record. Remarkably, she was the 10th different player over the past 10 years to win the award.
Awards Hub: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
History: Awards History | Past WNBA Player of the Week awards
WNBA20 VIDEO VAULT
To celebrate the league’s 20th season in 2016, WNBA.com gathered elements of the rich history, from the classic games and plays to the iconic players on and off the court. Launch Video Vault
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For 22 years the WNBA has featured the game’s best players and created some of the best moments in women’s basketball history. Take a look back at some of the teams and players that have left their mark on this league.
All-Time Leaders: Points | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | Steals