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87-420: The Women's National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 2000 WNBA season , to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote

174-506: A 66-game regular season following the lockout. 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

261-777: A fairly even standard of play, the Liberty made their way into the WNBA playoffs. However, the Liberty fell to the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Just before the 2014 WNBA draft , the New York Liberty traded Kelsey Bone, the fourth overall pick in the 2014 WNBA draft (Alyssa Thomas) and the fourth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA draft to the Connecticut Sun for WNBA All-Star Tina Charles , who had requested

348-586: A faster pace. As a league, the 2010 average of 80.35 points per game was the best, far surpassing the 69.2 average in the league's inaugural season . On October 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma , to become the Tulsa Shock . On November 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners,

435-462: A milestone as the first team-oriented women's professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary, the WNBA released its All-Decade Team , comprising the ten WNBA players who had contributed, through on-court play and off-court activities, the most to women's basketball during the league's existence. After not making it to the Finals in 2004 and 2005,

522-523: A month later on January 7, 2022. On the roster, the team brought in Stefanie Dolson of the defending champion Chicago Sky and drafted Nyara Sabally fifth overall, though the latter would miss her whole rookie season with an injury. In Brondello's first season at the helm, the team was forced to overcome an early injury to Laney and got off to a 1–7 start. But the All-Star efforts of Ionescu and Howard kept

609-604: A new CBA to take effect with the 2020 season and running through 2027. Among the features of the new agreement were: Also in January 2020, the WNBA announced a new in-season tournament, the Commissioner's Cup , which would begin with the 2020 season. Each team was scheduled to play 10 Cup games during the season: specifically, the first home and road games against each team in its conference. The final Cup games were to be played in July, with

696-607: A new logo, featuring a simplified version of their Statue of Liberty branding. The color black was also made one of the primary colors, echoing the aesthetic of their NBA brother squad, the Brooklyn Nets. The Liberty began the 2020 season, held in a "bubble" in Bradenton, Florida , due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with seven rookies on their opening-night roster. The team suffered a major blow in their third game, in which Ionescu suffered

783-462: A severe ankle sprain that ultimately ended her season. The Liberty ended the season with a league-worst 2–20 record. Despite the lack of wins, one of the first-year players, 12th overall pick Jazmine Jones , was named to the Associated Press and WNBA's All-Rookie teams. The Liberty made major splashes during the 2021 offseason. Prior to its first season as full-time tenants of Barclays Center,

870-561: A trade. In February 2015, Pondexter was traded to the Chicago Sky for Epiphanny Prince . On May 5, 2015, the Liberty hired Thomas as team president overseeing all business and basketball operations of the franchise. Under Thomas' leadership as team president and the coaching staff led by Bill Laimbeer as head coach, the Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference during the 2015 season. On August 2, 2015, during halftime at

957-432: A transition for the Liberty and with team leader Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA career winding down, fan favorite Becky Hammon emerged as a star player. The 2004 season saw Hammon replacing Weatherspoon as the team's starting point guard. The Liberty played six of their home games during the 2004 season at Radio City Music Hall as Madison Square Garden was hosting the 2004 Republican National Convention . These games marked

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1044-573: A worst-to-first turnaround with the Shock finishing the season 25–9 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. After 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 defeated the Sparks , winning Game Three on a three-pointer by Deanna Nolan . After the 2003 season , the Cleveland Rockers , one of

1131-561: Is played in October. The All-Star Game occurs midway through the season in July (except in Olympic years). The league hosts an annual mid-season competition, the Commissioner's Cup , the dates of which vary from year to year. The WNBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in

1218-605: Is provided for the Cup, with players on the winning team guaranteed a minimum bonus of $ 30,000 and those of the losing team guaranteed $ 10,000, with the championship game MVP receiving an extra $ 5,000. New York Liberty The Liberty have qualified for the WNBA playoffs in nineteen of its twenty-eight years. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as Teresa Weatherspoon , Rebecca Lobo , Becky Hammon , Leilani Mitchell , Essence Carson , Cappie Pondexter , Tina Charles ,

1305-419: Is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points; and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. In 2019 , Leilani Mitchell became the first player in history to win the award twice, after winning the award in 2010. In 2004 , there was a tie -- both Kelly Miller and Wendy Palmer received

1392-635: The 2001 WNBA 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 WNBA Finals and swept the Charlotte Sting . 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 , who formerly for the Los Angeles Lakers . Again, Leslie dominated her opponents throughout

1479-516: The 2020 WNBA draft , entering that draft with three first-round picks plus two in the early second round. Shortly before the draft, they traded former league MVP Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics in a deal that also involved the Dallas Wings . They chose Sabrina Ionescu as the first pick , with Megan Walker and Jazmine Jones selected later in that round. The team also introduced

1566-452: The 2024 WNBA Finals . On March 12, 2024, it was announced that Liberty games would be broadcast on WNYW and WWOR beginning with the 2024 season. On June 4, 2024, the Liberty launched their direct-to-consumer service "Liberty Live", which would be the streaming home of the New York Liberty. Previously, games had been broadcast on MSG Network and the YES Network . Broadcasters for

1653-512: 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 on January 8, 2007. Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records with Chicago receiving the first pick. Former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach, Paul Westhead , was named head coach of

1740-729: The Connecticut Sun 67–100. 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

1827-519: The Finals , the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22,076 fans in game five to claim their first-ever WNBA title. 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 voted for their choice of the new team's nickname and colors. The Dream , as they were named, played their first regular-season game on May 17, losing to

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1914-563: The Houston Comets in 1997 , 1999 , and 2000 , the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023 . The New York Liberty introduced their Mascot, Ellie the Elephant on May 6, 2021. Prior to the team's first season, to avoid potential trademark infringement, the team purchased the trademarks of the defunct Liberty Basketball Association. When the WNBA opened in 1997,

2001-675: 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 seemed to be evidenced by higher scoring, better defense, and higher shooting percentages. By

2088-625: 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. 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

2175-967: The New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles . The Liberty defeated the Sparks 67-57. A crowd of 14,284 attended the game at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California . 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 with NBC ( NBA rights holder), the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN , and Lifetime Television Network. Penny Toler scored

2262-520: 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 . The Mercury were well-suited for

2349-610: The Prudential Center in Newark , New Jersey , for their 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons while the renovations were ongoing. Pondexter and Plenette Pierson , along with improved play from Vaughn, allowed New York to be competitive early in the 2011 season. The team went into the All-Star break in third place in the Eastern Conference. In August, Sidney Spencer was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kara Braxton . By maintaining

2436-523: 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 out first-seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs. The Shock faced reigning champion Sacramento Monarchs in a five-game series, winning in Game Five on their home floor. In December 2006,

2523-563: The Shock dynasty. 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. The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71–55 in front of over 19,000 fans. 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

2610-608: The Tulsa Shock moved in 2016 to the Dallas–Fort Worth region in Texas and were renamed the Dallas Wings , and in 2018 the San Antonio Stars went to Nevada , becoming the Las Vegas Aces . During the 2018 season, the WNBA players' union opted out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, which ended after the 2019 season. In January 2020, the league and union announced that they had reached an agreement on

2697-611: The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center . The Indiana Fever defeated the Liberty in the Outdoor Classic. In the 2009 WNBA draft , the Liberty selected local favorite Kia Vaughn from Rutgers. With a solid core group, the Liberty looked to be a contender in the East yet again. In the 2009 season, however, they never proved to be a contender and the team fired head coach Pat Coyle . To replace Coyle,

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2784-592: The Westchester Knicks , while still continuing to pursue a sale. In 2018, the Liberty failed to make the playoffs, with a 7–27 record. On January 23, 2019, the Liberty were sold to Joseph Tsai, co-founder of the Alibaba Group, a Chinese internet company, who then owned 49% of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets , and Clara Wu Tsai , an American businesswoman and founder of nonprofit organization Reform Alliance . Isiah Thomas

2871-521: The 2003 preseason and the 2003 WNBA draft . As a result of the strike, the league received negative publicity. Former Detroit Pistons forward, Bill Laimbeer , took over the Detroit Shock in 2002 as head coach and general manager. He had high hopes for the Detroit Shock , despite the team having gone just 9–23 its previous season. Three Shock members made it the 2003 All-Star Game ( Swin Cash , Cheryl Ford , and Deanna Nolan ) and Laimbeer orchestrated

2958-525: The 2010 Most Improved Player Award winner Leilani Mitchell, the team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals , where they lost to the Atlanta Dream. The team had high hopes for 2011, after the hiring of former WNBA champion head coach John Whisenant . Janel McCarville did not report to training camp, seeking time with her family, and as such, was suspended for the duration of

3045-495: The 2011 season. This caused division and discord within the New York Liberty fanbase. Kia Vaughn was unexpectedly thrust into the role of starting Center. The Liberty were originally scheduled to be displaced from their usual home court due to renovations at Madison Square Garden scheduled to begin in 2009. However, the renovation plans were delayed, and the Liberty played at the Garden in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty ended up playing in

3132-640: The 6th overall pick and returned to the WNBA Finals, where they again faced the Comets. In Game 2, Teresa Weatherspoon's halfcourt shot at the buzzer gave the Liberty a one-point road win that tied the series at a game apiece. However, the Liberty lost the third game of the series and the Comets became champions for a third straight time. In 2000, the Liberty traded for Tari Phillips who blossomed in New York and made four straight All-Star teams. In 2001, Weatherspoon became

3219-559: The Associated Press' Rookie of the Year Award. New York finished the year with a 12–20 record but the 10-game improvement in the win column was enough to push the team into the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2017. Seeded eighth, the Liberty put up a valiant effort against No. 5 Phoenix in the opening but fell by an 83–82 final. On December 6, 2021, the Liberty and head coach Walt Hopkins Jr. parted ways. The team would hire former Phoenix head coach Sandy Brondello in his place just over

3306-499: The Bradenton complex, and all games and practices took place there. Players had until June 25 to let their teams know whether they planned to participate. On March 15, 2021, an announcement was made that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo, basketball, and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called "Count It". As part of the campaign, the league unveiled The W25 , consisting of 25 players determined to be

3393-539: The Connecticut Sun in a three-team deal that also obtained reserve Kayla Thornton from the Dallas Wings. The Liberty then added the equally accomplished Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot in free agency. Over the ensuing season, the Liberty won a franchise-record 32 games and defeated the Las Vegas Aces in the Commissioner's Cup in-season competition, with Jones securing MVP honors. The Liberty then took down

3480-468: The Liberty added WNBA champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb in a multi-team trade that sent Kia Nurse and Megan Walker to the Phoenix Mercury and signed Betnijah Laney , the league's 2020 Most Improved Player Award winner. The team then added Michaela Onyenwere and DiDi Richards in the 2021 WNBA draft. Laney would represent the Liberty at the 2021 WNBA All-Star Game while Onyenwere won

3567-408: The Liberty hired then-Liberty assistant coach Anne Donovan on an interim basis. Despite the coaching change, the franchise continued to struggle, finishing 13–21, their second worst record in franchise history. The New York Liberty fared better in 2010, during Donovan's first and only full season as head coach. Led by newly signed high scorer Cappie Pondexter (formerly of the Phoenix Mercury ) and

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3654-462: The Liberty were one of the first teams to choose a player, and they signed college superstar Rebecca Lobo ( UConn ) to a contract. Lobo was a starter for two seasons, but was injured in 1999. Her injuries eventually led to her retirement several seasons later. Point guard Teresa Weatherspoon emerged as a star, and the Liberty made it to the 1997 championship game, where the team lost to the Houston Comets . In 1999, they added Crystal Robinson with

3741-436: The Playoffs, leading the Sparks to a perfect 6–0 record, beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals . 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

3828-566: 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 . The WNBA awarded an 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. In 2006, the league reached

3915-470: The Shock in Detroit, 76–73 and 71–70 (OT), respectively. In 2008, the Liberty drafted former Rutgers shooting guard Essence Carson and former North Carolina forward Erlana Larkins, and signed former Utah point guard Leilani Mitchell during the preseason. Despite having the youngest average age of any WNBA team, the Liberty managed to win 19 regular season games in 2008, to defeat the Connecticut Sun in

4002-500: The United States (a distinction held by the defunct WBL ), the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA . The WNBA logo, "Logo Woman", paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs. 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. The first WNBA game featured

4089-536: The United States. The league's headquarters are located in New York, NY . The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996, and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo , Lisa Leslie , and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance. The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League , another professional women's basketball league that began play in

4176-505: The WNBA's all-time assist leader. Teamed with Robinson, Phillips and an emerging Sue Wicks , who was once a back-up to Lobo at forward but made the 2000 All-Star game, Weatherspoon and the Liberty subsequently returned to the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost once again to the Comets and to the Los Angeles Sparks , respectively. The Liberty also advanced to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2001. The 2003 season marked

4263-481: The Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun in the WNBA playoffs to earn their first WNBA Finals berth since 2002. Las Vegas, however, took revenge and the best-of-five series in four games. New York retained most of its core from the Finals run, re-signing both Jones and Stewart. Further assisted by the emergence of WNBA rookie Leonie Fiebich , the Liberty once again won 32 games, tying the franchise record set

4350-401: The Washington Mystics in the second round of the 2017 WNBA playoffs. In November 2017, the Madison Square Garden Company and James L. Dolan announced they were actively looking to sell the franchise. After not immediately finding a buyer, MSG relocated most of the Liberty's 2018 home games to Westchester County Center in nearby White Plains, New York , the home of MSG's NBA G League team

4437-406: The award. Nicole Powell , Natasha Howard , and Jackie Young are the only players to win the Most Improved award and a WNBA title in the same year. Women%27s National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) is a women's professional basketball league based in the United States and will include 13 teams as of the 2025 season. It is considered as

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4524-420: 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). McCoughtry led her team to the Finals for the second straight year, but despite breaking her own Finals scoring record, the Dream were swept for

4611-414: The end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another. 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 series since the Seattle Storm . The promotion of Griner , Delle Donne , and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent, and half of the teams ended

4698-416: The end of it. We expect to keep growing the league." In 1999, the league's chief competition, the American Basketball League (ABL), declared bankruptcy. 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 ), joined the rosters of WNBA teams, enhancing

4785-546: The end of the 2011 regular season , nine of the twelve teams in the league had increased attendance over their 2010 averages . 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

4872-409: The end of the season to get the last playoff spot by winning 3 out of their last 4 games, beating the Washington Mystics on the tiebreaker of head-to-head record. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Liberty, as huge underdogs, faced the defending champion Detroit Shock in a best-of-three series. The Liberty defeated the Shock in game 1 in New York. In games 2 and 3 the Liberty lost both games to

4959-405: The fall of 1996, but would cease operation during its 1998–99 season. 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. While not the first major women's professional basketball league in

5046-445: The fast offense driven by their three stars. Phoenix averaged a league-record 88.97 points per game in 2007. Other teams could not keep up with their new style of play, and the Mercury were propelled into first place in the Western Conference. Facing the reigning champions, the 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

5133-403: The first WNBA championship game. The initial "We Got Next" advertisement ran before each season until it was replaced with a "We Got Game" campaign. Two teams were added in 1998 ( Detroit and Washington ), and two more in 1999 ( Orlando and Minnesota ), bringing the total number of teams in the league up to 12. The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and

5220-403: 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 . The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) 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

5307-466: The first round of playoff action, and to come within two points of defeating the Detroit Shock in the third and last game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, the Detroit series entailed a Liberty victory at home in Game 1, followed by narrow defeats away in Games 2 and 3. The 2008 season also featured the " Liberty Outdoor Classic ", the first ever professional regular season basketball game to be played outdoors, on July 19 at Arthur Ashe Stadium of

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5394-481: The first round of the playoffs. The Liberty had a poor 2006 season, winning only 11 games. At the beginning of the 2007 WNBA season, the team traded Becky Hammon to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Jessica Davenport , a first round pick in the 2007 WNBA draft . They also acquired center Janel McCarville through the dispersal draft associated with the dissolution of the Charlotte Sting . The 2007 Liberty started out 5–0, then lost 7 straight games, then rallied at

5481-421: The first time Radio City had hosted a professional sporting event since the Roy Jones Jr. boxing match held in 1999. With team leader Tari Phillips being signed away to the Houston Comets, Ann Wauters emerged as a force at the team's starting center position in 2005. However, she was injured midway through the season. The loss of Wauters was felt as the team was swept two games to none by the Indiana Fever in

5568-486: The first two rounds to advance to the Finals in only the third year of the team's existence. 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. The 2011 season began with strong publicity brought on by

5655-416: The franchise could be found. A dispersal draft took place on December 8, 2008, with the first pick, Sancho Lyttle , taken by the Atlanta Dream . 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

5742-424: The game against the Seattle Storm , the New York Liberty inducted WNBA legend Becky Hammon into the Liberty's Ring of Honor. Thomas presented Hammon with her ring during the induction ceremony at Madison Square Garden . Hammon is currently the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces . After qualifying for the 2016 WNBA playoffs , the Liberty lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round. The Liberty lost to

5829-446: The league's first point. The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo , Lisa Leslie , and Sheryl Swoopes . In the league's first season, Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks underperformed and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy. Perhaps the WNBA's first star was MVP Cynthia Cooper , Swoopes' teammate on the Houston Comets . The Comets defeated Lobo's New York Liberty in

5916-406: The league's greatest and most influential, as chosen by a panel of media and pioneering women's players. The delayed launch of the Commissioner's Cup was officially announced on May 12, 2021, two days before the start of the regular season. The originally planned schedule, with the first home game and first road game of each team against each of its fellow conference members doubling as Cup games,

6003-440: The league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes , Tina Thompson , and Cynthia Cooper (who won the Finals MVP for all four championships), the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor , the team posted a 98–24 record their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs ). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league, and the Comets ' dynasty came to an end. The top contender in

6090-414: The league's original eight teams, folded because its owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise . 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

6177-414: The league, marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women's professional sports . That year, the WNBA also announced that it would add four more teams for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever , the Seattle Storm , the Miami Sol , and the Portland Fire ), bringing the league up to 16 teams. WNBA President Val Ackerman discussed expansion by saying, "This won't be

6264-464: The most thrilling games in WNBA history in game one of the series (Phoenix winning in overtime, 120–116). The Mercury beat the Fever in game five, this time on their home court, capturing their second WNBA championship. 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

6351-566: The overall quality of play in the league . When a lockout resulted in an abbreviated NBA season, the WNBA saw faltering TV viewership . 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 . At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since

6438-530: The premier professional women's basketball league in the world. The league was founded on April 24, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA). League play began in 1997. The regular season runs from May to September, with each team playing 44 games. The top eight teams (regardless of conference) qualify for the playoffs, culminating in the WNBA Finals , which

6525-463: 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

6612-443: The rising young stars of the league and the NBA lockout. 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 not affect 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

6699-462: The season profitable. 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 . Two more franchise relocations happened in the following years, as

6786-471: The second straight year, this time by the Minnesota Lynx , which won its first title behind a fully healthy Seimone Augustus . 2012 featured a long Olympic break. The Indiana Fever won that year's WNBA championship. 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

6873-584: 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

6960-464: The team afloat and they would end the season on a three-game winning streak to secure its second consecutive playoff berth. In the ensuing postseason, the Liberty won the opening game of a best-of-three set with the Chicago Sky but dropped the latter pair. In 2023, the Liberty made several major transactions that turned them into immediate contenders: the team acquired 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones from

7047-427: The team's first-ever No.1 overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu , Breanna Stewart , Jonquel Jones , and Courtney Vandersloot . In 2024, the New York Liberty won their first WNBA Championship beating the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals . The Liberty have three conference championships, and one WNBA championship. They have played in the WNBA Finals six times— defeating the Minnesota Lynx in 2024 , and losing to

7134-581: The top team in the Cup standings from each conference advancing to a one-off Cup final in August. The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a month-long break in July and August to allow players to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics . The 2020 games were postponed until 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , rendering the break unnecessary. On April 3, 2020, the WNBA announced that the beginning of its own schedule would be postponed. The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it

7221-443: The top three picks. The draft was the first to be televised in primetime on ESPN . Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins were thus labeled "The Three To See." With the draft came other 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

7308-575: The year before. The Liberty also returned to the Commissioner's Cup final but were denied a repeat by the Minnesota Lynx. This time around, the 32 wins were good enough to secure the top seed on the WNBA playoff bracket, which saw the Liberty sweep the eighth-ranked Atlanta Dream in two games before defeating the Aces 3-1 in the semifinals. New York won its first WNBA Championship beating the Minnesota Lynx in

7395-404: Was done remotely. No details of the revised schedule were announced as of the time of the draft, and the Commissioner's Cup was ultimately not held in 2020. In June 2020, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for the league to have a 22-game regular season, and a traditional playoff format, to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida . The players were housed at

7482-415: Was maintained. All Cup games within each conference were played before the league took its Olympic break after July 11. The Cup final, officially termed the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, involves the conference leaders in the Cup standings; its first edition was held on August 12 as the league's first game after the Olympic break, and was streamed via Amazon Prime Video . A prize pool of $ 500,000

7569-739: Was relieved of his duties a month later, on February 21, 2019. During the 2019 season, the Liberty played two games in Brooklyn at the Nets' home of the Barclays Center , with the rest still in White Plains. Later that year, Joseph Tsai became the sole owner of the Nets and the Barclays Center. For the 2020 season, the Tsais relocated the Liberty to Brooklyn on a full-time basis. The Liberty were major players in

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