WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. The series is played between the winners of the playoff semifinals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winner of the WNBA Finals is presented the championship trophy. The WNBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every WNBA season in history, the first being held in 1997.

Playoff formatThere are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the single elimination, the best-of- series, the total points series more commonly known as on aggregate, and the round-robin tournament. Single eliminationA single-elimination ("knockout") playoff pits the participants in one-game matches, with the loser being dropped from the competition.

1988 NBA FinalsDatesJune 7–21MVPJames Worthy(Los Angeles Lakers)Hall of FamersPistons:Adrian Dantley (2008)Joe Dumars (2006)Dennis Rodman (2011)Isiah Thomas (2000)Lakers:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)Michael Cooper (2024)Magic Johnson (2002)James Worthy (2003)Coaches:Chuck Daly (1994)Pat Riley (2008)Officials:Hugh Evans (2022)Darell Garretson (2016)Earl Strom (1995)Eastern finalsPistons defeated Celtics, 4–2Western finalsLakers defeated Mavericks, 4–3← 1987NBA Finals1989 →The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1987–88 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs.

NBA FinalsThe NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the original Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1976–77 following the ABA–NBA merger, though under the name "World Championship Trophy" before being renamed in 1983-84.

WNBA playoffsThe WNBA playoffs is an elimination tournament among eight teams in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals. FormatIn the current format of the WNBA playoffs, the top eight teams in the regular season – regardless of conference – participate in a single-elimination tournament system.

1997 WNBA ChampionshipDatesAugust 30MVPCynthia Cooper (Houston Comets)Hall of FamersComets:Cynthia Cooper (2010)Sheryl Swoopes (2016)Tina Thompson (2018)Liberty:Rebecca Lobo (2017)Teresa Weatherspoon (2019)Coaches:Van Chancellor (2007)Eastern finalsNew York defeated Phoenix 59-41Western finalsHouston defeated Charlotte 70-54WNBA Finals1998 →The 1997 WNBA Championship was the championship game of the 1997 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.

Michael CooperMichael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956), nicknamed "Coop", is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles men's basketball team. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning five NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era.

National Basketball AssociationNorth American professional basketball leagueThe National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The league is headquartered in New York City and Secaucus, New Jersey.

Bill LaimbeerWilliam J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American former professional basketball coach and player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his physical style of play, he played a big part in the Pistons earning the nickname the “Bad Boys" in the mid-1980s before helping them win back-to-back NBA championships.Women's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in North America composed of 15 teams (14 in the United States and 1 in Canada), scheduled to expand to 18 by 2030. The WNBA is one of the professional women's sports leagues in North America. The league is headquartered in New York City. The WNBA was founded on April 24, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA); league play began in 1997.

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