THE TWELVE COOLEST TEAM NAMES IN WNBA HISTORY

With the WNBA season well underway what better time for a look at the coolest team names in the league’s history. This list will include franchises that folded along with teams that are still active.

12. HOUSTON COMETS

Established: 1997

Comment: The Comets were one of the Original Eight WNBA franchises and were the league’s very first dynasty. The Comets won the WNBA championship for the first four years of the league’s existence. To put that in perspective not even the NBA’s Jordan/Pippin Bulls or Kobe/Shaq Lakers were able to win four titles in a row.

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11. LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Established: 1997

Comment: Another Original Eight franchise, the Sparks labored in the shadow of the Houston Comets for years. In 2001 the Sparks seized the opportunity to unseat the Comets as Western Conference Champions and went on to win the 2001 and 2002 WNBA titles. High-profile University of Tennessee player Candace Parker joined the Sparks for the 2008 season.

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10. SEATTLE STORM

Established: 2000

Comment: The Storm struggled out of the gate but by the 2004 season won the first of their two WNBA championships. The second title for Seattle came six years later in the 2010 season. There’s no denying that the Storm is an incredibly catchy name for a sports franchise and the team also boasts what may be the coolest logo in the entire WNBA.

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9. NEW YORK LIBERTY

Established: 1997

Comment: The New York Liberty played the Los Angeles Sparks in the very first WNBA game, televised on NBC in 1997. This Original Eight franchise has not yet won a league title but they did make the Finals by winning the Eastern Conference Championship in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002. The Liberty’s intense rivalry with the Houston Comets was a very gripping part of WNBA post-season action during its early years.

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8. MINNESOTA LYNX

Established: 1999

Comment: The WNBA seasons of 2011 and 2012 were largely the story of the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx took the league title in 2011 but after dominating the 2012 regular season and the Western Conference Playoffs wound up losing in the WNBA Finals to the Indiana Fever by three games to one. As with the Storm it’s hard to tell which is cooler – the Lynx’s name or their franchise’s logo.

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7. CHARLOTTE STING

Established: 1997

Comment: Back to an Original Eight franchise for the number seven spot in our countdown. The Charlotte Sting, like many of the WNBA’s teams, sported names that were similar to the NBA franchise that sponsored them, in this case the (then) Charlotte Hornets. It’s a nice and fairly unique name for a team. On the court the Sting won the Eastern Conference Championship in 2001 but went on to get swept in the WNBA Finals by the Los Angeles Sparks led by Lisa Leslie.

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6. DETROIT/ TULSA SHOCK

Established: 1998

Comment: The Detroit Shock were one of the first expansion teams in WNBA history and were the first team to go from last place one year to league champions the next. The Shock won the WNBA title in 2003, 2006 and 2008. In 2007 Detroit won the Eastern Conference Championship but were defeated in the Finals three games to two by Phoenix. Since moving to Tulsa in 2010 the Shock has yet to make it back to the playoffs.

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5. WASHINGTON MYSTICS

Established: 1998

Comment: The Mystics were another 1998 expansion team in the WNBA and bore a similar name to their NBA sponsors, the Washington Wizards. The Mystics have had a very checkered history and though they are sometimes in the League cellar they have made the WNBA playoffs in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010. That last post-season appearance came after the Mystics’ best season ever, but though they were the one seeds they were swept in the first round three games to none by the Atlanta Dream.

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4. ORLANDO MIRACLE

Established: 1999

Comment: The NBA’s Orlando Magic were the sponsoring team of the Orlando Miracle. The team made the WNBA playoffs in the year 2000 and in 2003 relocated to Connecticut when they were purchased by the Mohegan Native American Tribe. The franchise was renamed the Connecticut Sun in honor of the tribe’s Mohegan Sun casino. Since the relocation the team took back-to- back Eastern Conference Championships in 2004 and 2005 but lost in the Finals to the Seattle Storm in a sweep and to the Sacramento Monarchs three games to one. 

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3. PHOENIX MERCURY

Established: 1997

Comment: This Original Eight franchise was sponsored by the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The team’s unique name and butt-kicking logo are a large part of their overall charm. The Mercury made it all the way to the WNBA Finals in 1998 before losing to Houston. Since then Phoenix has been back to the Finals twice, in 2007 and 2009, winning three games to two both times, first against the Detroit Shock and then against the Indiana Fever.

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2. CLEVELAND ROCKERS

Established: 1997

Comment: Another Original Eight team! The Rockers’ memorable name was a reference to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The team boasted Lynette Woodard, the very first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters, on their initial roster. The Rockers had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference in 1998 and 2001. Cleveland also made the playoffs in 2003, but their 2001 team set a still-standing league record in defense, allowing just 55.9 points per game.

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1. SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS

Established: 1997

Comment: The Silver Stars began their existence as the Utah Starzz, the two z’s a result of the NBA’s Utah Jazz being their sponsoring team. In 2003 they relocated and became the San Antonio Silver Stars, a name that is appealing on a variety of levels. San Antonio won the Western Conference Championship in 2008 but were swept in the Finals three games to none by the Detroit Shock. The franchise also made the playoffs in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2009 through 2012. 

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FOR MORE COOL NAMES AND COOL LOGOS CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/category/cool-names-and-cool-logos/

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