WNBA CHAMPIONS YEAR BY YEAR

The WNBA season resumes on August 15th, so to avoid losing the enthusiasm of those readers who were supporting these posts here’s a look at every WNBA Champion and Runner-Up since their very first season.

1997 CHAMPIONS – HOUSTON COMETS

Runners-Up – New York Liberty

Comment: The Comets downed the Charlotte Sting in the Semifinals before facing New York in the Championship Game.

NOTE: With only 8 teams in the league for this debut season, doing playoffs by an Eastern Conference and Western Conference was not the format used. No “best of” series until the 1998 season, either, just a 1-game clash each step of the way to the title tilt.   

1998 CHAMPIONS – HOUSTON COMETS

Runners-Up – Phoenix Mercury

Comment: The Comets once again eliminated the Sting in the Semifinals, then took on Phoenix for the title, defeating them 2 Games to 1.

NOTE: Ten teams in the league now, but the playoffs still do not go by an Eastern Conference/ Western Conference format. However, a “best of three” series was now used.   

1999 CHAMPIONS – HOUSTON COMETS

Runners-Up – New York Liberty

Comment: The Comets continued their reign as the WNBA’s first Dynasty. They defeated the Los Angeles Sparks to win the Western Conference, then faced the Eastern Conference Champions, the New York Liberty, and triumphed 2 Games to 1.

NOTE: Twelve teams in the league for this season, and an Eastern Conference/ Western Conference format was used.

2000 CHAMPIONS – HOUSTON COMETS

Runners-Up – New York Liberty

Comment: The Comets did what not even the Jordan Bulls or the Kobe-Shaq Lakers could do by winning 4 titles in a row. Houston beat the Los Angeles Sparks for the Western Conference crown, then won the WNBA Championship over the New York Liberty 2 Games to none. 

NOTE: The playoff format expanded to a Semifinals Series and a Finals Series for each Conference before the resulting Conference Champions would face each other.

2001 CHAMPIONS – LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Runners-Up – Charlotte Sting

Comment: The Sparks defeated the Sacramento Monarchs to win the Western Conference on their way to beating the Charlotte Sting 2 Games to none for the overall Championship.

NOTE: Once again a Best of Three format was used for each round of the playoffs.

2002 CHAMPIONS – LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Runners-Up – Charlotte Sting

Comment: Once again the Sparks took down the Sacramento Monarchs for the Western Conference title, then defeated the Charlotte Sting 2 Games to none in the Finals.

NOTE: The dominance of the Western Conference over the Eastern continued for another season.

2003 CHAMPIONS – DETROIT SHOCK

Runners-Up – Los Angeles Sparks

Comment: The Shock defeated the Connecticut Sun for the Eastern Conference Championship, then won a 2 Games to 1 series over Los Angeles in the Finals to give the East its first Championship.

NOTE: Last playoff appearance for the Cleveland Rockers, an Original Eight team.

2004 CHAMPIONS – SEATTLE STORM

Runners-Up – Connecticut Sun

Comment: The Storm beat the Sacramento Monarchs to win the Western Conference, then defeated the Connecticut Sun in the Finals, 2 Games to 1.   

NOTE: After a 1-year aberration, the Western Conference reasserted its dominance over the Eastern Conference.

2005 CHAMPIONS – SACRAMENTO MONARCHS

Runners-Up – Connecticut Sun

Comment: The Monarchs won the Western Conference Finals over the Houston Comets, then won the WNBA Championship against the Sun, 3 Games to 1.

NOTE: This year the Finals became a Best of Five series, but every other round remained at a Best of Three series.   

2006 CHAMPIONS – DETROIT SHOCK

Runners-Up – Sacramento Monarchs

Comment: The Shock took down the Connecticut Sun to win the Eastern Conference before winning the overall Championship 3 Games to 2 over the Monarchs. 

NOTE: Last playoff appearance for the Houston Comets, an Original Eight team.

2007 CHAMPIONS – PHOENIX MERCURY

Runners-Up – Detroit Shock

Comment: The Mercury won the Western Conference over the San Antonio Silver Stars, then defeated the Shock 3 Games to 2 in the Finals.

NOTE: The Best of Five format in the Finals and only the Finals continued.   

2008 CHAMPIONS – DETROIT SHOCK

Runners-Up – San Antonio Silver Stars

Comment: The Shock beat the New York Liberty for the Eastern Conference title on their way to sweeping the Silver Stars 3 Games to none for the WNBA Championship.

NOTE: Detroit continued to be the only exception to the general dominance of the Western Conference.

2009 CHAMPIONS – PHOENIX MERCURY

Runners-Up – Indiana Fever

Comment: The Mercury won the Western Conference title over the Los Angeles Sparks before winning a 3 Games to 2 series over the Fever for the league crown.

NOTE: This year marked the very first playoff appearance of the Atlanta Dream. 

2010 CHAMPIONS – SEATTLE STORM

Runners-Up – Atlanta Dream

Comment: The Storm defeated the Mercury for the Western Conference Championship before sweeping the Atlanta Dream 3 Games to none in the Finals.

NOTE: Atlanta made a big jump from the previous season, but Western Conference mastery was still in place. 

2011 CHAMPIONS – MINNESOTA LYNX

Runners-Up – Atlanta Dream

Comment: The Lynx triumphed over the Mercury to win the Western Conference, then swept Atlanta in the Finals 3 Games to none.

NOTE: The earlier rounds in the playoffs remained at Best of Three, with the Finals the only Best of Five series for the time being.

2012 CHAMPIONS – INDIANA FEVER

Runners-Up – Minnesota Lynx

Comment: The Fever beat the Sun for the Eastern Conference crown and then won the Finals 3 Games to 1 over the Lynx.

NOTE: Last playoff appearance for the San Antonio Silver Stars 

2013 CHAMPIONS – MINNESOTA LYNX

Runners-Up – Atlanta Dream

Comment: After winning the Western Conference title over the Mercury, the Lynx then went on to sweep the Dream 3 Games to none in the Finals.

NOTE: Atlanta had yet to win one single game in a Finals series.

2014 CHAMPIONS – PHOENIX MERCURY

Runners-Up – Chicago Sky

Comment: The Mercury downed the Lynx to take the Western Conference on their way to sweeping the Sky in the Finals, 3 Games to none.

NOTE: The Western Conference imbalance over the Eastern Conference had people agitating for a change to the playoff format, which would happen in a few years.

2015 CHAMPIONS – MINNESOTA LYNX

Runners-Up – Indiana Fever

Comment: The Lynx won the Western Conference Championship over the Mercury, then defeated the Fever in the Finals, 3 Games to 2.

NOTE: Last playoff appearance for the Shock.

2016 CHAMPIONS – LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Runners-Up – Minnesota Lynx

Comment: The Sparks defeated the Sky in the Semifinals series before downing the Lynx in the Finals, 3 Games to 2.

NOTE: Though the WNBA remained divided into an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference, Western dominance had prompted a change to the playoffs in which teams would be seeded based on their ranking. Also, the Semifinals series joined the Finals as Best of Five.

2017 CHAMPIONS – MINNESOTA LYNX

Runners-Up – Los Angeles Sparks

Comment: The Lynx overcame the Washington Mystics in the Semifinals series, then went on to beat the Sparks 3 Games to 2 in the Finals.

NOTE: First playoff appearance for the Dallas Wings. 

2018 CHAMPIONS – SEATTLE STORM

Runners-Up – Washington Mystics

Comment: The Storm won the Semifinals series over the Mercury before defeating the Mystics in a 3-Game sweep in the Finals.

NOTE: This was the third year under the new format for the playoffs.

2019 CHAMPIONS – WASHINGTON MYSTICS

Runners-Up – Connecticut Sun

Comment: The Mystics won the Semifinals by beating the Las Vegas Aces on their way to a 3 Games to 2 Finals victory over the Sun.

NOTE: First playoff appearance for the Las Vegas Aces.

2020 CHAMPIONS – SEATTLE STORM

Runners-Up – Las Vegas Aces

Comment: The Storm defeated the Lynx in the Semifinals before winning the Finals in a 3-Game sweep of the Aces.

NOTE: The Aces made a big jump from the previous season to the Finals this season. 

2021 CHAMPIONS – CHICAGO SKY

Runners-Up – Phoenix Mercury

Comment: The Sky beat the Wings in the First Round, the Lynx in the 2nd and the Sun in the Semifinals enroute to a 3 Games to 1 victory over the Mercury in the Finals.

NOTE: The Sky became the first team under the new format to fight all the way from the First Round to the Championship. Certain teams got Byes in the early rounds. 

2022 CHAMPIONS – LAS VEGAS ACES

Runners-Up – Connecticut Sun

Comment: The Aces defeated the Mercury and then the Storm in the Semifinals before facing the Sun in the Finals. Las Vegas won 3 Games to 1.

NOTE: This was called “The Gamblers’ Finals” because of one team being from Las Vegas and the Sun being owned by the Mohegan Indian Tribe’s Mohegan Sun Casino. 

2023 CHAMPIONS – LAS VEGAS ACES

Runners-Up – New York Liberty

Comment: In early postseason play the Aces defeated the Sky, then the Wings in the Semifinals and then the Liberty in the Finals, 3 Games to 1.

NOTE: The Aces won back-to-back WNBA Championships and are in the hunt again this year.