2021 WNBA season | |
---|---|
![]() Official logo used for the WNBA's 25th season | |
League | Women's National Basketball Association |
Sport | Basketball |
Duration | May 14 – September 19 |
Number of games | 32 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Total attendance | 434,906 |
Average attendance | 2,636 |
TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBSSN, NBA TV |
Top draft pick | Charli Collier |
Picked by | Dallas Wings |
Season MVP |
![]() ![]() |
Finals champions | Chicago Sky |
Runners-up | Phoenix Mercury |
Finals MVP |
![]() |
The 2021 WNBA season was the 25th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Seattle Storm were the defending champions. In the playoffs, the Chicago Sky won in four games over the Phoenix Mercury. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams played a 32-game season (rather than the 36 games agreed to in the original 2020 season schedule) that included mini two-game series to reduce travel. [1] [2] The regular season ran from May 14 to September 19, with a break from July 12 to August 11 for the Olympic Games. [2]
This season also marked the launch of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which had been intended to start in the 2020 season but was delayed due to COVID-19. The first home game and first away game for each team against each of its conference opponents doubled as Cup games; all such games were played before the league took its Olympic break. The Cup final, officially called the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, featured the conference leaders in the Cup standings and was held on August 12, three days before the rest of the league resumed play, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A prize pool of $500,000 was 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, and the championship game MVP receiving an extra $5,000. [3] The Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun 79-57 to win the inaugural cup. Breanna Stewart was named MVP of the game.
The season had 100 games broadcast on national networks, including 25 across ABC and ESPN networks, 40 on CBS networks, and 35 on NBA TV. [4] The remainder of games were broadcast on local networks and the WNBA's League Pass service; several games were also streamed on Twitter, Amazon Prime, [5] and Oculus. [4]
This season saw Wilson take over as the league's ball supplier. Spalding previously held the contract for the league's first 24 seasons. [6]
The New York Liberty won the first pick in the 2021 WNBA draft in the draft lottery, but the pick was later traded to the Dallas Wings who picked Charli Collier.
Free agency negotiations started on January 15, 2021, and the signing period began on February 1, 2021. [17]
Off-season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | 2020 season | 2021 season | Reference |
Dallas Wings | Brian Agler | Vickie Johnson | [18] [19] |
Atlanta Dream | Nicki Collen | Mike Petersen (interim) | [20] |
Mid-season | |||
Team | Departing Coach | New Coach | Reference |
Seattle Storm | Dan Hughes | Noelle Quinn | [21] |
Atlanta Dream | Mike Petersen (interim) | Darius Taylor (interim) | [22] |
July 14, 2021
7:00 p.m. ET |
Team USA 85, Team WNBA 93 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 15–19, 23–22, 19–27 | ||
Pts:
Brittney Griner 17 Rebs: Sylvia Fowles 7 Asts: Sue Bird 8 |
Pts:
Arike Ogunbowale 26 Rebs: Jonquel Jones 14 Asts: Courtney Vandersloot 7 |
Michelob Ultra Arena,
Las Vegas,
Nevada
Attendance: 5,175 Referees: Kurt Walker, Jeffrey Smith, Angelica Suffern |
# | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conf. | Home | Road | Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | x – Connecticut Sun | 26 | 6 | .813 | – | 12–3 | 15–1 | 11–5 | 9–1 |
2 | x – Las Vegas Aces | 24 | 8 | .750 | 2 | 11–4 | 13–3 | 11–5 | 6–4 |
3 | x – Minnesota Lynx | 22 | 10 | .688 | 4 | 10–5 | 13–3 | 9–7 | 7–3 |
4 | x – Seattle Storm | 21 | 11 | .656 | 5 | 9–6 | 11–5 | 10–6 | 8–2 |
5 | x – Phoenix Mercury | 19 | 13 | .594 | 7 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 12–4 | 5–5 |
6 | x – Chicago Sky | 16 | 16 | .500 | 10 | 10–5 | 6–10 | 10–6 | 6–4 |
7 | x – Dallas Wings | 14 | 18 | .438 | 12 | 7–8 | 7–9 | 7–9 | 3–7 |
8 | x – New York Liberty | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 5–11 | 5–5 |
9 | e – Washington Mystics | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 7–8 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
10 | e – Los Angeles Sparks | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 2–13 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 1–9 |
11 | e – Atlanta Dream | 8 | 24 | .250 | 18 | 6–9 | 4–12 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
12 | e – Indiana Fever | 6 | 26 | .188 | 20 | 4–11 | 4–12 | 2–14 | 2–8 |
Notes
Note: Games highlighted in ██ represent Commissioner’s Cup games.
The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2021 regular season. [23] [24] [25]
Category | Player | Team | Statistic |
---|---|---|---|
Points per game | Tina Charles | Washington Mystics | 23.4 ppg |
Rebounds per game | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun | 11.2 rpg |
Assists per game | Courtney Vandersloot | Chicago Sky | 8.6 apg |
Steals per game | Brittney Sykes | Los Angeles Sparks | 1.8 spg |
Blocks per game | Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | 1.9 bpg |
Field goal percentage | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota Lynx | 64.0% (208/325) |
Three point FG percentage | Allie Quigley | Chicago Sky | 45.4% (54/119) |
Free throw percentage | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces | 94.4% (85/90) |
Points per game (team) | Las Vegas Aces | 89.3 ppg | |
Field goal percentage (team) | Las Vegas Aces | 47.2% |
The WNBA continued its current playoff format for 2021. The top eight teams, regardless of conference, make the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving a bye to the semi-finals. The remaining six teams play in two single-elimination playoff rounds, with the third and fourth seeds receiving a bye to the second round. [26]
First round Sept. 23 | Second round Sept. 26 | Semifinals Sept. 28 – Oct. 8 |
WNBA Finals Oct. 10 – Oct. 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Las Vegas Aces | 96 | 91 | 60 | 93 | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Seattle Storm | 80 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 90 | 117 | 87 | 76 | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Phoenix Mercury | 83 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 85OT | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 77 | 91OT | 50 | 74 | – | ||||||||||||||
8 | New York Liberty | 82 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 91 | 86 | 86 | 80 | – | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Connecticut Sun | 95 | 79 | 83 | 69 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Minnesota Lynx | 76 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 1012OT | 68 | 86 | 79 | – | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Chicago Sky | 81 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Dallas Wings | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
Date Awarded | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Reference | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | Player | Team | ||
May 24 | Sabrina Ionescu | New York | Breanna Stewart | Seattle | [27] |
June 1 | Betnijah Laney | New York | Brittney Griner | Phoenix | [28] |
June 7 | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut | Jewell Loyd | Seattle | [29] |
June 14 | Tina Charles | Washington | Breanna Stewart (2) | Seattle | [30] |
June 21 | Courtney Vandersloot | Chicago | Breanna Stewart (3) | Seattle | [31] |
June 28 | DeWanna Bonner | Connecticut | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota | [32] |
July 6 | Brionna Jones | Connecticut | A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas | [33] |
July 12 | Jonquel Jones (2) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (2) | Phoenix | [34] |
August 23 | Jonquel Jones (3) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (3) | Phoenix | [35] |
August 30 | Brionna Jones (2) | Connecticut | Skylar Diggins-Smith | Phoenix | [36] |
September 6 | Jonquel Jones (4) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (4) | Phoenix | [37] |
September 13 | Tina Charles (2) | Washington | Brittney Griner (5) | Phoenix | [38] |
September 20 | Natasha Howard | New York | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas | [39] |
Month | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Reference | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | Player | Team | ||
May | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut | Breanna Stewart | Seattle | [40] |
June | Tina Charles | Washington | A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas | [41] |
August | Jonquel Jones (2) | Connecticut | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota | [42] |
September | Jonquel Jones (3) | Connecticut | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas | [43] |
Month | Player | Team | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
May | Michaela Onyenwere | New York | [44] |
June | Michaela Onyenwere (2) | New York | [45] |
August | Michaela Onyenwere (3) | New York | [46] |
September | Michaela Onyenwere (4) | New York | [47] |
Month | Coach | Team | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
May | Walt Hopkins | New York | [48] |
June | James Wade | Chicago | [49] |
August | Curt Miller | Connecticut | [50] |
September | Curt Miller (2) | Connecticut | [51] |
The award previously titled "Sixth Woman of the Year" was changed to "Sixth Player" starting with this season.
Award | Winner | Position | Team | Votes/Statistic | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player Award | Jonquel Jones | Forward/Center | Connecticut Sun | 48 of 49 [52] | |
Finals MVP Award | Kahleah Copper | Guard/Forward | Chicago Sky | [53] | |
Rookie of the Year Award | Michaela Onyenwere | Forward | New York Liberty | 47 of 49 [54] | |
Most Improved Player Award | Brionna Jones | Forward | Connecticut Sun | 38 of 49 [55] | |
Defensive Player of the Year Award | Sylvia Fowles | Center | Minnesota Lynx | 31 of 49 [56] | |
Sixth Player of the Year Award | Kelsey Plum | Guard | Las Vegas Aces | 41 of 49 [57] | |
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award | Nneka Ogwumike | Forward | Los Angeles Sparks | 19 of 46 [58] | |
Peak Performer: Points | Tina Charles | Center | Washington Mystics | 23.4 ppg [59] | |
Peak Performer: Rebounds | Jonquel Jones | Forward/Center | Connecticut Sun | 11.2 rpg [59] | |
Peak Performer: Assists | Courtney Vandersloot | Guard | Chicago Sky | 8.6 apg [59] | |
Coach of the Year Award | Curt Miller | Coach | Connecticut Sun | 41 of 49 [60] | |
Basketball Executive of the Year Award | Dan Padover | General manager | Las Vegas Aces | 9 ballots [61] | |
Team | Guard | Guard | Forward | Forward | Center |
All-WNBA First Team [62] | Skylar Diggins-Smith | Jewell Loyd | Jonquel Jones | Breanna Stewart | Brittney Griner |
All-WNBA Second Team [62] | Arike Ogunbowale | Courtney Vandersloot | A'ja Wilson | Tina Charles | Sylvia Fowles |
All-Defensive First Team [63] | Brittney Sykes | Briann January | Jonquel Jones | Brianna Turner | Sylvia Fowles |
All-Defensive Second Team [63] | Jasmine Thomas | Ariel Atkins | Breanna Stewart | Brionna Jones | Brittney Griner |
All-Rookie Team [64] | Dana Evans | Aari McDonald | DiDi Richards | Michaela Onyenwere | Charli Collier |
Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years with team | Record with team | Playoff appearances | Finals Appearances | WNBA Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Dream | Mike Petersen (interim) | Atlanta Dream (assistant) | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chicago Sky | James Wade | UMMC Ekaterinburg (assistant) | 2 | 32–24 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Connecticut Sun | Curt Miller | Los Angeles Sparks (assistant) | 5 | 89–69 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Indiana Fever | Marianne Stanley | Washington Mystics (assistant) | 1 | 6–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New York Liberty | Walt Hopkins | Minnesota Lynx (assistant) | 1 | 2–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Washington Mystics | Mike Thibault | Connecticut Sun | 8 | 139–121 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years with team | Record with team | Playoff appearances | Finals Appearances | WNBA Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas Wings | Vickie Johnson | Las Vegas Aces (assistant) | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Las Vegas Aces | Bill Laimbeer | New York Liberty | 3 | 53–37 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Los Angeles Sparks | Derek Fisher | New York Knicks | 2 | 37–19 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Minnesota Lynx | Cheryl Reeve | Detroit Shock (assistant) | 11 | 245–117 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
Phoenix Mercury | Sandy Brondello | Los Angeles Sparks (assistant) | 7 | 131–95 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Seattle Storm | Dan Hughes | San Antonio Stars | 3 | 62–28 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Notes:
2021 WNBA season | |
---|---|
![]() Official logo used for the WNBA's 25th season | |
League | Women's National Basketball Association |
Sport | Basketball |
Duration | May 14 – September 19 |
Number of games | 32 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Total attendance | 434,906 |
Average attendance | 2,636 |
TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBSSN, NBA TV |
Top draft pick | Charli Collier |
Picked by | Dallas Wings |
Season MVP |
![]() ![]() |
Finals champions | Chicago Sky |
Runners-up | Phoenix Mercury |
Finals MVP |
![]() |
The 2021 WNBA season was the 25th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Seattle Storm were the defending champions. In the playoffs, the Chicago Sky won in four games over the Phoenix Mercury. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams played a 32-game season (rather than the 36 games agreed to in the original 2020 season schedule) that included mini two-game series to reduce travel. [1] [2] The regular season ran from May 14 to September 19, with a break from July 12 to August 11 for the Olympic Games. [2]
This season also marked the launch of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which had been intended to start in the 2020 season but was delayed due to COVID-19. The first home game and first away game for each team against each of its conference opponents doubled as Cup games; all such games were played before the league took its Olympic break. The Cup final, officially called the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, featured the conference leaders in the Cup standings and was held on August 12, three days before the rest of the league resumed play, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A prize pool of $500,000 was 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, and the championship game MVP receiving an extra $5,000. [3] The Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun 79-57 to win the inaugural cup. Breanna Stewart was named MVP of the game.
The season had 100 games broadcast on national networks, including 25 across ABC and ESPN networks, 40 on CBS networks, and 35 on NBA TV. [4] The remainder of games were broadcast on local networks and the WNBA's League Pass service; several games were also streamed on Twitter, Amazon Prime, [5] and Oculus. [4]
This season saw Wilson take over as the league's ball supplier. Spalding previously held the contract for the league's first 24 seasons. [6]
The New York Liberty won the first pick in the 2021 WNBA draft in the draft lottery, but the pick was later traded to the Dallas Wings who picked Charli Collier.
Free agency negotiations started on January 15, 2021, and the signing period began on February 1, 2021. [17]
Off-season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | 2020 season | 2021 season | Reference |
Dallas Wings | Brian Agler | Vickie Johnson | [18] [19] |
Atlanta Dream | Nicki Collen | Mike Petersen (interim) | [20] |
Mid-season | |||
Team | Departing Coach | New Coach | Reference |
Seattle Storm | Dan Hughes | Noelle Quinn | [21] |
Atlanta Dream | Mike Petersen (interim) | Darius Taylor (interim) | [22] |
July 14, 2021
7:00 p.m. ET |
Team USA 85, Team WNBA 93 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 15–19, 23–22, 19–27 | ||
Pts:
Brittney Griner 17 Rebs: Sylvia Fowles 7 Asts: Sue Bird 8 |
Pts:
Arike Ogunbowale 26 Rebs: Jonquel Jones 14 Asts: Courtney Vandersloot 7 |
Michelob Ultra Arena,
Las Vegas,
Nevada
Attendance: 5,175 Referees: Kurt Walker, Jeffrey Smith, Angelica Suffern |
# | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conf. | Home | Road | Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | x – Connecticut Sun | 26 | 6 | .813 | – | 12–3 | 15–1 | 11–5 | 9–1 |
2 | x – Las Vegas Aces | 24 | 8 | .750 | 2 | 11–4 | 13–3 | 11–5 | 6–4 |
3 | x – Minnesota Lynx | 22 | 10 | .688 | 4 | 10–5 | 13–3 | 9–7 | 7–3 |
4 | x – Seattle Storm | 21 | 11 | .656 | 5 | 9–6 | 11–5 | 10–6 | 8–2 |
5 | x – Phoenix Mercury | 19 | 13 | .594 | 7 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 12–4 | 5–5 |
6 | x – Chicago Sky | 16 | 16 | .500 | 10 | 10–5 | 6–10 | 10–6 | 6–4 |
7 | x – Dallas Wings | 14 | 18 | .438 | 12 | 7–8 | 7–9 | 7–9 | 3–7 |
8 | x – New York Liberty | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 6–9 | 7–9 | 5–11 | 5–5 |
9 | e – Washington Mystics | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 7–8 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
10 | e – Los Angeles Sparks | 12 | 20 | .375 | 14 | 2–13 | 8–8 | 4–12 | 1–9 |
11 | e – Atlanta Dream | 8 | 24 | .250 | 18 | 6–9 | 4–12 | 4–12 | 4–6 |
12 | e – Indiana Fever | 6 | 26 | .188 | 20 | 4–11 | 4–12 | 2–14 | 2–8 |
Notes
2021 WNBA preseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
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2021 WNBA regular season | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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2021 WNBA postseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First Round
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Second Round
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Semifinals
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Finals
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Note: Games highlighted in ██ represent Commissioner’s Cup games.
The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2021 regular season. [23] [24] [25]
Category | Player | Team | Statistic |
---|---|---|---|
Points per game | Tina Charles | Washington Mystics | 23.4 ppg |
Rebounds per game | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun | 11.2 rpg |
Assists per game | Courtney Vandersloot | Chicago Sky | 8.6 apg |
Steals per game | Brittney Sykes | Los Angeles Sparks | 1.8 spg |
Blocks per game | Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | 1.9 bpg |
Field goal percentage | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota Lynx | 64.0% (208/325) |
Three point FG percentage | Allie Quigley | Chicago Sky | 45.4% (54/119) |
Free throw percentage | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces | 94.4% (85/90) |
Points per game (team) | Las Vegas Aces | 89.3 ppg | |
Field goal percentage (team) | Las Vegas Aces | 47.2% |
The WNBA continued its current playoff format for 2021. The top eight teams, regardless of conference, make the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving a bye to the semi-finals. The remaining six teams play in two single-elimination playoff rounds, with the third and fourth seeds receiving a bye to the second round. [26]
First round Sept. 23 | Second round Sept. 26 | Semifinals Sept. 28 – Oct. 8 |
WNBA Finals Oct. 10 – Oct. 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Las Vegas Aces | 96 | 91 | 60 | 93 | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Seattle Storm | 80 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 90 | 117 | 87 | 76 | 87 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | Phoenix Mercury | 83 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 85OT | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 77 | 91OT | 50 | 74 | – | ||||||||||||||
8 | New York Liberty | 82 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 91 | 86 | 86 | 80 | – | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Connecticut Sun | 95 | 79 | 83 | 69 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Minnesota Lynx | 76 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 1012OT | 68 | 86 | 79 | – | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Chicago Sky | 81 | 6 | Chicago Sky | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Dallas Wings | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
Date Awarded | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Reference | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | Player | Team | ||
May 24 | Sabrina Ionescu | New York | Breanna Stewart | Seattle | [27] |
June 1 | Betnijah Laney | New York | Brittney Griner | Phoenix | [28] |
June 7 | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut | Jewell Loyd | Seattle | [29] |
June 14 | Tina Charles | Washington | Breanna Stewart (2) | Seattle | [30] |
June 21 | Courtney Vandersloot | Chicago | Breanna Stewart (3) | Seattle | [31] |
June 28 | DeWanna Bonner | Connecticut | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota | [32] |
July 6 | Brionna Jones | Connecticut | A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas | [33] |
July 12 | Jonquel Jones (2) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (2) | Phoenix | [34] |
August 23 | Jonquel Jones (3) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (3) | Phoenix | [35] |
August 30 | Brionna Jones (2) | Connecticut | Skylar Diggins-Smith | Phoenix | [36] |
September 6 | Jonquel Jones (4) | Connecticut | Brittney Griner (4) | Phoenix | [37] |
September 13 | Tina Charles (2) | Washington | Brittney Griner (5) | Phoenix | [38] |
September 20 | Natasha Howard | New York | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas | [39] |
Month | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Reference | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | Player | Team | ||
May | Jonquel Jones | Connecticut | Breanna Stewart | Seattle | [40] |
June | Tina Charles | Washington | A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas | [41] |
August | Jonquel Jones (2) | Connecticut | Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota | [42] |
September | Jonquel Jones (3) | Connecticut | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas | [43] |
Month | Player | Team | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
May | Michaela Onyenwere | New York | [44] |
June | Michaela Onyenwere (2) | New York | [45] |
August | Michaela Onyenwere (3) | New York | [46] |
September | Michaela Onyenwere (4) | New York | [47] |
Month | Coach | Team | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
May | Walt Hopkins | New York | [48] |
June | James Wade | Chicago | [49] |
August | Curt Miller | Connecticut | [50] |
September | Curt Miller (2) | Connecticut | [51] |
The award previously titled "Sixth Woman of the Year" was changed to "Sixth Player" starting with this season.
Award | Winner | Position | Team | Votes/Statistic | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player Award | Jonquel Jones | Forward/Center | Connecticut Sun | 48 of 49 [52] | |
Finals MVP Award | Kahleah Copper | Guard/Forward | Chicago Sky | [53] | |
Rookie of the Year Award | Michaela Onyenwere | Forward | New York Liberty | 47 of 49 [54] | |
Most Improved Player Award | Brionna Jones | Forward | Connecticut Sun | 38 of 49 [55] | |
Defensive Player of the Year Award | Sylvia Fowles | Center | Minnesota Lynx | 31 of 49 [56] | |
Sixth Player of the Year Award | Kelsey Plum | Guard | Las Vegas Aces | 41 of 49 [57] | |
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award | Nneka Ogwumike | Forward | Los Angeles Sparks | 19 of 46 [58] | |
Peak Performer: Points | Tina Charles | Center | Washington Mystics | 23.4 ppg [59] | |
Peak Performer: Rebounds | Jonquel Jones | Forward/Center | Connecticut Sun | 11.2 rpg [59] | |
Peak Performer: Assists | Courtney Vandersloot | Guard | Chicago Sky | 8.6 apg [59] | |
Coach of the Year Award | Curt Miller | Coach | Connecticut Sun | 41 of 49 [60] | |
Basketball Executive of the Year Award | Dan Padover | General manager | Las Vegas Aces | 9 ballots [61] | |
Team | Guard | Guard | Forward | Forward | Center |
All-WNBA First Team [62] | Skylar Diggins-Smith | Jewell Loyd | Jonquel Jones | Breanna Stewart | Brittney Griner |
All-WNBA Second Team [62] | Arike Ogunbowale | Courtney Vandersloot | A'ja Wilson | Tina Charles | Sylvia Fowles |
All-Defensive First Team [63] | Brittney Sykes | Briann January | Jonquel Jones | Brianna Turner | Sylvia Fowles |
All-Defensive Second Team [63] | Jasmine Thomas | Ariel Atkins | Breanna Stewart | Brionna Jones | Brittney Griner |
All-Rookie Team [64] | Dana Evans | Aari McDonald | DiDi Richards | Michaela Onyenwere | Charli Collier |
Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years with team | Record with team | Playoff appearances | Finals Appearances | WNBA Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Dream | Mike Petersen (interim) | Atlanta Dream (assistant) | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chicago Sky | James Wade | UMMC Ekaterinburg (assistant) | 2 | 32–24 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Connecticut Sun | Curt Miller | Los Angeles Sparks (assistant) | 5 | 89–69 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Indiana Fever | Marianne Stanley | Washington Mystics (assistant) | 1 | 6–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New York Liberty | Walt Hopkins | Minnesota Lynx (assistant) | 1 | 2–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Washington Mystics | Mike Thibault | Connecticut Sun | 8 | 139–121 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years with team | Record with team | Playoff appearances | Finals Appearances | WNBA Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas Wings | Vickie Johnson | Las Vegas Aces (assistant) | 0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Las Vegas Aces | Bill Laimbeer | New York Liberty | 3 | 53–37 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Los Angeles Sparks | Derek Fisher | New York Knicks | 2 | 37–19 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Minnesota Lynx | Cheryl Reeve | Detroit Shock (assistant) | 11 | 245–117 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
Phoenix Mercury | Sandy Brondello | Los Angeles Sparks (assistant) | 7 | 131–95 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Seattle Storm | Dan Hughes | San Antonio Stars | 3 | 62–28 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Notes: