1997 WNBA season

August 2023 March 2026 1997 WNBA season Women's National Basketball Association Basketball June 21 – August 30, 1997 28 8 1,082,963 ESPN, NBC, Lifetime Draft 1997 WNBA Draft USA Tina Thompson Houston Comets Regular season Houston Comets USA Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (Houston) WNBA Most Valuable Player USA Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (Houston) Playoffs Houston Comets New York Liberty USA Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (Houston) WNBA Finals MVP Award List of WNBA seasons WNBA 1998 WNBA season 1998 The 1997 WNBA season was the Women's National Basketball Association's inaugural season. It started off with 8 franchises: Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and the Utah Starzz. It featured an inaugural game between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks lost to the New York Liberty, 67–57. The attendance at the Forum was 14,284.http://www.wnba.com/liberty/news/history.html News Archive The season ended with the Comets defeating the Liberty in a one-game series 65–51. Cynthia Cooper was named MVP of the game. Regular season Standings Eastern Conference Western Conference Note: Teams with an "X" clinched playoff spots. Playoffs 1997 WNBA playoffs 1997 WNBA Championship Bracket Awards Reference:1997 WNBA Season Awards - WNBA https://www.wnba.com/awards1997 2025-05-28 WNBA en Individual Award Winner TeamMost Valuable Player (MVP) Cynthia Cooper Houston CometsFinals MVPCynthia CooperHouston CometsDefensive Player of the Year Teresa Weatherspoon New York LibertyShooting Champions Eastern Conference Andrea Congreaves Charlotte Sting Western Conference Haixia Zheng Los Angeles SparksSportsmanship AwardHaixia ZhengLos Angeles SparksCoach of the Year Van Chancellor Houston Comets Team Award Player Team All-WNBA First Team Eva Nemcova Cleveland Rockers Tina Thompson Houston Comets Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Cynthia Cooper Houston Comets Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Sacramento Monarchs Second Team Wendy Palmer Utah Starzz Rebecca Lobo New York Liberty Jennifer Gillom Phoenix Mercury Teresa Weatherspoon New York Liberty Andrea Stinson Charlotte Sting Players of the Week Week endingPlayerTeamJune 29Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Sacramento MonarchsJuly 6Sophia WitherspoonNew York LibertyJuly 13 Andrea StinsonCharlotte StingJuly 20Cynthia CooperHouston CometsJuly 27Cynthia Cooper (2)Houston CometsAugust 3Eva NemcovaCleveland RockersAugust 10Tamecka DixonLos Angeles SparksAugust 17Jennifer GillomPhoenix Mercury Coaches Eastern Conference Charlotte Sting: Marynell Meadors Cleveland Rockers: Linda Hill-MacDonald Houston Comets: Van Chancellor New York Liberty: Nancy Darsch Western Conference Los Angeles Sparks: Linda Sharp Phoenix Mercury: Cheryl Miller Sacramento Monarchs: Mary Murphy and Heidi VanDerveer Utah Starzz: Denise Taylor References 1997 Category:1997 in American women's basketball Category:1996–97 in American basketball by league Category:1997–98 in American basketball by league