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| Dates | August 27-September 1 | |||||||||
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| MVP | Cynthia Cooper (Houston Comets) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Comets: Cynthia Cooper (2010) Sheryl Swoopes (2016) Tina Thompson (2018) Mercury: Michele Timms (2024) Coaches: Van Chancellor (2007) Cheryl Miller (1995, player) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Phoenix defeatedCleveland 2-1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Houston defeatedCharlotte 2-0 | |||||||||
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The1998 WNBA Championship was the championshipseries of the1998 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. TheHouston Comets, top-seeded team of the league, defeated thePhoenix Mercury, third-seeded team of the league, two games to one in a best-of-three series. This was Houston's second straight title.
The Comets made their second appearance in the Finals in two years. The Mercury appeared in the Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Going into the series, the Comets had won the only championship, being it only the second season of the league's existence.
The Comets' 27–3 record gave themhome court advantage over Phoenix (19–11). The Comets lost game 1 in Phoenix, but won games 2 and 3 to take the series.
| Houston Comets | Phoenix Mercury | |
|---|---|---|
| 27–3 (.900) 1st West, 1st overall | Regular season | 19–11 (.633) 2nd West, 3rd overall |
| Defeated the (4)Charlotte Sting, 2–0 | WNBA Semifinals | Defeated the (2)Cleveland Rockers, 2–1 |
TheHouston Comets won 2 of the 3 games in the regular season series:
August 6 |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived February 24, 1999) |
| Phoenix Mercury 64,Houston Comets 75 |
All times listed below areEastern Daylight Time.
August 27 7:00pm |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived April 18, 1999) |
| Houston Comets 51,Phoenix Mercury54 | ||
| Scoring by half: 29–33, 22–21 | ||
| Pts:Cooper 29 Rebs:Swoopes 11 Asts:Perrot,Swoopes 6 O REB:Perrot 4 (5 tot REB) | Pts:Gillom 15 Rebs:Griffiths 12 Asts:Timms 5 Rebs:Gillom 10 | |
Jennifer Gillom's basket in the lane with 8.9 seconds left gave thePhoenix Mercury a 54–51 victory over theHouston Comets in Game 1 of theWNBA Finals.
Gillom, who helped set up her go-ahead shot by blocking a shot by Houston'sKim Perrot on the previous possession, finished with 15 points on just 5-of-20 shooting. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Mercury, who finished eight games behind the Comets in theWestern Conference, could now win the title with a victory at Houston on Game Two. Phoenix handed Houston its fourth loss all season (another also being against Phoenix in the regular season).
LeagueMVPCynthia Cooper was a one-woman show for the Comets, finishing with 29 points. The rest of the team—which includes first-teamAll-WNBA choicesSheryl Swoopes andTina Thompson—managed to hit just 10-of-41 shots.
August 29 7:00 pm |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived February 2, 1999) |
| Phoenix Mercury 69,Houston Comets74 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by half: 37–32, 29–34 Overtime: 3–8 | ||
| Pts:Timms 21 Rebs:Gillom 9 Asts:Griffiths 3 Blocks:Gillom 3 | Pts:Cooper 27 Rebs:Swoopes 13 Asts:Cooper 6 FG:Lamb 6-10 | |
Cynthia Cooper scored 19 of her 27 points after halftime as the defending championHouston Comets forced a decisive third game in theWNBA Finals with a 74-69 overtime victory over thePhoenix Mercury.Sheryl Swoopes added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Comets, who host Game 3. Houston, which won 27 of 30 regular-season games, lost Game 1 at Phoenix and trailed 62-50 with 7:24 to play before staging a furious rally to save its season.
Michele Timms scored 21 points before fouling out in the final minute and reserveKristi Harrower added a career-high 12 for Phoenix, which seemingly had taken control of the game with a 12–2 run midway through the second half.Jennifer Gillom, who averaged a team-high 20.8 points per game for the Mercury, scored just eight on 3-of-15 shooting.
Phoenix, which led almost the entire second half, held a 50–48 edge with 11:43 to go after Cooper sank a foul shot following a technical foul on Mercury coach Cheryl Miller, which seemed to light a spark under the Mercury.
Houston sensed the urgency and clawed back into the game. Yolanda Moore had a basket off an offensive rebound before Cooper added a free throw and eight-foot bank shot to make it 62–55 with 5:02 left.
Houston shot 43 percent (28-of-65) from the field and Thompson finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Cooper was 11-of-14 from the line. The Mercury shot just 38 percent (24-of-63) but did hit 7-of-15 three-point shots.
September 1 7:00 pm |
Recap at theWayback Machine (archived February 2, 1999) |
| Phoenix Mercury 71,Houston Comets80 | ||
| Scoring by half: 26–32, 45–48 | ||
| Pts:Griffiths 24 Rebs:Gillom 6 Asts:Timms 7 FG:Griffiths 10-16 | Pts:Cooper 23 Rebs:Thompson 6 Asts:Cooper,Swoopes 6 FG:Thompson 7-12 | |
TheHouston Comets claimed their second straight WNBA championship, pulling away from the peskyPhoenix Mercury late in the second half and claiming an 80–71 victory in decisive Game 3.
After cruising through the regular season with a 27–3 record, the Comets were pushed to the limit by the Mercury after finishing eight games ahead of them in the Western Conference. In the end, however, Houston's trio of stars ensured the repeat.
LeagueMVPCynthia Cooper scored 23 points andTina Thompson added 18.Sheryl Swoopes, nearly invisible for the first 30 minutes, had 11 points in the final 9:13 and finished with 16.
Michelle Griffiths scored a career-high 24 points andJennifer Gillom had her best game of the series, netting 20. But Phoenix got nothing fromMichele Timms, who finished with only two points—19 fewer than she had in Game 2.
The Comets had now won what was until then the only two WNBA championship series.
| 1998Houston Comets Finals roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1998Phoenix Mercury Finals roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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