WNBA Finals

The WNBA Finals logo used until 2018
Tournament information
Sport	Basketball
Established	1997 (1997)
Administrator	Women's National Basketball Association
Format	Best-of-seven series
Teams	2
Defending champions	Las Vegas Aces (3rd title)
Most championships	Houston Comets Minnesota Lynx Seattle Storm (4 titles)
Broadcast	ABC/ESPN
Most recent tournament
2025 WNBA Finals

TheWNBA Finals is the championship series of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league'spostseason each fall. The series was named theWNBA Championship until 2002.

The series is played between the winners of the playoff semifinals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winner of the WNBA Finals is presented the championship trophy. The WNBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every WNBA season in history, the first being held in1997.

From 2005 to 2024, the winner of the WNBA Finals was determined through a 2–2–1 format. The first, second, and fifth games of the series were played at the arena of the team who earned home court advantage by having the better record during the regular season. Beginning in 2025, the Finals switched to abest-of-seven series with a 2–2–1–1–1 format similar to that of theNBA Finals.

The WNBA's playoff format has changed several times in the league's history. In 1997, asingle championship game was held to decide the champion. In 1998, after the addition of two teams, the WNBA finals were turned into abest-of-three series. The finale series was known as theWNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001, before changing toWNBA Finals to reflect itsNBAcounterpart. In 2005, the WNBA Finals adopted abest-of-five format. In 2016, the WNBA began seeding teams #1 through #8 regardless of conference making it possible for two Eastern Conference or two Western Conference teams to meet in the Finals. In 2025, the WNBA Finals became abest-of-seven series and a homecourt system of 2–2–1–1–1 similar to the NBA Finals, in which the higher seed will host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, and its opponent will host Games 3, 4 and 6, the final three, if necessary.^[1]

Aces

Mystics

Sky

Comets*

Shock*

Fever

Liberty

Lynx

Storm

Sparks

Mercury

Monarchs*

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Location of WNBA Champions # titles: 1-white 2-blue 3-green 4-yellow *denotes defunct

• In 2001, the #4 seed Charlotte Sting were the lowest seed to make the WNBA Finals in the conference playoff format.

• The 2003 WNBA Finals was best known for rekindling a heated rivalry between the two teams' head coaches, Los Angeles Sparks head coachMichael Cooper and Detroit Shock head coachBill Laimbeer. Both coaches were fierce NBA competitors who played in the NBA Finals against each other in1988 and1989.

• 2006 marked the first time that a #1 seed did not participate in the WNBA Finals. Detroit and Sacramento were both #2 seeds.

• 2006 also marked the first time that the team with the best point-differential in the regular-season did not win the WNBA Finals or even advance to the WNBA Finals. The Connecticut Sun had the best point differential in '06 but were ousted by the Shock in the Eastern Conference Finals.

• The Detroit Shock hosted the largest crowd in Finals History (tied, 22,076 in Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals and in Game 5 of the 2007 WNBA Finals).

• The 2007 game-five win by the Phoenix Mercury marked the first time in WNBA history that a team won the Finals while playing on their opponent's home court.

• In 2008 the San Antonio Silver Stars became the first team in WNBA Finals history to be swept in a five-game series, losing to the Detroit Shock.

• The 2011 WNBA Finals was the first coached by two women.

• In 2014, the Chicago Sky became the first team to appear in the WNBA Finals with a sub-.500 record.

• In 2016, the Los Angeles Sparks won by one point despite a later announcement by the WNBA that officials missed an earlier shot-clock violation at 1:14, which should not have counted.^[2]

• In 2021, the #6 seed Chicago Sky were the lowest seed to make the WNBA Finals in the current playoff format.
• The New York Liberty have lost the most championships (5) before winning their first one in 2024.

TheHouston Comets,Minnesota Lynx, andSeattle Storm hold the distinction of having won the most championships with four titles each. TheNew York Liberty have lost the most championships with five. The Lynx have the most appearances in the championships with seven (including 2024).Highlighted teams have folded and can no longer reach the WNBA Finals.

Statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual game wins and losses.

Former teams that had noWNBA Finals appearances:

• Cleveland Rockers (1997–2003)
• Miami Sol (2000–2002)
• Portland Fire (2000–2002)

This table shows a list of records through the history of the WNBA Finals.

• WNBA.com

• 1997 establishments in the United States
• Annual sporting events in the United States
• Recurring sporting events established in 1997
• WNBA Finals
• Lists of basketball champions

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from September 2025