2011 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	June 3 – October 7, 2011
Games	34
Teams	12
Total attendance	1,622,685
Average attendance	7,954
TV partner(s)	ABC,ESPN,NBA TV
Top draft pick	Maya Moore
Picked by	Minnesota Lynx
Season MVP	Tamika Catchings(Indiana)
Eastern champions	Atlanta Dream
Eastern runners-up	Indiana Fever
Western champions	Minnesota Lynx
Western runners-up	Phoenix Mercury
Finals champions	Minnesota Lynx
Runners-up	Atlanta Dream
Finals MVP	Seimone Augustus(Minnesota)
WNBA seasons
← 2010 2012 →

The2011 WNBA season was the 15th season of theWomen's National Basketball Association.^[1] The regular season began on June 3 with theLos Angeles Sparkshosting theMinnesota Lynx, featuring2011 WNBA draft top pickMaya Moore, in a game televised onNBA TV. Four games followed the next day, with the marquee matchup, televised onABC, featuring the defending championSeattle Storm and thePhoenix Mercury inSeattle.

TheMinnesota Lynx finished the regular season with the best record in the league at 27-7, and were the top seed in theWestern Conference. TheIndiana Fever were the top seed in theEastern Conference. The Lynx ultimately advanced to face theAtlanta Dream in the2011 WNBA Finals.^[2]

• The new television deal withESPN continued during the 2011 season (runs 2009–2016). For the first time ever, teams will be paid rights fees as part of this deal.
• As of the 2009 season, the maximum roster size per team was reduced from 13 to 11. Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury, pregnancy or any other factor outside of the control of the team will, upon request, be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games. As soon as the injured (or otherwise sidelined) player(s) is able to play, the roster hardship player(s) – not any other player on the roster—must be waived.
• On October 12, 2010, theNew York Liberty named formerMonarchs coachJohn Whisenant head coach and general manager.
• On October 29, 2010,Pokey Chatman was named head coach and general manager of theChicago Sky.
• On November 1, 2010, theWashington Mystics announced thatJulie Plank (head coach) and Angela Taylor (GM) would not be returning to the team and thatTrudi Lacey would take over head coach and GM positions.
• On December 3, 2010,Donna Orender, six-year league president, announced her resignation effective December 31.
• On January 11, 2011, TheSan Antonio Silver Stars announced thatDan Hughes would resume head coaching duties.
• TheWashington Mystics announced a marquee sponsorship withInova Health System on April 7, 2011. This marked the fifth team in the league to allow a sponsor to brand their uniforms.
• On draft day,Adidas introduced the Revolution 30 technology, to be used on all WNBA team uniforms. The uniforms are 30% lighter than before and also enable moisture management.^[3] Unlike theirNBA andNBA D-League counterparts, however, all WNBA uniforms underwent complete redesigns.
• NBA CommissionerDavid Stern announced on April 21, 2011 thatLaurel J. Richie would assume role as president of the WNBA on May 16.
• TheNew York Liberty will play home games for the next three seasons atPrudential Center inNewark, New Jersey, due to summer renovations atMadison Square Garden.

On August 22, 2011, the WNBA announced a league-wide marquee sponsorship withBoost Mobile.^[4] The deal would allow the Boost Mobile logo to be placed on ten of the 12 teams' jerseys (excluding Phoenix and San Antonio) in addition to branding on the courts and in arenas. A source said the deal is worth "roughly $10 million over its four years" and is the richest in league history.^[5]

The WNBA Draft lottery was held on November 2, 2010. The lottery teams were theTulsa Shock,Minnesota Lynx,Chicago Sky andMinnesota Lynx (fromConn.). The top pick was awarded to Minnesota.

The 2011 WNBA Draft was held on April 11, 2011, inBristol, Connecticut. Coverage of the first round was shown onESPN (HD). Second and third round coverage was shown onESPNU andNBA TV.

The top picks were:

1. Maya Moore,Minnesota Lynx
2. Elizabeth Cambage,Tulsa Shock
3. Courtney Vandersloot,Chicago Sky
4. Amber Harris,Minnesota Lynx (fromConn.)

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game was hosted by theSan Antonio Silver Stars on July 23 at theAT&T Center. Coverage of the game began at 3:30pm (ET) onABC. This marks the first time the Silver Stars have hosted the annual event. This is only the second time in league history that the showcase was played on the court of a Western Conference team.

The following shows the leaders for each statistic during the 2011 regular season.

Reference:^[6]

• Atlanta Dream:Marynell Meadors
• Chicago Sky:Pokey Chatman
• Connecticut Sun:Mike Thibault
• Indiana Fever:Lin Dunn
• New York Liberty:John Whisenant
• Washington Mystics:Trudi Lacey

• Los Angeles Sparks:Jennifer Gillom andJoe Bryant
• Minnesota Lynx:Cheryl Reeve
• Phoenix Mercury:Corey Gaines
• San Antonio Silver Stars:Dan Hughes
• Seattle Storm:Brian Agler
• Tulsa Shock:Nolan Richardson andTeresa Edwards

• WNBA
• WNBA draft
• WNBA All-Star Game
• WNBA Playoffs
• WNBA Finals

• 2011 WNBA season
• 2011 in American women's basketball
• 2010–11 in American basketball by league
• 2011–12 in American basketball by league
• WNBA seasons

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