Tag: WNBA

• Year Founded: 2008
• Championships: N/A
• Head Coach: Tanisha Wright
• Owners: Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, Renee Montgomery

The Atlanta Dream joined the WNBA in 2008 and have a rich history. They may not have a championship to claim but they do have three conference titles.

• Year Founded: 2006
• Championships: 2021
• Head Coach: James Wade
• Owners: Michael Alter, Margaret Stender, Michelle Williams, and Mathew Knowles

The city of Chicago is a mecca for basketball so it makes sense that they got a team in 2006. The Sky’s best season came in 2021 after hometown hero Candace Parker led them to their first ever WNBA Championship.

• Year Founded: 1999
• Championships: N/A
• Head Coach: Stephanie White
• Owners: Mohegan Tribe

The Connecticut Sun are one of the oldest WNBA franchises. Although they have never won a WNBA championship, they did claim conference titles in 2004, 2005, and 2022.

• Year Founded: 2000
• Championships: 2012
• Head Coach: Christie Sides
• Owners: Herb Simon

The Indiana Fever are one of the WNBA’s oldest teams, with their first season coming in 2000. They claimed the 2012 WNBA championship after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in four games. Tamika Catchings claimed the finals MVP for the Fever and cemented herself as one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all-time.

• Year Founded: 1997
• Championships: N/A
• Head Coach: Sandy Brondello
• Owners: Joseph Tsai

The New York Liberty are one of the only remaining WNBA franchises to have existed when the league was formed. Although they have no championships, the Liberty are entering a new era. They’re backed by the all-star trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones, which just might be the best trio to ever step foot for one team on a WNBA court.

• Year Founded: 1998
• Championships: 2019
• Head Coach: Eric Thibault
• Owners: Monumental Sports and Entertainment

The Washington Mystics are one of the WNBA’s most historic teams, having played in the league since 1998. They claimed their first championship after an exceptional season in 2019, defeating the Connecticut Sun in five games. Emma Meesseman took home MVP honors.

• Year Founded: 1998
• Championships: 2003, 2006, 2008
• Head Coach: Latricia Trammell
• Owners: Bill Cameron, Chris Christian, Mark Yancey, Greg Bibb

The Dallas Wings are not only one of the oldest teams in WNBA history, but they are also one of the most successful. They have three championships which all came during the 2000’s. Those championships were won in their former city while they were previously named the Detroit Shock. They subsequently moved the franchise to Dallas and renamed it the Wings in 2015.

• Year Founded: 1997
• Championships: 2022
• Head Coach: Becky Hammon
• Owners: Mark Davis, Tom Brady

The Las Vegas Aces are currently the top team in the WNBA. They just won their first franchise championship last season and added a two-time champion in Candace Parker this offseason. They might not only repeat, but could be at the beginning stages of a dynasty.

• Year Founded: 1997
• Championships: 2001, 2002, 2016
• Head Coach: Curt Miller
• Owners: Mark Walter, Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Todd Boehly, Bobby Patton

The Los Angeles Sparks have been an integral part in the WNBAs growth throughout its history. It’ home to one of the biggest basketball markets in the world in Los Angeles. Their most recent championship came in 2016 after a world class series from Candace Parker.

• Year Founded: 1999
• Championships: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017
• Head Coach: Cheryl Reeve
• Owners: Glen Taylor

The Minnesota Lynx are currently tied for the most championships in WNBA history. Their title reign came in the 2010’s, with three championships coming between 2011 to 2013. They were led by future hall of famer and one of the greatest female basketball players of all-time in Sylvia Fowles.

• Year Founded: 1997
• Championships: 2007, 2009, 2014
• Head Coach: Vanessa Nygaard
• Owners: Mat Ishbia

The Phoenix Mercury are one of the oldest and winningest franchises in WNBA history. They were founded in 1997 and have won three championships since. Notably, Diana Taurasi has played her entire career with the Mercury since being drafted in 2004.

• Year Founded: 2000
• Championships: 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020
• Head Coach: Noelle Quinn
• Owners: Force 10 Hoops LLC

The Seattle Storm have one of the richest histories in the WNBA. They are tied for the most championships at four. Their last two were backed by league MVP Breanna Stewart, who recently signed with the New York Liberty.

• Breanna Stewart: Signed with the New York Liberty
• Candace Parker: Signed with the Las Vegas Aces
• Courtney Vandersloot: Signed with the Los Angeles Sparks
• Jonquel Jones: Traded to the New York Liberty
• Maya Caldwell: Signed with the Indiana Fever
• Alysha Clark: Signed with the Las Vegas Aces
• Stephanie Jones: Signed with the Washington Mystics
• Moriah Jefferson: Signed with the Phoenix Mercury

The biggest free agent signing to go down this summer was Breanna Stewart to the New York Liberty, who also have Sabrina Ionescu on the roster but have had trouble finding success. In addition to Stewart they also acquired former MVP Jonquel Jones. With a haul like that, if there’s any team that can challenge the Aces, it’s the Liberty.

The second most talked about offseason signing was future hall of famer and Chicago native Candace Parker leaving her hometown to join the Aces. They now have one of the greatest locker room leaders in sports to compliment their championship roster.

• MVP: Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart is off to an incredible start, dropping a franchise high 45 points in her debut for the New York Liberty. Her impact make the Liberty an immediate title contender, which will be a huge jump from being the last seed in the playoffs last season. If she can help solidify New York as a title contender, she will likely take home MVP number two.

• Rookie of the Year: Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston dominated the college game at South Carolina the last four years and it’s finally time for her to take on the WNBA. No one was surprised to see the Indiana Fever take Boston first overall on draft night and she will undoubtedly shine at the next level.

*Odds are accurate as of publishing date (May 24th) on DraftKings *

• Las Vegas Aces: +120
• New York Liberty: +150
• Washington Mystics: +1000
• Connecticut Sun: +2200
• Dallas Wings: +3000
• Phoenix Mercury: +3500
• Atlanta Dream: +4000
• Los Angeles Sparks: +4500
• Chicago Sky: +4500
• Minnesota Lynx: +5000
• Seattle Storm: +5000

There is a clear two-horse race between the Las Vega Aces and New York Liberty for this year’s title.

The Aces, who are defending champions, retained the majority of there roster while adding exceptional pieces like Candace Parker. It should be no surprise they are the odds on favorites to win it all with the amount of championship experience and DNA in their locker room.

The New York Liberty firmly have positioned themselves as the second best team in the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu proved she can impact the game by carrying the Liberty to a playoff appearance last season. Now she has the help of two former league MVPs on her side in Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. That trio could easily be the greatest of all-time when it’s all said and done.

• Teams Played For: San Antonio Silver Stars, Connecticut Sun, Los Angeles Sparks
• Career Averages: 10.o points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Margo Dydek played for a number of teams across her decade long career in the early 2000’s. She was a two-time WNBA All-Star and helped lead Poland to a gold medal in the 1999 EuroBasket competition. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2011 after going into cardiac arrest at her home.

Dydek is currently still the WNBA’s all-time leader in blocks, leading the league in total blocks nine times and blocks per game eight times, and had the most defensive rebounds in 2001.

• Teams Played For: New York Liberty
• Career Averages: 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists

The New York Liberty added two of the best bigs in the league this offseason when they signed Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, but there is one big still lurking on the New York Liberty: Han Xu.

Xu was the fourteenth overall pick in the second round of the 2019 draft and was the youngest player in her draft class. After sitting out the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to covid, she made a return to the Liberty and had a fantastic 2022 campaign. It should be interesting to see how she is used with the new additions that the Liberty have in the paint.

• Teams Played For: Indiana Fever
• Career Averages: 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists

Another WNBA player popular for her height is former Indiana Fever big, Bernadett Hatar. Her stint in the WNBA may have been short (seven games), but there is no denying that the talent was there.

Hatar dominated the EuroLeague and EuroBasket for her home-country of Hungary, but finally made the jump to the WNBA in 2021. After only one season with the Fever, they parted ways and that was the end of that story… for now.

• Teams Played For: Tulsa Shock, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks
• Career Averages: 15.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Have you’ve ever listened to Sicko Mode by Travis Scott and sang along “Wet like I’m Lizzy” and thought to yourself, “who is Lizzy”?. Here’s your answer!

Liz Cambage took the WNBA by storm after getting drafted by the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She left the WNBA after just three years in 2013 to play overseas before a miraculous return in 2018 to the Wings. Cambage has been known for her off-court and on-court antics, but you simply can’t talk about the 2010’s WNBA without mentioning her.

• Teams Played For: Phoenix Mercury
• Career Averages: 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists

When talking about the best female basketball players from a pure skills standpoint, it’s impossible to leave out Brittney.

Griner was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and has played with the team ever since. She helped the United States win the gold medal at two Summer Olympics and two FIBA Women’s World Cups.

After being detained in Russia for possession of marijuana cartridges, Griner was forced to miss the entire 2022 WNBA season, but thankfully has made it back to the United States. She re-signed with the Mercury this offseason and will be back for the 2023 season.