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WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player
The Women's National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season. During the first four years of the league, the Houston Comets' Cynthia Cooper won the award four consecutive times. The Los Angeles Sparks' Lisa Leslie won back-to-back in the subsequent two seasons. No other players have won the award in consecutive seasons, but Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, and Breanna Stewart have won the award twice. While some teams have won multiple championship since the dynasty years of the Comets and the Sparks, the match-up usually resulted in different MVPs. For example, in the Detroit Shock's three wins over six years, three different players won the award. As of 2024, there have been three non-American Finals MVPs – Lauren Jackson of Australia (2010), Emma Meesseman of Belgium (2019), and Jonquel Jones, a Bahamian who has represented Bosnia and Herzegovina inter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and preserving the history of basketball. Dedicated to Canadian-American physician James Naismith, who invented the sport in Springfield, the Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959, before opening its first facility on February 17, 1968. , the Hall has formally inducted 436 players, coaches, referees, and other basketball professionals. The Boston Celtics have the most inductees, with 40. History of the Springfield building The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was established in 1959, without a physical location, by Lee Williams, a former athletic director at Colby College. In the 1960s, the Hall of Fame struggled to raise enough money to construct its first facility. However, the necessary amount was raised, and the building ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forward-center
Forward–center is a basketball basketball positions, position for players who play or have played both Basketball positions#Frontcourt (forwards and center), forward and center (basketball), center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward (basketball), power forward and center (basketball), center, since these are usually the two tallest player positions on any basketball team, and therefore more often overlap each other. Development and role Forward–center came into the basketball jargon as the game evolved and became more specialized in the 1960s. The five positions on court were originally known only as Basketball positions#Guards, guards, Basketball positions#Frontcourt (forwards and center), forwards, and the center (basketball), center, but it is now generally accepted that the five primary positions are point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward (basketball), power forward, and center (basketball), center. Typically, a forward–cente ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruth Riley
Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a retired American professional basketball player (a center), playing most recently for the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA women's championship in 2001, and her Detroit Shock team won the WNBA championship in 2003 and 2006. Riley was the Most Valuable Player in the 2001 and 2003 championship series, becoming the first person to win the MVP awards in both the NCAA and the WNBA championships. She has also played on teams that won the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) championship, the gold medal at the Olympic Games, and the 2010 EuroCup Championship. In 2019, Riley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. In March 2016, Riley participated in Mogul's IAmAMogul campaign for inspiring women to believe that they have the "power to shape the world through their voices and actions." She was the general manager for the San Antonio Stars from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2003 WNBA Finals
The 2003 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2003 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Detroit Shock, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, two games to one in a best-of-three series. This was Detroit's first title. The Shock made their first appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Sparks made their third straight Finals appearance. Going into the series, the Sparks had won two WNBA championships (2001, 2002). The Houston Comets hold the record with four championships won. The Shock had a 25–9 record (.735), good enough to receive home-court advantage over the Sparks (24–10). Road to the finals Regular season series The Shock won the regular season series: Game summaries All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time. Game 1 Lisa Leslie collected 23 points and 12 rebounds as the two-time defending champion Sparks used a huge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2002 WNBA Finals
The 2002 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2002 WNBA season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks finished the regular season with a record and as the Western Conference's number-one seed. They matched up against the New York Liberty, who finished with an record and as the number-one seed of the Eastern Conference. Holding the better record, the Sparks received home-court advantage over the Liberty. The series was the first championship series to be branded as the "WNBA Finals", as the league's championship was previously called the "WNBA Championship" from 1997 to 2001. The series marked the fourth WNBA Finals appearance for the Liberty and second for the Sparks. For the Sparks, it also marked their second straight Finals appearance, going into the series as defending champions. The Sparks defeated the Liberty two games to none in the best-of-three series, winning their second consecutive championship. This would be the last time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Center (basketball)
The center (C), or the centre, also known as the five, the big or the pivot, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is almost always the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well. In the National Basketball Association, NBA, the center is typically close to tall; centers in the Women's National Basketball Association, WNBA are typically above . Centers traditionally play close to the basket in the low post. The two tallest players in NBA history, Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureșan, were both centers, each standing tall. Centers are valued for their ability to protect their own goal from high-percentage close attempts on defense, while scoring and rebounding with high efficiency on offense. In the 1950s and 1960s, George Mikan and Bill Russell were centerpieces of championship dynasties and defined early prototypical centers. With the addition of a three-point field goal for the 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets (basketball), Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida, FanDuel Sports Network Florida. In 2002, Leslie made history as the first player to dunk during a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) game. Leslie was ranked 5th on ESPN.com's 2021 list of the WNBA's greatest players of all time. Leslie played in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009. She is a three-time WNBA WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner. The number-seven pick in the 1997 inaugural WNBA draft, she followed her career at the University of Southern California with eight WNBA All-Star selections and two WNBA Championship, WNBA championships over the course of 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, before retiring in 2009. In 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2001 WNBA Finals
The 2001 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 2001 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Charlotte Sting, fourth-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to none in a best-of-three series. This was Los Angeles' first title. The Sparks made their first appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Sting also made their first Finals appearance. Going into the series, no other team except the Houston Comets had ever won a WNBA championship (1997-2000). The Sparks had a 28–4 record (.875), good enough to receive home-court advantage over the Sting (18–14). It did not matter, however, as the Sparks swept the Sting. Road to the finals Regular season series The Sparks won the regular season series: Game summaries All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time. Game 1 Game 2 Awards *2001 WNBA champion: Los Angeles Sparks * Finals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2000 WNBA Finals
The 2000 WNBA Championship was the championship Playoff format#Best-of-three playoff, series of the 2000 WNBA season, and the conclusion of WNBA Playoffs, the season's playoffs. The 2000 Houston Comets season, Houston Comets, second-seeded champions of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference, defeated the 2000 New York Liberty season, New York Liberty, first-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference, two games to none in a best-of-three series. This was Houston's fourth title. The Comets made their fourth appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Liberty also made their third Finals appearance. Going into the series, no other team except the Houston Comets had won a WNBA championship (1997 WNBA Championship, 1997–1999 WNBA Championship, 1999). The Comets had a 27–5 record (.844), good enough to receive home-court advantage over the Liberty (20–12). It did not matter, however, as the Comets swept the Liberty. Road to the final ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1999 WNBA Finals
The 1999 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 1999 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Houston Comets, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the New York Liberty, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to one in a best-of-three series. This was Houston's third title. The Comets made their third appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Liberty made their second Finals appearance. Going into the series, no other team except the Houston Comets had ever won a WNBA championship (1997 and 1998). The Comets had a 26–6 record (.813), good enough to receive home-court advantage over the Liberty (18–14). Road to the finals Regular season series The Comets and the Liberty split the regular season series: Game summaries All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time. Game 1 Game 2 With Houston leading 67–65 over New York and the Liberty out of timeouts with only 2.4 seconds remai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1998 WNBA Finals
The 1998 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 1998 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Houston Comets, top-seeded team of the league, defeated the Phoenix 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 them home court advantage over Phoenix (19–11). The Comets lost game 1 in Phoenix, but won games 2 and 3 to take the series. Road to the finals Regular season series The Houston Comets won 2 of the 3 games in the regular season series: Game summaries All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time. Game 1 Jennifer Gillom's basket in the lane with 8.9 s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
