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We Got Next
On April 24, 1996, women’s basketball announced “We Got Next” as the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to begin play in June 1997. -
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Leage Conception
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First WNBA Players sign
The first of the player signings was announced on October 23, 1996, with Sheryl Swoopes and Rebecca Lobo joining the league. The duo were soon followed by Ruthie Bolton, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Michele Timms (the first international player) and many more WNBA hopefuls. -
Inaugural 8 Teams
Eight teams were announced for the league’s inaugural season. The Eastern Conference consisted of the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty while the Western Conference was comprised of the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz. -
First WNBA Game
The inaugural WNBA season tipped off on June 21, 1997, with the New York Liberty taking on the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif. A crowd of 14,284 watched as Sparks guard Penny Toler scored the first basket in WNBA history. The Liberty defeated the Sparks 67-57. -
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Houston Comets Dynasty
At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since the league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and four-time Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor, the team posted a 98–24 record through their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league and the Comets dynasty came to an end. -
WNBA CBA
With such tremendous growth, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) announced on April 29, 1999 the league’s first collective bargaining agreement – a first of its kind in women’s team sports. -
Comets invited to the Whitehouse
On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden. This was important to the WNBA's growth because before this invitation, only men's sports teams had traveled to the White House. -
Houston Comets Dynasty
At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since the league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and four-time Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor, the team posted a 98–24 record through their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league and the Comets dynasty came to an end. -
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Lisa Leslie & the LA Sparks
Going into the 2001 season, Houston faltered without Cooper and fell to fourth place in the conference by the end of the season. The top contender was the league's marquee team, the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks were predicted to win the earlier championships but the team could never get past the dominating Comets. Led by Lisa Leslie, the most dominating post player at the time, the Sparks posted an outstanding regular season record of 28–4. They advanced to their first ever WNBA Finals and swe -
WNBA Teams Sold
Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002, when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party. This led to two teams moving; Utah to San Antonio and Orlando to Connecticut. With the move, the Sun became the first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise. This sale of teams also led to two teams folding, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire, because new owners could not be found. -
ESPN & WNBA
In 2007, the WNBA and ESPN came to an 8-year television agreement. The agreement would be the first to pay television rights fees to the league's teams. Never before has an agreement promised rights fees to a women's professional league. The agreement runs from 2009 to 2016 and is worth millions of dollars.[10] In 2013, an extension was signed through 2022. The new deal will pay each team $1 million a year. -
Maya Moore & Jordan
So the signing of Maya Moore as the first woman ever as part of the Jordan Brand is huge, something the company announced this week.The deal is rumored to be for between $3 million and $4 million. -
WNBA & Boost Mobile
As the marquee partner of the WNBA, Boost Mobile will be the league’s most prominent marketing partner and will be tied closely to the WNBA brand on a national level. As the Official Wireless Services Provider of the league, Boost Mobile will be featured through WNBA national and local marketing activities throughout the life of the partnership.
As part of this partnership, the Boost Mobile brand will be prominently featured on the front of the game jer and include a special program on NBA TV -
