History
Further information: WNBA Playoffs See also: List of WNBA franchise post-season droughtsThe WNBA Finals were originally a single championship game to decide the WNBA champion. However, in 1998, after the addition of two teams, the WNBA Finals were turned into a best-of-three games series. In 2005, the WNBA Finals adopted a best-of-five format. This finale series was known as the WNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001, before changing to reflect its NBA counterpart.
| Year | Champions | Result | Opponent | Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Houston Comets | 65–51 | New York Liberty | Cynthia Cooper |
| 1998 | Houston Comets | 2–1 | Phoenix Mercury | Cynthia Cooper |
| 1999 | Houston Comets | 2–1 | New York Liberty | Cynthia Cooper |
| 2000 | Houston Comets | 2–0 | New York Liberty | Cynthia Cooper |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Sparks | 2–0 | Charlotte Sting | Lisa Leslie |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Sparks | 2–0 | New York Liberty | Lisa Leslie |
| 2003 | Detroit Shock | 2–1 | Los Angeles Sparks | Ruth Riley |
| 2004 | Seattle Storm | 2–1 | Connecticut Sun | Betty Lennox |
| 2005 | Sacramento Monarchs | 3–1 | Connecticut Sun | Yolanda Griffith |
| 2006 | Detroit Shock | 3–2 | Sacramento Monarchs | Deanna Nolan |
| 2007 | Phoenix Mercury | 3–2 | Detroit Shock | Cappie Pondexter |
| 2008 | Detroit Shock | 3–0 | San Antonio Silver Stars | Katie Smith |
| 2009 | Phoenix Mercury | 3–2 | Indiana Fever | Diana Taurasi |
| 2010 | Seattle Storm | 3–0 | Atlanta Dream | Lauren Jackson |
| 2011 | Minnesota Lynx | 3–0 | Atlanta Dream | Seimone Augustus |
| 2012 | Indiana Fever | 3–1 | Minnesota Lynx | Tamika Catchings |
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