1997 WNBA season
The 1997 season of the Women's National Basketball Association was the first season played out of North American women's professional basketball league. The regular season began on June 21, 1997 with the opening games between the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks, and the Houston Comets and the Cleveland Rockers and the Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz the. After finishing the regular season, which was held until August 24, 1997 the playoffs began at the WNBA Championship, the Houston Comets held on August 30 in the final game against the New York Liberty for themselves.
- 2.1 WNBA All-Star Game
- 2.2 Final Table
- 3.1 mode
- 3.2 Playoff Tree
- 3.3 Semi Finals ( Round 1 ) 3.3.1 (E1 ) Houston Comets - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
- 3.3.2 (W1 ) Phoenix Mercury - (E2 ) New York Liberty
- 3.4.1 (E1 ) Houston Comets - (E2 ) New York Liberty
- 3.4.2 WNBA champion team
- 4.1 All- WNBA teams
Draft
- Main article: WNBA Draft 1997
The first WNBA draft was held on April 28, 1997 in Secaucus, New Jersey, United States instead. In the first position, the Houston Comets selected the US-American Tina Thompson. The best non-US -American was ranked fourth from the Czech Republic Eva Nemcova, who was selected by the Cleveland Rockers. Overall, eight franchises secured the rights to 32 players. The lion's share with 29 players represented the United States.
Before the first WNBA Draft found with the initial player allocation, where each team were assigned to two players at random, as well as the Elite Draft, in which secure the franchises in two rounds the rights to players with experience with international professional clubs could two more drafts instead. As the first pick in the Draft, the Utah Starzz attracted elite U.S. citizen Dena Head. Thereafter, the Cleveland Rockers selected in second place Isabelle Fijalkowski.
Top 5 Picks
Abbreviations: Pos = Position G = Guard, F = Forward, C = Center
Regular Season
WNBA All-Star Game
The traditional All-Star Game WNBA was not introduced until 1999.
Final Table
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = games behind the leader of the Conference
Notes: = playoff qualification, = Conference Winner
Playoffs
Mode
After the two Conference winners, as well as the two other teams have qualified with the best record in the league, start the discharged in the knockout system Playoffs. The Conference winners are descending set according to their achieved from the regular season victories at the positions 1-2. At positions 3 and 4, the other teams, and it is quite possible that one or more team has won more games as one of the Conference winners follow.
About the rise in the next round is decided by a single game, but the team has plinth home advantage. In games that remain tied after 40 minutes of regulation time, followed by the overtime.
Playoff Tree
Semi Finals ( Round 1 )
(E1 ) Houston Comets - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
(W1 ) Phoenix Mercury - (E2 ) New York Liberty
Final ( Round 2)
(E1 ) Houston Comets - (E2 ) New York Liberty
WNBA champion team
Guards: Cynthia Cooper ( Finals MVP ), Kim Perrot
Forwards: Janeth Arcain, Yolanda Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson
Forward - Center: Tammy Jackson
Head Coach Van Chancellor