1999 WNBA season
The 1999 season of the Women's National Basketball Association was played out the 94th season of the North American women's professional basketball league. The regular season began on 10 June 1999 with four opening games. After finishing the regular season, which was held until August 21, 1999 began the playoffs, which ended on September 5, 1999 with the third championship win of the Houston Comets. In addition, in New York City the first WNBA All-Star Game in the history of the league took place on 14 July 1999 at Madison Square Garden, the home stadium of the New York Liberty instead.
- 2.1 Top 5 picks
- 3.1 WNBA All-Star Game
- 3.2 Completion Tables
- 4.1 mode
- 4.2 Playoff Tree
- 4.3 First round ( Round 1 ) 4.3.1 (E2 ) Detroit Shock - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
- 4.3.2 (W2 ) Los Angeles Sparks - (W3 ) Sacramento Monarchs
- 4.4.1 (E1 ) New York Liberty - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
- 4.4.2 (W1 ) Houston Comets - (W2 ) Los Angeles Sparks
- 4.5.1 (W1 ) Houston Comets - (E1 ) New York Liberty
- 4.5.2 WNBA champion team
- 5.1 All- WNBA teams
Special events
New game mode
The third season of the WNBA again brought some changes, so the league in terms of the playoffs was first divided into Western and Eastern Conference. In the first two seasons each qualified the two Conference winners and the two other best teams in the league for the playoffs. According to the new division the two Conference winners qualified automatically for the Conference Finals, while the second and third place winners of each Conference in a game played by the rise in the Conference Finals. In addition, the number of games in the regular season was increased from 30 to 32.
League extension
On April 22, 1998, the WNBA decided on a league expansion from ten to twelve teams. With this extension the cities of Orlando and Minnesota a WNBA franchise was assured that should already take up to this season their gaming operations. The League placed the Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference and the Orlando Miracle in the Eastern Conference.
Draft
- Main article: WNBA Draft 1999
The third WNBA Draft took place on 4 May 1999 at the NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey instead. The first draft pick received the Washington Mystics as they finished the last season as the worst team. The two expansion franchises were awarded the seventh (Minnesota Lynx ) and eighth (Orlando Miracle ) draft pick.
In the first position, the Mystics chose the US-American Chamique Holdsclaw of the University of Tennessee. On the remaining places in this year's WNBA Drafts followed almost exclusively players who had previously worked in the American Basketball League (ABL). The ABL was a North American women's professional basketball league, which was founded almost simultaneously with the WNBA. The ABL, which was known above all for its high standards, had to adjust their game operation in 1998 due to financial difficulties. That's why many players in the ABL this jähren used the draft to enter the WNBA. Overall, the twelve franchises secured the rights to 50 players. The lion's share with 43 players represented the United States.
Before the first WNBA Draft found for the two expansion teams an Initial Player Allocation, where the two teams were assigned at random to two professional players, as well as an expansion draft, in which the two franchises in four rounds the rights to players from the remaining WNBA franchises secured two more drafts instead.
Top 5 picks
Abbreviations: Pos = Position G = Guard, F = Forward, C = Center, ABL = American Basketball League
Regular Season
WNBA All-Star Game
The first WNBA All-Star Game took place on 14 July 1999 at Madison Square Garden, the home stadium of the New York Liberty in New York City.
Statements Tables
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 second and third place winners have each conference qualified to start the discharged in the knockout system Playoffs. While the two Conference winners for the Conference Finals (German Conference finals) are automatically qualified to enter the second and third place winners each conference against each other. The two winners then meet in the Conference Finals to the Conference winner. Ultimately are the winners of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference determined this in the WNBA Finals (German WNBA finals) play from the master.
While the first playoff round between the second and third place one game about the rise decides the remaining series will be played each round in the best-of -three mode, which means that a team needs two victories to reach the next round. The team that finishes the regular season with the poorer balance, in the first match home right, the next two the opposing team. In games that remain tied after 40 minutes of regulation time, followed by the overtime.
Playoff Tree
First round ( Round 1 )
(E2 ) Detroit Shock - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
(W2 ) Los Angeles Sparks - (W3 ) Sacramento Monarchs
Conference Finals ( Round 2)
(E1 ) New York Liberty - (E3 ) Charlotte Sting
(W1 ) Houston Comets - (W2 ) Los Angeles Sparks
Finals ( Round 3 )
(W1 ) Houston Comets - (E1 ) New York Liberty
WNBA champion team
Guards: Cynthia Cooper ( Finals MVP ), Sonja Henning
Forwards: Janeth Arcain, Tammy Jackson, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson
Center: Polina Tzekova
Head Coach Van Chancellor