WNBA 2004
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Women's National Basketball Association | ||
| ◄ previous | 2004 season | next ► | |
| Duration | May 20th - October 12th | ||
| Season games per team | 34 | ||
| Number of teams | 13 | ||
| Spectators (total) | 1,903,427 (∅: 8,613 per game) | ||
| Regular season | |||
| Best record |
 Los Angeles Sparks
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| Season MVP |
 Lisa Leslie
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| Top scorer |
 Lauren Jackson
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| Playoffs | |||
| Eastern - Champion |
 Connecticut Sun
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| Runner-up team | New York Liberty | ||
| Western - Champion |
 Seattle Storm
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| Runner-up team | Sacramento Monarchs | ||
| Finals | |||
| WNBA champion |
Seattle Storm
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| Runner-up |  Connecticut Sun
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| Finals MVP |
Betty Lennox
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The 2004 season was the eighth regular season for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
In September 2003 the Cleveland Rockers were dissolved.
The eighth WNBA Draft took place on April 17, 2004 at NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus , New Jersey , United States .
The WNBA championship won the Seattle Storm for the first time , who defeated the Connecticut Sun 2–1 in the final series . Storm Guard Betty Lennox has been named Finals MVP.
There was no WNBA All-Star Game this season because of the Olympic Games in Athens. However, the US team played against an international selection of WNBA players. This game could win the US team 74-58.
Draft
- Main article: WNBA Draft 2004
In September 2003, the owners of the Cleveland Rockers announced that they no longer wanted to fund the team. The WNBA did not find an owner for the team, which is why the players could be drafted in a dispersal draft by the other teams in the league.
The eighth WNBA Draft took place on April 17, 2007 at NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus , New Jersey , United States . The order of selection was determined in a lottery . These won the Phoenix Mercury before the Washington Mystics .
The first pick was the Mercury Diana Taurasi . After that, Washington chose Alana Beard in second place . In total, the 13 franchises secured the rights to 39 players. The United States made up the majority with 35 players.
Top 5 picks
Abbreviations: Pos = Position, G = Guard, F = Forward, C = Center
| # | Player | nationality | Item | WNBA team | College / professional team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Diana Taurasi |
United States
|
G |
 Phoenix Mercury
|
University of Connecticut |
| 2. | Alana Beard |
United States
|
G |
 Washington Mystics
|
Duke University |
| 3. | Nicole Powell |
United States
|
G / F | Charlotte Sting | Stanford University |
| 4th | Lindsay Whalen |
United States
|
G |
Connecticut Sun
|
University of Minnesota |
| 5. | Shameka Christon |
United States
|
G / F | New York Liberty | University of Arkansas |
Regular season
Closing tables
Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp. = Games, S = wins, N = defeats, GB = games behind the leader of the conference
Explanations: = Playoff qualification, = Conference winner
| Pl. | Eastern Conference | Sp. | S. | N | Wins in% | GB | home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Connecticut Sun
|
34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | - | 10: 7 | 8: 9 |
| 2. | New York Liberty | 34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | - | 11: 6 | 7:10 |
| 3. |
 Detroit Shock
|
34 | 17th | 17th | 50.0 | 1 | 8: 9 | 9: 8 |
| 4th |
Washington Mystics
|
34 | 17th | 17th | 50.0 | 1 | 11: 6 | 6:11 |
| 5. | Charlotte Sting | 34 | 16 | 18th | 47.1 | 2 | 10: 7 | 6:11 |
| 6th |
 Indiana Fever
|
34 | 15th | 19th | 44.1 | 3 | 10: 7 | 5:12 |
| Pl. | Western Conference | Sp. | S. | N | Wins in% | GB | home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
34 | 25th | 9 | 73.5 | - | 15: 2 | 10: 7 |
| 2. |
Seattle Storm
|
34 | 20th | 14th | 58.8 | 5 | 13: 4 | 7:10 |
| 3. | Sacramento Monarchs | 34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | 7th | 10: 7 | 8: 9 |
| 4th | Minnesota Lynx | 34 | 18th | 16 | 52.9 | 7th | 11: 6 | 7:10 |
| 5. |
Phoenix Mercury
|
34 | 17th | 17th | 50.0 | 8th | 10: 7 | 7:10 |
| 6th |
 Houston Comets
|
34 | 13 | 21st | 38.2 | 12 | 9: 8 | 4:13 |
| 7th |
 San Antonio Silver Stars
|
34 | 9 | 25th | 26.5 | 16 | 6:11 | 3:14 |
Playoffs
Conference semifinals (round 1)
Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Conference Finals (Round 2)
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Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Finals (round 3)
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WNBA championship team
(Participation in at least one playoff game)
WNBA champions Seattle Storm |
Guards: Betty Lennox (Finals MVP) , Sue Bird , Tully Bevilaqua , Michelle Greco Guard Fowards: Sheri Sam Forwards: Alicia Thompson , Adia Barnes Forward Center: Lauren Jackson , Kamila Vodichkova Center: Janell Burse , Simone Edwards Head coach: Anne Donovan |
WNBA awards and trophies awarded
All-WNBA teams
| All-WNBA First Team | |
| Guards: |
Diana Taurasi - Sue Bird
|
| Forwards: |
Lauren Jackson - Tina Thompson
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| Center: |
Lisa Leslie
|
| All-WNBA Second Team | |
| Guards: |
Nikki Teasley - Nykesha Sales
|
| Forwards: |
Tamika Catchings - Swin Cash
|
| Center: | (SAC) Yolanda Griffith |
Web links
- Final Standings 2004 on WNBA.com ( Memento from October 16, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
- WNBA Award Winners 2004 WNBA.com (Engl.)
- WNBA Playoffs 2004 WNBA.com (Engl.)
- Statistics for the WNBA 2004 season on basketball-reference.com (Engl.)
- Key dates in the WNBA history (Engl.)