WNBA 1999
|
Women's National Basketball Association | ||
| ◄ previous | 1999 season | next ► | |
| Duration | June 10th - September 5th | ||
| Season games per team | 32 | ||
| Number of teams | 12 | ||
| Spectators (total) | 1,959,733 (∅: 10,207 per game) | ||
| Regular season | |||
| Best record |
 Houston Comets
|
||
| Season MVP |
 Yolanda Griffith
|
||
| Top scorer |
Cynthia Cooper
|
||
| Playoffs | |||
| Eastern - Champion | New York Liberty | ||
| Runner-up team | Charlotte Sting | ||
| Western - Champion |
Houston Comets
|
||
| Runner-up team |  Los Angeles Sparks
|
||
| Finals | |||
| WNBA champion |
Houston Comets
|
||
| Runner-up | New York Liberty | ||
| Finals MVP |
Cynthia Cooper
|
||
The 1999 season of the Women's National Basketball Association was the third played season of the North American professional women's basketball league. The regular season began on June 10, 1999 with four opening games. After completing the regular season, which was played until August 21, 1999, the playoffs began, which ended on September 5, 1999 with the third championship win of the Houston Comets . In addition, the first WNBA All-Star Game in the history of the league took place on July 14, 1999 in Madison Square Garden , the home ground of New York Liberty , in New York City .
Special occurrences
New game mode
The third season of the WNBA again brought some changes, so the league was divided into Western and Eastern Conference for the first time in relation to the playoffs . In the first two seasons, the two conference winners and the two other best teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. According to the new division, the two conference winners were automatically qualified for the conference finals, while the second and third placed in each conference played in a game for promotion to the conference finals. In addition, the number of games in the regular season has been increased from 30 to 32.
League expansion
On April 22, 1998, the WNBA decided to expand the league from ten to twelve teams. With this expansion, the cities of Orlando and Minneapolis were guaranteed a WNBA franchise, which should start playing this season. The league placed the Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference and the Orlando Miracle in the Eastern Conference .
Draft
The third WNBA Draft took place on May 4, 1999 at NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus , New Jersey . The Washington Mystics received the first draft pick , as they finished last season as the worst team. The two expansion franchises received seventh ( Minnesota Lynx ) and eighth ( Orlando Miracle ) draft picks.
The Mystics selected the American Chamique Holdsclaw from the University of Tennessee in first place. The remaining places in this year's WNBA draft were followed almost exclusively by players who had previously played in the American Basketball League (ABL). The ABL was a North American professional women's basketball league that was founded almost at the same time as the WNBA. The ABL, which was best known for its high level, had to stop playing in 1998 due to financial difficulties. That is why many ABL players used this year's draft to switch to the WNBA. In total, the twelve franchises secured the rights to 50 players. The United States made up the lion's share with 43 players .
Before the first WNBA draft, an initial player allocation was made for the two expansion teams , where the two teams were randomly assigned two professional players, as well as an expansion draft , in which the two franchises take over the rights to players from the rest in four rounds WNBA franchises secured two more drafts.
Top 5 picks
Abbreviations: Pos = Position, G = Guard, F = Forward, C = Center, ABL = American Basketball League
| # | Player | nationality | Item | WNBA team | College / professional team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chamique Holdsclaw |
United States
|
G / F |
 Washington Mystics
|
University of Tennessee |
| 2. | Yolanda Griffith |
United States
|
F / C | Sacramento Monarchs | Chicago Condors , OJ |
| 3. | Natalie Williams |
United States
|
C. |
 Utah Starzz
|
Portland Power , OJ |
| 4th | DeLisha Milton |
United States
|
F. |
 Los Angeles Sparks
|
Portland Power , OJ |
| 5. | Jennifer Azzi |
United States
|
G |
 Detroit Shock
|
San Jose Lasers , OJ |
Regular season
WNBA All-Star Game
The first WNBA All-Star Game took place on July 14, 1999 at Madison Square Garden , the home ground of New York Liberty , in New York City .
Closing tables
Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp. = Games, S = wins, N = defeats, GB = games behind the leader of the conference
| Pl. | Eastern Conference | Sp. | S. | N | Wins in% | GB | home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | New York Liberty | 32 | 18th | 14th | 56.3 | - | 12: 4 | 6:10 |
| 2. |
Detroit Shock
|
32 | 15th | 17th | 46.9 | 3 | 7: 9 | 8: 8 |
| 3. | Charlotte Sting | 32 | 15th | 17th | 46.9 | 3 | 8: 8 | 7: 9 |
| 4th |
 Orlando Miracle
|
32 | 14th | 18th | 43.8 | 4th | 7: 9 | 7: 9 |
| 5. |
Washington Mystics
|
32 | 12 | 20th | 37.5 | 6th | 6:10 | 6:10 |
| 6th |
 Cleveland Rockers
|
32 | 8th | 24 | 25.0 | 10 | 5:11 | 3:13 |
| Pl. | Western Conference | Sp. | S. | N | Wins in% | GB | home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Houston Comets
|
32 | 26th | 6th | 81.3 | - | 15: 1 | 11: 5 |
| 2. |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
32 | 20th | 12 | 62.5 | 6th | 13: 3 | 7: 9 |
| 3. | Sacramento Monarchs | 32 | 19th | 13 | 59.4 | 7th | 11: 5 | 8: 8 |
| 4th | Minnesota Lynx | 32 | 15th | 17th | 46.9 | 11 | 8: 8 | 7: 9 |
| 5. |
 Phoenix Mercury
|
32 | 15th | 17th | 46.9 | 11 | 12: 4 | 3:13 |
| 6th |
Utah Starzz
|
32 | 15th | 17th | 46.9 | 11 | 11: 5 | 4:12 |
| Legend |
Playoffs
mode
After the two conference winners as well as the second and third place winners of each conference have qualified, the playoffs , which are held in the knockout system , start . While the two Conference winner (automatic for the Conference finals dt . Conference final ) are qualified, the two runners contact each Conference against each other. The two winners will then meet the conference winner in the Conference Finals. Are the ultimate winner of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference determined to play these (in the WNBA Finals dt . WNBA finals ) the Master of.
While the first playoff round between the second and third placed will determine a single game about promotion, the remaining series of each round are played in best-of-three mode, which means that a team needs two wins to reach the next round . The team that ended the regular season with the poorer record has home rights in the first game, the next two the opposing team. For games that are tied after the regular playing time of 40 minutes, overtime follows .
Playoff tree
| First round | Conference Finals | WNBA Finals | |||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | E1 | New York Liberty | 2 | ||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit Shock
|
54 | E3 | Charlotte Sting | 1 | ||||||||
| E3 | Charlotte Sting | 60 | W1 | Houston Comets
|
2 | ||||||||
| E1 | New York Liberty | 1 | |||||||||||
| Western Conference | W1 | Houston Comets
|
2 | ||||||||||
| W2 | Los Angeles Sparks
|
71 | W2 | Los Angeles Sparks
|
1 | ||||||||
| W3 | Sacramento Monarchs | 58 | |||||||||||
First round (round 1)
(E2) Detroit Shock - (E3) Charlotte Sting
| Aug 24, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Detroit Shock |
54 - 60 | Charlotte Sting |
Palace of Auburn Hills , Auburn Hills, Michigan Visitors: 6,917 |
| Points per half: 26:22, 28:38. | |||||
|
Points: Palmer (10) Rebounds: Palmer (9) Assists: Azzi (3) |
Points: Mapp , Stinson (16) Rebounds: Stinson (14) Assists: Staley (5) |
||||
(W2) Los Angeles Sparks - (W3) Sacramento Monarchs
| Aug 24, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
71-58 | Sacramento Monarchs |
The Great Forum , Los Angeles, California Visitors: 8,569 |
| Points per half: 18:23, 23:36. | |||||
|
Points: Leslie (22) Rebounds: Leslie (12) Assists: Grubin (9) |
Points: Bolton (15) Rebounds: Byears (10) Assists: Bolton (4) |
||||
Conference Finals (Round 2)
(E1) New York Liberty - (E3) Charlotte Sting
| Aug 27, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from 23 August 2000 in the Internet Archive ) | Charlotte Sting | 78-67 | New York Liberty |
Charlotte Coliseum , Charlotte, North Carolina Visitors: 10,840 |
| Points per half: 33:36, 45:31. | |||||
|
Points: Mapp , Staley , Stinson (16) Rebounds: Bullet (11) Assists: Staley (9) |
Points: Robinson (17) Rebounds: Robinson, Wicks (6) Assists: Weatherspoon (8) |
||||
| Stand: 1: 0 | |||||
| Aug 29, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 29, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) | New York Liberty | 74-70 | Charlotte Sting |
Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York Visitors: 13,510 |
| Points per half: 39:29, 35:41. | |||||
|
Points: Weatherspoon (19) Rebounds: Hampton (10) Assists: Weatherspoon (9) |
Points: Stinson (27) Rebounds: Mapp , Smith , Stinson (6) Assists: Stinson (4) |
||||
| Stand: 1: 1 | |||||
| Aug 30, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) | New York Liberty | 69-54 | Charlotte Sting |
Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York Visitors: 12,929 |
| Points per half: 32:26, 37:28. | |||||
|
Points: Robinson (18) Rebounds: Hampton (11) Assists: Weatherspoon (11) |
Points: Stinson (24) Rebounds: Mapp (6) Assists: Staley (6) |
||||
| Final score: 2: 1 | |||||
(W1) Houston Comets - (W2) Los Angeles Sparks
| Aug 26, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
75-60 |
Houston Comets
|
The Great Forum , Los Angeles, California Visitors: 10,840 |
| Points per half: 33:29, 42:31. | |||||
|
Points: Leslie (23) Rebounds: Frett , Leslie (7) Assists: Grubin (7) |
Points: Swoopes (17) Rebounds: Thompson (7) Assists: Cooper (7) |
||||
| Stand: 1: 0 | |||||
| Aug 29, 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Houston Comets
|
83-55 |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
Compaq Center , Houston, Texas Visitors: 14,883 |
| Points per half: 34:28, 49:27. | |||||
|
Points: Cooper (22) Rebounds: Jackson (10) Assists: Cooper (9) |
Points: Leslie (11) Rebounds: Leslie (8) Assists: Leslie (4) |
||||
| Stand: 1: 1 | |||||
| Aug 30, 1999 | Match report |
Houston Comets
|
72-62 |
Los Angeles Sparks
|
Compaq Center , Houston, Texas Visitors: 12,673 |
| Points per half: 35:38, 37:24. | |||||
|
Points: Cooper , Swoopes (23) Rebounds: Cooper (7) Assists: Cooper (12) |
Points: Leslie (20) Rebounds: Leslie, Mabika (7) Assists: Mabika (5) |
||||
| Final score: 2: 1 | |||||
Finals (round 3)
(W1) Houston Comets - (E1) New York Liberty
| Sep 2 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 19, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) | New York Liberty | 60-73 |
Houston Comets
|
Madison Square Garden , New York City, New York Visitors: 16,285 |
| Points per half: 20:29, 40:44. | |||||
|
Points: Witherspoon (18) Rebounds: Wicks (11) Assists: Weatherspoon (10) |
Points: Cooper (29) Rebounds: Jackson (8) Assists: Cooper (6) |
||||
| Stand: 0: 1 | |||||
| 4th Sep 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Houston Comets |
67-68 | New York Liberty |
Compaq Center , Houston, Texas Visitors: 16,285 |
| Points per half: 37:23, 30:45. | |||||
|
Points: Thompson (15) Rebounds: Swoopes Tzekova (6) Assists: Cooper (6) |
Points: Robinson (21) Rebounds: Hampton (8) Assists: Weatherspoon (5) |
||||
| Stand: 1: 1 | |||||
| 5th Sep 1999 | Match report ( Memento from August 17, 2000 in the Internet Archive ) |
Houston Comets
|
59-47 | New York Liberty |
Compaq Center , Houston, Texas Visitors: 16,285 |
| Points per half: 33:25, 26:22. | |||||
|
Points: Cooper (24) Rebounds: Jackson (11) Assists: Henning (2) |
Points: Wicks (11) Rebounds: Wicks (9) Assists: Robinson (3) |
||||
|
Final score: 2-1 finals MVP: Cynthia Cooper |
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WNBA championship team
(Participation in at least one playoff game)
WNBA Masters Houston Comets |
Guards: Cynthia Cooper (Finals MVP) , Sonja Henning , Jennifer Rizzotti Forwards: Janeth Arcain , Tammy Jackson , Mila Nikolich , Sheryl Swoopes , Tina Thompson , Amaya Valdemoro Center: Polina Tzekova , Kara Wolters Head coach: Van Chancellor |
WNBA awards and trophies awarded
All-WNBA teams
| All-WNBA First Team | |
| Guards: |
(SAC) Ticha Penicheiro - Cynthia Cooper
|
| Forwards: |
Natalie Williams - Sheryl Swoopes
|
| Center: | (SAC) Yolanda Griffith |
| All-WNBA Second Team | |
| Guards: |
(NYL) Teresa Weatherspoon - Shannon Johnson
|
| Forwards: |
Tina Thompson - Chamique Holdsclaw
|
| Center: |
Lisa Leslie
|
Web links
- WNBA Award Winners 1999 WNBA.com (Engl.)
- WNBA Playoffs 1999 WNBA.com (Engl.)
- Statistics for the WNBA 1999 season on basketball-reference.com (Engl.)
- Key dates in the WNBA history (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ WNBA Timeline - By Date. WNBA, accessed July 1, 2012 .