This year's WNBA championship was the first time a team from the Pacific Northwest has won the title. The Chicago Sky finished this regular season as a wildcard, finishing sixth in the standings. However, they defeated the Phoenix Mercury at the Finals. Kahleah Silver was named Finals MVP.
Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm
The Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm will be playing in the WNBA Championship 2018 Finals. Storm is back in the Finals, eight years after their absence. The team lost Lauren Jackson to retirement, but has restocked its lineup with Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd.
In the regular season, the Seattle Storm was the league's leader in 3-point accuracy. The Mystics were second with 29.8%. This accuracy carried over into the playoffs.
Breanna Stewart wins WNBA Finals MVP award
Breanna Steward, a Seattle Storm defender, won the WNBA Finals MVP award. Her team won the title with a 28.3 point and 7.6 rebound per game average. She won the award for her play, which helped the Storm win the league title in 2020. She received her MVP award by arriving to the postgame media accessibility with champagne in her hands. She also wore a pair of celebratory goggles.
A two-time WNBA MVP, Stewart led the Storm to their second championship in less than two years. She performed exceptionally in Game 1 with 37 points, 15 rebounds and an impressive performance. That made her the first player to average 35 points in the Finals. She finished the series averaging 28.3 points and shot 65 percent from the field. Stewart is also considered for the Hall of Fame.
Phoenix Sun's Diana Taurasi wins first WNBA title
Diana Taurasi, a former NBA player, is now the leading scorer for the WNBA. She has won three WNBA championships and the MVP award. She also has four Olympic gold medals and five WNBA scoring titles. Additionally, she won three NCAA championships for the University of Connecticut. She also won six Euroleague championships overseas.
Diana Taurasi, after winning her first WNBA championship title, is now the most decorated player ever to play in WNBA history. This win also marked the start of a long and successful career for the 22year-old. Taurasi was the first player to win the championship with a Western Conference team. She will join the league's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Seattle Storm's Sue Bird leads Seattle towards victory
Sue Bird leads the Seattle Storm towards their first WNBA Championship. The Storm won the Western Conference standings with a record of 26-8. Bird, who was a top draft pick in 2001, was the team's leader. Bird was a top pick in 2001 and her offensive efficiency combined with her quickness allowed Storm to dominate Washington Mystics' perimeter. The Storm shot 13 out 26 from three points and outscored Washington Mystics 21 to 21. In Game 3, the Mystics were only 8 for 23, from behind the arc, and ended the series with a record 11 for 60.
Bird was the main star for the Storm during the playoffs. She came up big in Game 5 against Phoenix Mercury. Bird, who was wearing a mask from a broken nose, scored just 10 points. The Mercury then drained their clutch jumpers.