This year's WNBA Championship was the first ever to be won by a Pacific Northwest team. The Chicago Sky were considered a wild card in this season's WNBA season. They finished the regular season sixth, but beat the Phoenix Mercury to reach the Finals. Kahleah Copper was named Finals MVP.
Washington Mystics vs. Seattle Storm
The Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm will be playing in the WNBA Championship 2018 Finals. Storm is back after an eight year absence. The team lost Lauren Jackson, but has now restocked with Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart.
In the regular season, The Seattle Storm was the league leader in 3-point accuracy. The Mystics finished second at 29.8%. This level of accuracy continued into the playoffs.
Breanna Stewart wins WNBA Finals MVP award
Breanna Stewart, a Seattle Storm guard has won the WNBA Finals MVP trophy. The 24-year old led her team in winning the title, averaging 28.3 ppg and 7.6 boards per game. The award was given to her for her outstanding play in helping the Storm win the league title in 2020. She was proud to receive her MVP award and arrived at the postgame media access with champagne in hand. She also wore her celebratory goggles, and threw green and gold confetti at Seattle Storm general manager Sue Bird.
Stewart, a two time WNBA MVP, led the Storm towards their second championship in under two years. She was outstanding in Game 1, scoring 37 points with 15 rebounds. She became the first player to average 35 point per game in the Finals. She ended the series with an average 28.3 points and a shooting percentage of 65 percent. Stewart is also a Hall of Fame nominee.
Phoenix Sun's Diana Taurasi wins first WNBA title
Diana Taurasi is a former NBA player and now the leading scorer in the WNBA. She has won the MVP award, three WNBA champions and three WNBA league championships. She has also been awarded four Olympic golds medals and five WNBA scoring awards. She also has three NCAA championships won with the University of Connecticut. She has also played overseas, winning six Euroleague championships.
Diana Taurasi became the most decorated WNBA player after she won her first WNBA Championship. This win also marked the start of a long and successful career for the 22year-old. Taurasi is the first player to win a championship with a team from the Western Conference. She will join the league's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Seattle Storm's Sue Bird is the one leading Seattle to victory
The Seattle Storm are on the verge of their first WNBA title. Sue Bird is leading them. The Storm finished their regular season with a record 26-8 and topped Western Conference standings. Bird, a 2001 top pick, led the team. 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 to 26 from three point range and outscored their counterparts 21 points. 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 Storm's star during the playoffs. In Game 5 against Phoenix Mercury, Bird came up big during the fourth quarter. Bird scored 10 points despite being wearing a mask to conceal a broken nose. She also drained clutch jumpers and sent the Mercury home.