The WNBA champion title was won for the first-time by a team representing the Pacific Northwest. 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 Silver was named Finals MVP.
Washington Mystics vs. Seattle Storm
In the WNBA Championship 2018 finals, the Washington Mystics will play the Seattle Storm. Storm is back after an eight year absence. The team lost Lauren Jackson due to retirement but has restocked its lineup by Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell L.
In the regular season, The Seattle Storm was the league leader in 3-point accuracy. The Mystics were in second place with 29.8%. This accuracy continued into playoffs.
Breanna Stewart wins WNBA Finals MVP award
Breanna Steward, a Seattle Storm defender, won the WNBA Finals MVP award. She averaged 28.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per match to lead her team to the title. Her play was instrumental in the Storm's 2020 league title win. She was proud to receive her MVP award and arrived at the postgame media access with champagne in hand. She also wore her celebratory glasses and threw green-and-gold confetti at Sue Bird, Seattle Storm general manager.
Stewart was a two-time WNBA MVP and led the Storm in their second consecutive championship in less that two years. Her Game 1 performance was exceptional, scoring 37 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. She became the first player to average 35 point per game in the Finals. She averaged 28.3 points per game and shot 65 percent of the field to finish the series. 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, who won her first WNBA title, is now the most decorated player of WNBA history. The 22-year-old also began a long, distinguished career. Taurasi is first Western Conference player to win a championship. She will be joining the league's Hall of Fame for 2020.
Seattle Storm's Sue Bird leads the charge to victory
The Seattle Storm are on the verge of their first WNBA title. Sue Bird is leading them. The Storm finished the regular season at 26-8. They also topped the Western Conference standings. Bird was the team's top pick in 2001. Bird's offensive efficiency and quickness enabled the Storm to defeat the Washington Mystics from the perimeter. The Storm shot 13 to 26 from three point range and outscored their counterparts 21 points. The Mystics shot only 8 for 23 from behind the arc in Game 3 and finished the series with a record of 11 for 60.
Bird was the main star for the Storm during the playoffs. She was dominant in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 5. Bird, despite wearing a mask because of a broken nose scored just 10 points and drained clutch jumpers in order to send the Mercury home.