The WNBA title was won by a Pacific Northwest team for the first time. 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 will face the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Championship 2018. Storm returns to the Finals after an 8-year absence. The team lost Lauren Jackson due to retirement but has restocked its lineup by Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell L.
The league was led by the Seattle Storm in 3-point accuracy during the regular season. The Mystics were second with 29.8%. This accuracy was evident in 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 to the title by averaging 28.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The award was given to her for her outstanding play in helping 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 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 had an exceptional performance during Game 1 with 37 points and 15 rebounds. This made her the first player in the Finals to average 35 points. She scored an average of 28.3 and shot 65 per cent from the field for the series. Stewart is also a Hall of Fame candidate.
Phoenix Sun's Diana Taurasi wins first WNBA title
Diana Taurasi was a former NBA player. She is now the leading scorer at the WNBA. She has won the MVP award, three WNBA champions and three WNBA league championships. She has also won four Olympic gold medals as well as five WNBA scoring titles. She is also a three-time NCAA champion with the University of Connecticut. She has also won six Euroleague Championships.
After winning her first WNBA championship, Diana Taurasi is now the most decorated player 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 in victory
Sue Bird leads the Seattle Storm to their first WNBA championship. The Storm finished their regular season with a record 26-8 and topped Western Conference standings. Bird was the team's captain and was a top pick for 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. 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 main star during the playoffs. In Game 5 against Phoenix Mercury, Bird came up big during the fourth quarter. Bird was wearing a mask for a broken nose but she scored 10 points and took out clutch jumpers to send Mercury home.