1997 WNBA season
| 1997 WNBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | Women's National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | June 21 - August 30 |
| Number of games | 28 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Total attendance | 1,082,963 |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN, NBC, Lifetime |
| 1997 WNBA Draft | |
| Top draft pick |
 Tina Thompson
|
| Picked by | Houston Comets |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP |
Cynthia Cooper (Houston) |
| Top scorer | C. Cooper (22.2) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Houston Comets, New York Liberty |
| Eastern runners-up | Charlotte Sting |
| Western champions | none due to setup |
| Western runners-up | Phoenix Mercury |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Houston Comets |
| Runners-up | New York Liberty |
| Finals MVP |
Cynthia Cooper (Houston) |
The 1997 WNBA Season was the Women's National Basketball Association's first in existence. It started off with 8 franchises: Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and the Utah Starzz. It featured an inaugural game between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks lost to the New York Liberty, 67-57. The attendance at the Forum was 14,284. The season ended with the Comets defeating the Liberty in a one-game series 65-51. Cynthia Cooper was named MVP of the game.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
There were only 8 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four. Houston was in the Eastern Conference in 1997 so two Eastern Conference teams matched up in the WNBA Finals.
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