This was the first year that a team from the Pacific Northwest won the WNBA championship. The Chicago Sky, a wildcard team, finished the regular season as sixth seed. However, they beat the Phoenix Mercury in Finals. Kahleah Copper was named Finals MVP.
Washington Mystics vs. Seattle Storm
The Washington Mystics play the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Championship 2018, finals. The Storm is back in Finals 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's leader in 3-point accuracy. With 29.8%, the Mystics came in second. This accuracy carried over into the playoffs.
Breanna Stewart wins WNBA Finals MVP award
Breanna Stewart, a Seattle Storm guard, has been awarded 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. She was recognized for her contributions to the Storm winning the league title in 2020. With champagne in hand, she showed her MVP award. She also wore a pair of celebratory goggles.
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 was the first player to average at least 35 points in the Finals. She averaged 28.3 points per game and shot 65 percent of the field to finish the series. Stewart is also considered for the Hall of Fame.
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 been awarded the MVP award and three WNBA titles. She has also won four Olympic gold medals as well as five WNBA scoring titles. In addition, she has won three NCAA championships with the University of Connecticut. She also won six Euroleague championships overseas.
Diana Taurasi has become the most decorated WNBA player since winning her first championship. 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 be inducted into league's Hall of Fame by 2020.
Seattle Storm's Sue Bird leads Seattle in victory
Sue Bird leads the Seattle Storm towards their first WNBA Championship. The Storm finished the regular season at 26-8. They also topped the 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 of 26 from three-point range, outscoring the Mystics 21 points. The Mystics went 8/23 from behind the arc in Game 3. They finished the series with a record of eleven for sixty.
Bird was the Storm's star during the playoffs. In Game 5 against the Phoenix Mercury, she came up big in the fourth quarter. Bird, who was wearing a mask from a broken nose, scored just 10 points. The Mercury then drained their clutch jumpers.