2009 WNBA season

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2009 WNBA season
LeagueWomen's National Basketball Association
SportBasketball
DurationJune 6 – October 9, 2009
Number of games34
Number of teams13
Total attendance1,776,536
Average attendance8,039
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
2009 WNBA Draft
Top draft pickUnited States Angel McCoughtry
Picked byAtlanta Dream
Regular season
Season MVPUnited States Diana Taurasi (Phoenix)
Playoffs
Eastern championsIndiana Fever
  Eastern runners-upDetroit Shock
Western championsPhoenix Mercury
  Western runners-upLos Angeles Sparks
Finals
ChampionsPhoenix Mercury
  Runners-upIndiana Fever
Finals MVPUnited States Diana Taurasi
WNBA seasons

The 2009 WNBA Season was the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008. The season ended with the Phoenix Mercury winning their second championship in three years.

The regular season began with a televised (ABC) meeting between the defending champion Detroit Shock and the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles on June 6. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 9th Annual All-Star Game which was broadcast live on ABC (HD) on July 25.

2008/2009 WNBA offseason[edit]

  • The new television deal with ESPN will begin during the 2009 season. For the first time ever, teams will be paid rights fees as part of this deal.
  • As of the 2009 season, the maximum roster size per team is reduced from 13 to 11. Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury, pregnancy or any other factor outside of the control of the team will, upon request, be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games. As soon as the injured (or otherwise sidelined) player(s) is able to play, the roster hardship player(s) -- not any other player on the roster—must be waived.
  • On October 23, 2008, Angela Taylor was named general manager of the Washington Mystics.
  • On November 6, 2008, Julie Plank was named head coach of the Washington Mystics.
  • On November 20, 2008, Bill Laimbeer was signed to a two-year contract extension as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock.
  • On December 1, 2008, the Houston Comets ceased basketball operations.
  • On January 5, 2009, the free agent signing period began.
  • On February 3, 2009, president Donna Orender announced that the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game is in Connecticut, hosted by the Sun.
  • On April 28, 2009, Anne Donovan was named assistant coach of the New York Liberty.
  • The WNBA announced the addition of the WNBA LiveAccess system on May 13, 2009. This new feature on WNBA.com will provide fans with free access to more than 200 live game webcasts – the league's most comprehensive offering – throughout the 2009 WNBA season. For the first time, fans around the world will be able to access live game webcasts on individual team web sites. All of the WNBA LiveAccess games will then be archived for on-demand viewing.
  • On June 1, 2009, Donna Orender and David Stern announced that the Phoenix Mercury had signed a corporate deal with LifeLock. This would allow the LifeLock name to be on the team uniforms and the court, among other things. This was the first deal of the type in WNBA or NBA history.
  • On June 3, 2009, Minnesota Lynx head coach Don Zierden resigned to take an assistant job with Flip Saunders and the Washington Wizards. Assistant coach Jennifer Gillom was promoted to head coach of the Lynx.
  • On June 5, 2009, the Los Angeles Sparks signed a corporate deal with Farmers Insurance. This would allow the Farmers Insurance name to be on the team uniforms and the court, among other things. This was the second deal of the type in WNBA or NBA history (after the Mercury).

Houston Comets dispersal draft[edit]

On December 8, 2008, the Houston Comets dispersal draft was held. Five former Comets players, Latasha Byears, Mwadi Mabika, Hamchetou Maiga-Ba, Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson were free agents and therefore not eligible for this draft. Teams selected based inversely on their 2008 regular season records.

The top picks were:

  1. Sancho Lyttle, Atlanta Dream
  2. Matee Ajavon, Washington Mystics
  3. Mistie Bass, Chicago Sky

Six of the thirteen teams making selections waived their picks.

2009 WNBA draft[edit]

The WNBA Draft lottery was held on December 9, 2008. The Atlanta Dream received the first overall selection. The Washington Mystics received the number two selection. The Chicago Sky came up with the third overall selection, followed by the Minnesota Lynx at four and the Phoenix Mercury at number five. For the first time in WNBA history, the lottery balls were chosen exactly according to odds.

The 2009 WNBA Draft was held on April 9 in Secaucus, New Jersey. Coverage of the first round was shown on ESPN2 (in HD for the first time ever) at 3:00pm. Second and third round coverage was shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at 4:00pm.

The top draft picks were as follows:

  1. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
  2. Marissa Coleman, Washington Mystics
  3. Kristi Toliver, Chicago Sky
  4. Renee Montgomery, Minnesota Lynx
  5. DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury

Regular season[edit]

Standings[edit]

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Indiana Fever x 22 12 .647 14–3 8–9 17–5
Atlanta Dream x 18 16 .529 4.0 12–5 6–11 10–12
Detroit Shock x 18 16 .529 4.0 11–6 7–10 11–11
Washington Mystics x 16 18 .471 6.0 11–6 5–12 10–12
Chicago Sky o 16 18 .471 6.0 12–5 4–13 10–12
Connecticut Sun o 16 18 .471 6.0 12–5 4–13 9–12
New York Liberty o 13 21 .382 9.0 8–9 5–12 8–13
Western Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Phoenix Mercury x 23 11 .676 12–5 11–6 13–7
Seattle Storm x 20 14 .588 3.0 13–4 7–10 13–7
Los Angeles Sparks x 18 16 .529 5.0 11–6 7–10 11–9
San Antonio Silver Stars x 15 19 .441 8.0 10–7 5–12 10–10
Minnesota Lynx o 14 20 .412 9.0 9–8 5–12 7–13
Sacramento Monarchs o 12 22 .353 11.0 7–10 5–12 6–14

All-Star Game[edit]

The 2009 WNBA All-Star Game was hosted by the Connecticut Sun on July 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Coverage of the game began at 3:30pm on ABC. This marked the second time the Sun had hosted the annual event.

July 25
3:30 p.m.
Western Conference 130, Eastern Conference 118
Scoring by quarter: 25-27, 38-33, 36-33, 31-25
Pts: Swin Cash (22)
Rebs: Cappie Pondexter (9)
Asts: Sue Bird (10)
Pts: Sylvia Fowles (17)
Rebs: Érika de Souza (9)
Asts: Asjha Jones (6)
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Attendance: 9,518
Referees:
  1. 44 Felicia Grinter, #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #53 Jeff Smith

Statistic leaders[edit]

The following shows the leaders for each statistic during the 2009 regular season.

Category Player Team Statistic
Points per game Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 20.4
Rebounds per game Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks 9.8
Assists per game Sue Bird Seattle Storm 5.8
Steals per game Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever 2.91
Blocks per game Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks 2.12
Field goal percentage Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky .599 (103–172)
Three point FG percentage Tangela Smith Phoenix Mercury .452 (42–93)
Free throw percentage Nicole Powell Sacramento Monarchs .979 (94–96)
Points per game Team Stat Phoenix Mercury 92.82
Least points allowed Team Stat Seattle Storm 72.82
Field goal percentage Team Stat Phoenix Mercury .460
Least FG% allowed Team Stat Los Angeles Sparks .399

Schedule[edit]

2009 WNBA Preseason
Preseason
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Thu April 9 3:00 2009 WNBA draft: First round ESPN2 (HD) Secaucus, New Jersey
4:00 2009 WNBA draft: Later rounds ESPNU, NBA TV Secaucus, New Jersey
Thu May 21 11:00am Washington @ New York 77-71
NYL
Sanford (17) Sanford (8) Carson (4) Madison Square Garden
15,958
10:00 Sacramento @ Seattle 64-55
SEA
Powell (15) 5 players (5) Atkinson (4) KeyArena
4,875
Fri May 22 7:00 New York @ Connecticut 74-62
CON
Jones (11) Black (7) 4 players (3) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,578
8:30 Detroit @ Chicago 71-67
CHI
Fowles (21) Miller (10) DeLaHoussaye,
Perkins (5)
UIC Pavilion
3,283
Sat May 23 1:00 Indiana @ Minnesota 68-51
IND
Douglas (19) Pringle (6) Catchings, January, Montgomery (3) Claire Lynch Hall
475
Wed May 27 11:00am Chicago @ Detroit 78-68
DET
Zellous (18) Zellous (8) Smith (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
3,952
2:00 Phoenix @ Sacramento 74-70
PHO
Quigley (15) Harper (9) Quigley (4) ARCO Arena
6,339
7:30 Connecticut @ Atlanta 76-73
ATL
Phillips (18) de Souza (9) Teasley (7) Philips Arena
4,980
Thu May 28 11:30am New York @ Washington 74-56
WAS
Ajavon (17) Vaughn (7) Ajavon (3) Verizon Center
9,287
7:00 Chicago @ Indiana 74-67
IND
Douglas, Dupree, Chen (15) Ely (8) Dupree (3) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,457
Sat May 30 7:00 San Antonio @ Detroit 62-55
DET
Young (14) Mattera (8) Johnson (4) Traverse City West H.S.
2,109
10:00 Seattle @ Phoenix 61-58
PHO
Wright (16) Walker (12) Pondexter (6) US Airways Center
2,421
Sun May 31 3:00 Los Angeles @ Connecticut 80-77
LAS
Thompson (14) Littles (8) Lennox (4) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,630
Tue June 2 8:00 E-League @ Chicago 102-55
CHI
Dupree (20) Alexander (8) Toliver (6) UIC Pavilion
3,488
10:00 Indiana @ San Antonio 67-60
IND
Catchings (16) Frazee (8) Catchings (4) Austin Convention Center
2009 WNBA Regular Season
June
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Sat 6 2:30 Detroit @ Los Angeles ABC (HD) 78-58
LAS
Thompson (18) Lennox (10) Harrower (7) Staples Center
13,154
4:00 Seattle @ Sacramento 71-61
SEA
Jackson (23) Harper, Little (6) Bird (8) ARCO Arena
14,824
4:00 Washington @ Connecticut 82-70
WAS
Jones (22) Sanford, Langhorne (7) Harding (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,191
7:00 Indiana @ Atlanta 87-86 (2OT)
ATL
Holdsclaw (23) de Souza (17) January (5) Philips Arena
8,709
8:00 Chicago @ Minnesota NBA TV
FSN-N
102-85
MIN
Perkins (24) Perkins (6) Anosike (8) Target Center
8,708
10:00 San Antonio @ Phoenix NBA TV
KMYS
90-79
PHO
Taurasi, Young (25) Riley (13) Johnson (9) US Airways Center
13,582
Sun 7 4:00 Connecticut @ New York WCTX 66-57
CON
Whalen (14) Whalen (12) Battle, Mitchell (3) Madison Square Garden
13,397
4:00 Atlanta @ Washington 77-71
WAS
Beard (27) Langhorne (8) Harding (7) Verizon Center
11,759
7:00 Minnesota @ Indiana FSI 96-74
MIN
Houston (23) Griffith (7) Houston, White (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,234
9:00 Sacramento @ Seattle FSN-NW 80-70
SEA
Jackson (25) Powell, Lawson (7) Bird (8) KeyArena
9,686
Mon 8 7:30 Los Angeles @ Detroit 81-52
DET
Nolan (27) Thompson (11) 5 players (3) Palace of Auburn Hills
13,915
Tue 9 7:00 Seattle @ Indiana ESPN2 (HD) 73-66
IND
Jackson (21) Sutton-Brown (10) Bird (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,253
Wed 10 7:30 Washington @ Detroit 75-69
WAS
Beard (15) Melvin (9) Nolan (6) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,329
8:00 Los Angeles @ Minnesota 87-76
MIN
Augustus (30) Augustus (9) Anosike, Miller (5) Target Center
7,444
10:00 New York @ Phoenix 91-84
PHO
Pondexter (26) Kraayeveld, Vaughn (7) McCarville (6) US Airways Center
5,080
Fri 12 7:00 Los Angeles @ Indiana 73-61
IND
Leslie (21) Leslie (13) Catchings, Douglas (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,320
8:00 Seattle @ Minnesota 88-71
SEA
Jackson (22) Jackson (11) Bird (9) Target Center
6,423
8:30 Atlanta @ Chicago NBA TV
CN100
81-73
CHI
Dupree (23) de Souza, Dupree (8) Perkins (8) UIC Pavilion
5,689
10:00 Phoenix @ Sacramento 90-71
SAC
Powell (19) Harper, Paris (8) Lawson, Pondexter (4) ARCO Arena
6,438
Sat 13 8:00 New York @ San Antonio NBA TV
MSG
KMYS
63-60
SAN
Christon (21) McCarville (9) Hammon (4) AT&T Center
10,572
10:00 Sacramento @ Phoenix 115-104 (OT)
PHO
Taurasi (31) Powell (9) Johnson, Lawson (8) US Airways Center
7,173
Sun 14 3:00 Atlanta @ Connecticut 67-62
ATL
Lyttle (20) Lyttle (15) Teasley, Whalen (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,429
6:00 Seattle @ Chicago 64-57
CHI
Jackson (22) Fowles (15) Wright (4) UIC Pavilion
2,681
Tue 16 8:00 Connecticut @ Chicago 78-75
CHI
Perkins (25) Fowles (10) Whalen (8) UIC Pavilion
2,396
10:00 Minnesota @ Sacramento 86-83
MIN
Augustus (30) Harper (9) Wiggins (6) ARCO Arena
7,736
Wed 17 10:00 Minnesota @ Phoenix 104-80
PHO
Taurasi (28) Anosike, Bonner (10) Pondexter (9) US Airways Center
6,524
Fri 19 7:00 Chicago @ Connecticut 91-61
CON
Jones (17) Gardin (11) Gardin (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,892
7:30 San Antonio @ New York NBA TV
MSG
77-61
NYL
McCarville (18) Young (7) Christon (6) Madison Square Garden
8,046
7:30 Indiana @ Detroit 66-54
IND
Catchings (15) Hornbuckle, McWilliams (10) Catchings (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,725
7:30 Washington @ Atlanta 93-81
ATL
Beard, Lyttle (20) Lyttle (13) Currie, Hardin (7) Philips Arena
6,050
10:00 Los Angeles @ Phoenix 89-80
PHO
Pondexter (21) Thompson (14) Johnson (7) US Airways Center
8,255
10:00 Minnesota @ Seattle 90-62
SEA
Jackson (26) Anosike (7) Bird (10) KeyArena
7,607
Sat 20 7:00 Chicago @ Washington 81-72
WAS
Beard (31) Melvin (9) Perkins (6) Verizon Center
11,745
Sun 21 3:00 San Antonio @ Connecticut NBA TV
WCTX
71-58
CON
Young (22) Black (8) Darling (4) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,928
3:00 New York @ Atlanta 93-81
NYL
Christon, Holdsclaw (17) Lyttle (9) Moore (8) Philips Arena
5,624
6:00 Detroit @ Indiana NBA TV
FSI
82-70
IND
Douglas (23) Sutton-Brown (9) Catchings, Nolan (6) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,610
7:00 Seattle @ Phoenix NBA TV
FSNA
93-84
SEA
Jackson, Taurasi (25) Jackson (8) Bird (9) US Airways Center
6,181
9:30 Sacramento @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
67-47
LAS
Powell (13) Walker (9) Bobbitt (5) Staples Center
9,494
Tue 23 12:00 Chicago @ Atlanta 99-98 (OT)
CHI
McCoughtry (26) Dupree (10) McCoughtry (8) Philips Arena
10,351
9:30 Phoenix @ San Antonio ESPN2 (HD) 91-87
SAN
Pondexter (26) Taurasi, Young (8) Johnson, Young (5) AT&T Center
6,692
8:00 New York @ Minnesota 69-57
MIN
Christon, Wiggins (25) Hollingsworth (7) Wiggins (5) Target Center
5,620
Thu 25 7:00 Phoenix @ Washington 93-87
PHO
Pondexter (24) Langhorne (12) Harding (9) Verizon Center
9,808
Fri 26 7:00 Indiana @ New York 82-81 (OT)
IND
Douglas (24) Hoffman (14) L. Moore (6) Madison Square Garden
9,304
7:30 Detroit @ Atlanta 96-86
ATL
Holdsclaw (28) de Souza (13) Teasley (11) Philips Arena
5,935
8:00 Sacramento @ San Antonio 62-52
SAN
Hammon (26) Young (10) Hammon (6) AT&T Center
7,973
10:00 Los Angeles @ Seattle 69-67
SEA
Jackson (32) Jackson, Wright (8) Bird, Lennox (5) KeyArena
9,686
Sat 27 7:00 Atlanta @ Connecticut 82-68
CON
Jones (24) Jones (12) Whalen (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,264
7:00 New York @ Indiana MSG 63-54
IND
Carson, Hoffman (14) Catchings (11) Catchings (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
8,481
8:00 Phoenix @ Minnesota NBA TV
FSN-N
FSNA
109-80
MIN
Hodges, Wiggins (22) Anosike, Taurasi (8) Miller (8) Target Center
5,911
8:00 Washington @ Chicago 68-63
CHI
Dupree (23) Fowles (10) Harding (6) UIC Pavilion
3,918
Sun 28 6:00 Sacramento @ Detroit 86-72
DET
Zellous (18) Ford (8) Penicheiro (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,277
9:30 Seattle @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
82-55
LAS
Ferdinand-Harris (15) Cash (5) Harrower (5) Staples Center
10,797
Tue 30 7:00 Minnesota @ Atlanta ESPN2 (HD) 91-85
MIN
Castro Marques (31) Anosike (12) Anosike, Houston, Lehning, Wiggins (4) Philips Arena
7,686
8:00 Washington @ San Antonio 84-82
WAS
Young (21) Currie (8) Darling (6) AT&T Center
4,723
8:00 Sacramento @ Chicago 74-72
CHI
Powell (21) Fowles (14) Perkins (8) UIC Pavilion
2,721
July
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Wed 1 10:00 Seattle @ Phoenix 91-83
PHO
Pondexter, Taurasi (22) Pondexter (11) Pondexter (8) US Airways Center
6,341
Thu 2 7:00 Connecticut @ Indiana NBA TV
FSI
67-53
IND
Douglas, Sutton-Brown (14) Sutton-Brown (14) Catchings (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,468
7:30 Detroit @ New York NBA TV
MSG
80-64
NYL
Christon (25) Ford, Hornbuckle (10) McCarville, Smith (5) Madison Square Garden
8,018
8:00 Sacramento @ Minnesota FSN-N 74-68
SAC
Powell (21) Anosike, Brunson (8) Anosike (7) Target Center
6,920
Fri 3 7:30 Washington @ Atlanta 72-65
ATL
Holdsclaw (18) Melvin (9) Holdsclaw (8) Philips Arena
5,456
8:00 Chicago @ San Antonio 85-72
SAN
Young (19) Riley, Young (8) Hammon (10) AT&T Center
6,662
Sun 5 6:00 Connecticut @ Detroit 95-92 (OT)
CON
Smith (28) Hornbuckle (12) Jones, McWilliams (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
6,981
6:00 Atlanta @ Indiana 78-74
IND
Sutton-Brown (22) Catchings, Sutton-Brown (9) Catchings (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,024
9:30 Phoenix @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
FSNA
104-89
PHO
Pondexter (21) Bonner (10) Bobbitt, Taurasi (6) Staples Center
9,872
Tue 7 3:00 San Antonio @ Seattle 66-53
SEA
Cash (18) Cash, Jackson (12) Hammon (5) KeyArena
10,137
7:30 Connecticut @ Atlanta 72-67
ATL
Holdsclaw (19) de Souza (17) Lehning (7) Philips Arena
6,225
8:00 Washington @ Minnesota 96-94 (OT)
MIN
Harding (27) Currie (11) Anosike, Currie, Miller (4) Target Center
7,171
10:00 Chicago @ Sacramento 83-73
SAC
Perkins (21) Brunson (10) Lawson, Penicheiro, Perkins (6) ARCO Arena
5,672
Wed 8 10:00 Chicago @ Phoenix 90-70
PHO
Dupree, Taurasi (22) T. Smith (13) Pondexter (6) US Airways Center
5,597
Thu 9 7:30 Los Angeles @ New York MSG 69-60
LAS
Lennox (20) Thompson (8) Harrower, Ferdinand-Harris, McCarville (3) Madison Square Garden
12,247
9:00 Sacramento @ Seattle ESPN2 (HD) 66-55
SEA
Cash (18) Powell (8) Wright (7) KeyArena
6,838
Fri 10 8:00 San Antonio @ Minnesota 77-61
SAN
Young (21) Anosike (12) Lawson-Wade (4) Target Center
7,409
8:30 Indiana @ Chicago 83-54
IND
Murphy (15) Dupree (8) Hoffman, January (6) UIC Pavilion
4,021
Sat 11 7:00 Los Angeles @ Washington 75-63
WAS
Beard (26) Langhorne (11) Harding (5) Verizon Center
12,217
7:00 Detroit @ Connecticut NBA TV
WCTX
79-77 (OT)
DET
Smith (25) Braxton (13) Smith, Whalen (3) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,342
7:30 Atlanta @ New York 71-69
NYL
Castro Marques, Christon (18) Castro Marques, de Souza, Holdsclaw (8) Castro Marques, Moore (6) Madison Square Garden
8,732
10:00 Phoenix @ Sacramento 107-105
PHO
Pondexter, Powell (23) Bonner, Brunson, Taurasi, Walker (8) Pondexter (8) ARCO Arena
7,798
Sun 12 7:00 Minnesota @ San Antonio NBA TV
KMYS
83-76
MIN
Hammon, Houston (26) Anosike, Houston, Young (8) Hammon (5) AT&T Center
6,568
9:00 Chicago @ Seattle NBA TV
FSN-NW
86-81
CHI
Dupree (28) Dupree, Jackson, Wright (7) Toliver, Wright (7) KeyArena
6,796
Tue 14 7:00 Los Angeles @ Connecticut ESPN2 (HD) 82-71
CON
Jones (24) Lennox (11) Jones, Whalen (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,612
Wed 15 11:30am San Antonio @ Washington 79-78
SAN
Hammon (21) Beard, Frazee, Langhorne (6) Darling, Hammon (5) Verizon Center
17,220
1:00 Atlanta @ Minnesota NBA TV
FSN-N
91-77
ATL
Holdsclaw (28) Houston (12) Montgomery (7) Target Center
11,245
1:00 Chicago @ Indiana 84-74
IND
Sutton-Brown (22) Dupree (10) Catchings, Douglas (8) Conseco Fieldhouse
10,050
3:30 Sacramento @ Phoenix NBA TV
FSNA
100-81
PHO
Powell (23) Paris (9) Pondexter (15) US Airways Center
11,590
10:00 Detroit @ Seattle NBA TV
FSN-NW
66-63
DET
Smith (19) Ford (8) Nolan (7) KeyArena
6,821
Fri 17 7:00 Atlanta @ Indiana 84-79
IND
Douglas (25) de Souza (14) Bevilaqua (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,975
8:00 Connecticut @ San Antonio 72-64
CON
Hammon (24) Frazee, Young (9) Jones, Whalen (5) AT&T Center
9,524
10:00 Seattle @ Sacramento 69-56
SEA
Bird (20) Little (9) Bird (6) ARCO Arena
6,386
Sat 18 7:00 New York @ Washington 68-67
WAS
Harding (23) Harding (7) Moore (9) Verizon Center
9,968
10:00 Detroit @ Phoenix 97-90 (OT)
PHO
Pondexter (26) McWilliams (12) Pondexter (8) US Airways Center
8,288
Sun 19 3:00 Indiana @ Connecticut 67-61
CON
Douglas, Hoffman, Whalen (15) Gruda (9) Whalen (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,517
4:00 Atlanta @ New York 89-86
NYL
Christon (32) de Souza (10) Mitchell (6) Madison Square Garden
8,560
6:00 San Antonio @ Chicago NBA TV
CN100
85-75
CHI
Perkins (29) Dupree (11) Canty (6) UIC Pavilion
3,282
8:00 Minnesota @ Seattle 72-69
SEA
Little (18) Anosike (11) Bird, Johnson, Wright (4) KeyArena
6,912
9:00 Detroit @ Sacramento 69-65
DET
McWilliams (21) McWilliams (12) 5 players (3) ARCO Arena
7,538
Tue 21 7:00 Indiana @ Washington 82-70
IND
Catchings (28) Catchings (10) Bevilaqua (8) Verizon Center
9,798
Wed 22 12:00 Atlanta @ Detroit 98-95 (OT)
ATL
Braxton (25) Braxton, Snow (12) Nolan (9) Palace of Auburn Hills
14,439
12:30 New York @ Chicago 77-70
NYL
Fowles, Spencer (15) Dupree (11) Canty, Moore (4) UIC Pavilion
5,881
7:00 Sacramento @ Connecticut 83-75
CON
Jones (28) Harper (11) Phillips (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,675
10:00 Minnesota @ Phoenix 99-86
MIN
Pondexter (28) Bonner (10) Johnson (6) US Airways Center
7,360
10:00 Los Angeles @ Seattle 98-87 (3OT)
SEA
Bird (23) Little (14) Bird, Cash (5) KeyArena
7,154
Thu 23 12:30 Indiana @ San Antonio 84-65
SAN
Young (24) Frazee (8) January (6) AT&T Center
9,985
7:00 Chicago @ Washington ESPN2 (HD) 75-64
WAS
Langhorne (16) Langhorne (10) Harding (6) Verizon Center
11,651
7:30 Sacramento @ New York MSG 88-74
SAC
Powell (32) Powell, Walker (9) Penicheiro (9) Madison Square Garden
8,845
Sat 25 3:30 West All-Stars @ East All-Stars ABC (HD) 130-118
WEST
Cash (22) de Souza, Pondexter (9) Bird (10) Mohegan Sun Arena
9,518
Sun 26 4:00 Phoenix @ New York 94-88
PHO
Taurasi (34) Taurasi (13) Johnson (7) Madison Square Garden
11,211
4:00 Sacramento @ Washington 87-73
WAS
Langhorne (19) Langhorne (8) Beard (5) Verizon Center
10,757
Tue 28 7:00 Washington @ Indiana 85-81
IND
Douglas (34) Hoffman (10) Harding, Melvin (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
5,904
7:30 Phoenix @ Connecticut ESPN2 (HD) 95-80
PHO
Pondexter (29) T. Smith, Taurasi (9) Johnson (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,732
8:00 Seattle @ San Antonio KMYS 74-71
SAN
Hammon (24) Cash (11) Bird (5) AT&T Center
5,382
8:00 Los Angeles @ Minnesota 76-70
LAS
Thompson (30) Parker (10) Hodges, Lennox, Thompson (4) Target Center
7,216
Wed 29 8:00 Los Angeles @ Chicago 75-63
CHI
Perkins (18) Parker (10) Dupree (5) UIC Pavilion
5,633
Thu 30 2:30 San Antonio @ Sacramento 101-93 (OT)
SAC
Hammon (38) Young (11) Penicheiro (9) ARCO Arena
10,461
7:00 Connecticut @ Indiana FSI 94-85 (OT)
IND
Douglas (32) Gruda (10) Bevilaqua (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,538
7:30 Washington @ New York NBA TV
MSG
78-75
WAS
Beard, McCarville (28) Langhorne (11) Harding (4) Madison Square Garden
10,172
7:30 Phoenix @ Atlanta 106-76
ATL
McCoughtry (17) de Souza (14) Lehning (5) Philips Arena
7,827
Fri 31 7:30 Minnesota @ Detroit 91-83
DET
Nolan (22) Ford (9) McWilliams, Nolan (6) Palace of Auburn Hills
9,314
August
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Sat 1 7:00 New York @ Atlanta NBA TV
MSG
89-83
ATL
Christon (23) Carson, Christon (8) McCarville (6) Philips Arena
6,103
8:00 Phoenix @ Minnesota 87-74
PHO
Taurasi (20) Anosike (10) Anosike, Willingham (5) Target Center
6,631
8:00 Connecticut @ Chicago NBA TV
WCTX
84-72
CHI
Dupree (23) Dupree (8) Canty, Jēkabsone-Žogota (6) UIC Pavilion
3,071
10:00 Los Angeles @ Sacramento 59-56
LAS
Powell (18) Parker (12) Penicheiro (8) ARCO Arena
7,204
10:00 San Antonio @ Seattle NBA TV
KMYS
85-82 (OT)
SEA
Jackson (23) Jackson (13) Bird (5) KeyArena
8,167
Sun 2 4:00 Indiana @ Washington 87-79
IND
Douglas (24) Catchings (9) Catchings (5) Verizon Center
11,595
6:00 Connecticut @ Detroit 83-65
CON
Whalen (22) Ford (9) Nolan, Whalen (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,814
Tue 4 3:00 San Antonio @ Los Angeles 63-59
SAN
Hammon (20) Thompson (12) Hammon (5) Staples Center
13,865
7:30 New York @ Detroit ESPN2 (HD) 76-64
DET
Nolan (26) Nolan (14) McWilliams, Nolan, Smith (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,081
10:00 Phoenix @ Seattle 101-90 (OT)
PHO
Wright (25) Cash, Jackson (11) T. Johnson, Wright (7) KeyArena
6,728
Wed 5 7:00 Chicago @ Indiana NBA TV
CN100
76-67
IND
Dupree (19) Dupree (13) Canty (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,581
Thu 6 8:00 Atlanta @ San Antonio 92-84
ATL
Hammon (26) Lyttle (10) Lehning (7) AT&T Center
5,042
10:30 Seattle @ Los Angeles 79-75 (OT)
LAS
Quinn (23) Parker (13) Bird, Wright (6) Staples Center
9,735
Fri 7 7:00 Detroit @ Washington 70-66
WAS
Beard (15) Langhorne (9) Nolan (6) Verizon Center
10,637
8:00 Connecticut @ Minnesota NBA TV
FSN-N
95-88
MIN
Montgomery (24) Anosike (12) Jēkabsone-Žogota (7) Target Center
8,134
10:00 New York @ Sacramento 84-66
NYL
Paris (19) Brunson (7) McCarville (5) ARCO Arena
6,284
Sat 8 7:00 Chicago @ Atlanta 82-80
CHI
Thorn (20) de Souza (15) Perkins (5) Philips Arena
5,424
10:00 Indiana @ Phoenix 90-83
IND
Douglas (28) Douglas (10) Swanier (6) US Airways Center
9,867
10:00 New York @ Seattle 70-69
SEA
McCarville (22) Christon, Jackson (9) Bird (6) KeyArena
7,496
Sun 9 3:00 Washington @ Connecticut 96-67
CON
Beard (18) Holt (8) Beard (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,528
6:00 Chicago @ Detroit 64-58
DET
Zellous (19) Fowles (18) Smith (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
6,893
6:00 San Antonio @ Minnesota 89-87
SAN
Anosike (24) Hodges, Hollingsworth (8) Hammon (9) Target Center
7,764
Mon 10 10:30 Indiana @ Los Angeles 75-63
LAS
Leslie (21) Leslie (11) Milton-Jones (4) Staples Center
8,263
Tue 11 7:00 Detroit @ Washington 81-77
DET
Nolan (23) McWilliams (13) Harding (8) Verizon Center
10,398
8:00 Sacramento @ San Antonio 90-73
SAC
Brunson (19) Brunson (9) Penicheiro (11) AT&T Center
4,961
9:00 New York @ Los Angeles ESPN2 (HD) 65-61
NYL
Leslie (12) Parker (11) Christon, Moore (5) Staples Center
9,548
Thu 13 7:00 Seattle @ Connecticut 64-53
CON
Gruda (14) Jackson, Jones (10) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,983
7:30 Detroit @ Atlanta 80-75
ATL
Nolan (20) de Souza (13) Lehning, McWilliams (5) Philips Arena
5,641
8:00 Indiana @ Minnesota 91-81
IND
Hoffman (24) Anosike (16) Bevilaqua, Dixon (4) Target Center
7,156
10:00 San Antonio @ Phoenix 95-83
PHO
Tauarsi, Young (29) Wauters (10) Hammon (8) US Airways Center
6,522
Fri 14 7:00 Connecticut @ Washington 91-89 (2OT)
WAS
Beard (26) Langhorne (16) Whalen (5) Verizon Center
9,738
7:30 Chicago @ New York NBA TV
CN100
MSG
88-77
CHI
Christon (25) Christon (10) Canty, Moore (6) Madison Square Garden
9,832
10:30 Sacramento @ Los Angeles 85-79
SAC
Leslie (25) Parker (10) Penicheiro (10) Staples Center
10,122
Sat 15 7:00 Detroit @ Indiana 82-59
IND
Douglas (19) Braxton (10) Douglas (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,963
7:00 Seattle @ Atlanta 88-79
ATL
Jackson (25) de Souza (12) Bird (12) Philips Arena
8,751
8:00 Phoenix @ San Antonio NBA TV
KMYS
FSNA
106-89
SAN
Young (25) Young (7) Hammon (6) AT&T Center
8,933
8:00 Minnesota @ Chicago 79-76
CHI
Hodges (25) Dupree (14) Canty (8) UIC Pavilion
3,877
10:00 Los Angeles @ Sacramento 78-61
LAS
Powell (20) Brunson (11) Walker (5) ARCO Arena
7,646
Sun 16 4:00 New York @ Washington 60-59
NYL
McCarville (19) Langhorne (8) Harding (7) Verizon Center
10,580
Tue 18 7:30 Seattle @ Detroit 79-75
SEA
Jackson (36) McWilliams (8) Bird (8) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,392
8:00 Phoenix @ Chicago 106-99
PHO
Taurasi (27) Bonner (10) Taurasi (7) UIC Pavilion
TBA
10:30 Washington @ Los Angeles 72-69
LAS
Leslie (20) Parker (12) Parker, Quinn (5) Staples Center
9,287
Wed 19 7:00 New York @ Connecticut 74-69
CON
Whalen (20) Whalen (10) White (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,050
10:30 Minnesota @ Los Angeles 78-63
LAS
Leslie (20) Parker (10) Quinn (7) Staples Center
9,181
Thu 20 7:30 San Antonio @ Atlanta 93-87
ATL
McCoughtry (34) de Souza (11) Lehning (6) Philips Arena
5,848
10:00 Indiana @ Sacramento 67-62
SAC
Douglas (21) Brunson, Powell (10) January, Penicheiro (6) ARCO Arena
6,290
Fri 21 7:30 Connecticut @ New York NBA TV
MSG
85-83 (OT)
NYL
Gruda (24) McCarville (13) Whalen (7) Madison Square Garden
9,355
8:00 Los Angeles @ San Antonio NBA TV
KMYS
67-66 (OT)
LAS
Young (31) Parker, Thompson (12) Hammon (6) AT&T Center
9,540
10:00 Washington @ Phoenix 91-81
WAS
Langhorne (19) Langhorne (12) Harding, Pondexter (6) US Airways Center
9,155
Sat 22 7:00 Minnesota @ Connecticut 98-94
CON
Gruda, Humphrey, Whalen, Wiggins (21) Gruda (9) Whalen (8) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,803
8:00 Detroit @ Chicago 76-67
DET
Dupree (20) Dupree (14) 4 players (4) UIC Pavilion
5,167
10:00 Washington @ Sacramento 82-60
SAC
Powell (26) Powell (11) Penicheiro (5) ARCO Arena
7,067
10:00 Indiana @ Seattle 74-60
SEA
Bird (16) Cash (9) Catchings (7) KeyArena
8,273
Sun 23 3:00 Los Angeles @ Atlanta 91-87
LAS
Castro Marques (26) de Souza (9) Thompson (6) Philips Arena
11,304
4:00 Minnesota @ New York 80-67
NYL
Christon (24) Jackson, Wiggins (7) Moore (6) Madison Square Garden
8,481
6:00 San Antonio @ Detroit 99-84
DET
Smith (31) McWilliams, Nolan (7) Hornbuckle (7) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,130
Tue 25 7:00 Detroit @ Connecticut 90-70
DET
Gruda, Smith (19) Kelly (8) Whalen (8) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,811
7:30 Sacramento @ Atlanta 103-83
ATL
Castro Marques (30) Lyttle (9) Penicheiro (11) Philips Arena
5,159
10:00 Chicago @ Los Angeles ESPN2 (HD) 75-63
LAS
Leslie, Parker (21) Parker (12) Canty (4) Staples Center
9,615
10:00 Washington @ Seattle 78-68
SEA
Burse (14) Little (7) Wright (6) KeyArena
6,791
Thu 27 7:00 San Antonio @ Indiana NBA TV
FSI
77-66
IND
Catchings (20) Wauter (14) Hammon (6) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,836
7:30 Atlanta @ Detroit 87-83
DET
Nolan (29) de Souza (13) McCoughtry (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
5,695
10:00 Connecticut @ Seattle 86-74
SEA
Bird (21) Little (10) Bird (7) KeyArena
6,588
10:30 Phoenix @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
98-90
PHO
Pondexter (26) Bonner (9) Quinn (8) Staples Center
9,586
Fri 28 8:00 Sacramento @ Minnesota 100-95
MIN
Maiga-Ba (20) Brunson (9) Powell (6) Target Center
8,782
8:30 New York @ Chicago NBA TV
MSG
CN100
96-77
CHI
Dupree (26) Vaughn (9) Christon (6) UIC Pavilion
3,707
Sat 29 3:00 Detroit @ San Antonio ESPN2 (HD) 100-88 (OT)
SAN
Nolan (34) Wauters (11) Hammon (9) AT&T Center
7,735
7:00 Sacramento @ Indiana 79-78
SAC
Douglas (24) Powell (11) Bevilaqua (6) Conseco Fieldhouse
8,579
10:00 Connecticut @ Phoenix NBA TV
WCTX
95-84
PHO
Jēkabsone-Žogota (23) Gardin (13) Taurasi (5) US Airways Center
9,977
10:00 Atlanta @ Seattle 91-84 (2OT)
SEA
Wright (25) Little (15) Bird (8) KeyArena
9,089
Sun 30 4:00 Chicago @ New York 77-63
NYL
Christon (18) Dupree, Kraayeveld (13) Thorn (7) Madison Square Garden
8,685
4:00 Minnesota @ Washington 81-75
WAS
Houston (20) Langhorne (10) Harding (5) Verizon Center
12,241
9:30 Connecticut @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
91-81
LAS
Jēkabsone-Žogota, Thompson (21) Parker (13) Whalen (9) Staples Center
11,072
September
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Tue 1 7:30 Seattle @ New York 65-58
SEA
Little (17) Little (13) Moore (4) Madison Square Garden
8,469
7:30 Phoenix @ Detroit 101-99
DET
Pondexter (25) Ford (11) Taurasi (6) Palace of Auburn Hills
5,239
8:00 Minnesota @ San Antonio 84-82 (2OT)
SAN
Hammon (29) Anosike (11) Hammon (5) AT&T Center
4,881
10:00 Connecticut @ Sacramento 90-70
SAC
Brunson (32) Brunson (13) Powell (7) ARCO Arena
6,015
10:30 Atlanta @ Los Angeles 84-79
ATL
Castro Marques (27) Parker (14) Lennox (5) Staples Center
8,756
Wed 2 7:00 Phoenix @ Indiana NBA TV
FSI
106-90
PHO
Catchings (27) Catchings (12) Johnson (6) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,446
Thu 3 7:00 Seattle @ Washington 78-67
WAS
Bird, Currie (17) Langhorne (11) Bird (6) Verizon Center
10,648
Fri 4 7:00 New York @ Connecticut NBA TV
MSG
88-85 (OT)
CON
Jēkabsone-Žogota (23) Moore (8) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,685
7:30 Indiana @ Detroit 70-63 (OT)
DET
Nolan (22) Catchings (13) Nolan (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,230
8:30 Washington @ Chicago 92-86
CHI
Ajavon (32) Dupree, Langhorne (10) Harding, Perkins (5) UIC Pavilion
3,241
10:00 Atlanta @ Sacramento 98-90
ATL
de Souza (27) de Souza (13) McCoughtry (10) ARCO Arena
6,517
Sat 5 8:00 Los Angeles @ San Antonio 89-72
SAN
Johnson (27) Parker (10) Lawson-Wade (11) AT&T Center
8,631
8:00 Seattle @ Minnesota NBA TV
FSN-N
76-68
MIN
Houston (22) Little (8) Houston, Johnson, Wright (4) Target Center
8,170
10:00 Atlanta @ Phoenix 100-82
PHO
de Souza (23) Bonner, Snow (7) Lehning (10) US Airways Center
10,424
Sun 6 4:00 Washington @ Indiana 72-61
IND
Catchings (20) Sutton-Brown (11) Hoffman (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,702
6:00 Chicago @ Detroit 84-75
DET
Nolan (19) Ely, Nolan (8) Braxton, Hornbuckle, Nolan (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
6,619
Tue 8 7:30 Indiana @ New York 69-63
IND
Carson, Catchings, Douglas (17) Catchings (10) Mitchell (6) Madison Square Garden
7,583
10:30 San Antonio @ Los Angeles NBA TV
KMYS
76-68
LAS
Leslie (18) Parker (13) Hammon (7) Staples Center
10,476
Wed 9 8:00 Detroit @ Minnesota 75-72
MIN
Ford (16) Ford (12) Ford, Teasley, Zellous (4) Target Center
7,423
Thu 10 7:30 New York @ Detroit NBA TV
MSG
94-87 (OT)
DET
Nolan (34) Braxton, McWilliams (8) Moore (6) Palace of Auburn Hills
8,178
8:00 Indiana @ Chicago 86-79
CHI
Douglas (25) Catchings (10) Canty (6) UIC Pavilion
2,902
10:00 San Antonio @ Sacramento 80-71
SAN
Hammon (27) Powell (10) Johnson, Lawson-Wade, Penicheiro (5) ARCO Arena
7,566
10:00 Phoenix @ Seattle 92-84 (OT)
PHO
Wright (24) Burse, Little (9) Pondexter (8) KeyArena
9,089
Fri 11 7:00 Connecticut @ Atlanta 88-64
ATL
McCoughtry (18) de Souza (14) Lyttle (5) Philips Arena
8,644
10:30 Minnesota @ Los Angeles NBA TV
FSNW
90-61
LAS
Leslie, Thompson (19) Parker (14) Quinn (9) Staples Center
13,764
Sat 12 7:00 Atlanta @ Washington 82-64
WAS
Harding (25) McCoughtry (13) Currie (5) Verizon Center
11,987
8:00 Seattle @ San Antonio 64-55
SEA
S. Johnson (16) Little, Perperoglou (11) Darling (5) AT&T Center
10,153
8:00 Detroit @ Chicago 80-69
DET
Dupree (27) McWilliams (10) Canty (6) UIC Pavilion
5,334
Sun 13 3:00 Los Angeles @ Phoenix ESPN2 (HD) 81-78
LAS
Parker (24) Parker (14) Lennox (6) US Airways Center
12,968
3:00 Indiana @ Connecticut WCTX 95-85
CON
Gardin (23) Gardin (8) Phillips, Wirth (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
9,047
4:00 Washington @ New York MSG 86-65
NYL
Carson, Currie (17) Ajavon (9) Mitchell (6) Madison Square Garden
15,667
9:00 Minnesota @ Sacramento 88-66
SAC
Powell (27) Paris (14) Penicheiro (10) ARCO Arena
10,212
2009 WNBA Postseason
Conference Semifinals (September 16–21)
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Wed 16 8:00 Atlanta @ Detroit ESPN2 (HD) 94-89
DET
Castro Marques, Nolan (25) Ford (10) Castro Marques (7) Palace of Auburn Hills
6,122
10:00 Seattle @ Los Angeles ESPN2 (HD) 70-63
LAS
Cash (24) Leslie, Parker (10) Bird, Harrower, Wright (5) Staples Center
7,919
Thu 17 8:00 Indiana @ Washington ESPN2 (HD) 88-79
IND
Catchings (26) Catchings (12) Melvin (4) Comcast Center
6,332
10:00 Phoenix @ San Antonio ESPN2 (HD) 92-91
SAN
Young (24) Wauters (11) V. Johnson (8) AT&T Center
5,721
Fri 18 7:30 Detroit @ Atlanta NBA TV 94-79
DET
Nolan (22) Braxton, Hornbuckle (8) Braxton, Nolan (5) Gwinnett Center
4,780
10:00 Los Angeles @ Seattle NBA TV 75-74
SEA
Cash (18) Leslie (14) Wright (9) KeyArena
8,854
Sat 19 7:00 Washington @ Indiana NBA TV 81-74 (OT)
IND
Catchings (24) Catchings (16) Catchings, Douglas, Harding (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,655
10:00 San Antonio @ Phoenix NBA TV 106-78
PHO
Taurasi (24) Bonner (13) Taurasi (5) US Airways Center
7,267
Sun 20 5:00 Los Angeles @ Seattle ESPN2 (HD) 75-64
LAS
Parker (22) Cash (10) Quinn (7) KeyArena
8,159
Mon 21 10:00 San Antonio @ Phoenix ESPN2 (HD) 100-92
PHO
Taurasi (30) T. Smith, Young (8) Taurasi (6) US Airways Center
6,896
Conference Finals (September 23–26)
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Wed 23 8:00 Indiana @ Detroit ESPN2 (HD) 72-56
DET
Zellous (23) Catchings (11) Bevilaqua, Douglas, Zellous (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
7,214
10:00 Phoenix @ Los Angeles ESPN2 (HD) 103-94
PHO
Parker, Taurasi (28) Parker (10) Taurasi (6) Pauley Pavilion
6,389
Fri 25 7:00 Detroit @ Indiana NBA TV 79-75
IND
Nolan (23) Ford (13) Catchings (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
9,210
10:00 Los Angeles @ Phoenix NBA TV 87-76
LAS
Taurasi (25) Parker (18) Taylor (5) US Airways Center
7,628
Sat 26 7:00 Detroit @ Indiana NBA TV 72-67
IND
Sutton-Brown (17) Ford (11) Catchings (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
18,165
10:00 Los Angeles @ Phoenix NBA TV 85-74 Leslie (22) Thompson (11) Taylor (4) US Airways Center
7,226
WNBA Finals (September 29-October 9)
Date Time Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance
Tue 29 9:00 Indiana @ Phoenix ESPN2 (HD) 120-116 (OT)
PHO
Douglas (20) Taurasi (9) January (7) US Airways Center
11,617
Thu 1 9:00 Indiana @ Phoenix ESPN2 (HD) 93-84
IND
Taurasi (20) Catchings (9) Catchings (11) US Airways Center
16,758
Sun 4 4:00 Phoenix @ Indiana ESPN2 (HD) 86-85
IND
Pondexter (23) Catchings (12) Pondexter (8) Conseco Fieldhouse
18,165
Wed 7 7:30 Phoenix @ Indiana ESPN2 (HD) 90-77
PHO
Catchings (24) Catchings (12) Pondexter (7) Conseco Fieldhouse
18,165
Fri 9 9:00 Indiana @ Phoenix ESPN2 (HD) 94-86
PHO
Taurasi (26) Catchings (9) Douglas (9) US Airways Center
17,313

Playoffs and Finals[edit]

Conference Semi-Finals
Best-of-3
Conference Finals
Best-of-3
WNBA Finals
Best-of-5
         
E1 Indiana 2
E4 Washington 0
E1 Indiana 2
Eastern Conference
E3 Detroit 1
E2 Atlanta 0
E3 Detroit 2
E1 Indiana 2
W1 Phoenix 3
W1 Phoenix 2
W4 San Antonio 1
W1 Phoenix 2
Western Conference
W3 Los Angeles 1
W2 Seattle 1
W3 Los Angeles 2

2009 WNBA season summary[edit]

Season highlights[edit]

  • On June 15, 2009, only three games into the Detroit Shock season, seven-year head coach and general manager Bill Laimbeer announced his resignation. Rick Mahorn was promoted to head coach, and Cheryl Reeve took over GM duties.
  • On July 5, 2009, reigning MVP Candace Parker returned to the court for the first time since giving birth just 53 days earlier.
  • On July 12, 2009, Sacramento Monarchs general manager John Whisenant announced that head coach Jenny Boucek would be relieved of her duties after a 3–10 start to the season. Whisenant took over the position while maintaining his GM duties.
  • On July 31, 2009, New York Liberty general manager Carol Blazejowski announced that Pat Coyle would be fired as the head coach after a 6–11 start to the season. Assistant coach Anne Donovan took over the job on an interim basis.
  • On August 10, 2009, Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie recorded her 6,000th career point in her team's win against the Indiana Fever. Leslie was the first player in WNBA history to reach the 6,000 point plateau.
  • On August 15, 2009, Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson recorded her 5,000th career point in her team's loss against the Atlanta Dream. Jackson was the fourth player to reach the 5,000 point plateau; she was, however, the fastest and the youngest to do so.
  • On August 17, the Chicago Sky announced a change of home venue, effective with the 2010 season. The team would abandon their original home of UIC Pavilion on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago and move to Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont.
  • The Phoenix Mercury averaged a league-best (and highest in WNBA history) 92.8 points per game. Fixed for a 48-minute game (111.4 points per game), the Mercury's average surpassed the highest scoring team in the WNBA.
  • The Phoenix Mercury shot 85.5% from the free-throw line. This clip is the best team free-throw percentage in WNBA and NBA history.
  • On September 25, 2009, NBA legend Larry Bird purchased about 9,000 balcony tickets to the Indiana Fever vs. Detroit Shock game three of the Eastern Conference Finals. The tickets were then distributed at the Fever box office free-of-charge to fans. Bird had the sole intent of filling the arena to support the Fever, who had never advanced to the WNBA Finals. Announced attendance at the game was 18,165 and the Fever beat the Shock.
  • On September 28, 2009, Phoenix Suns general manager Steve Kerr purchased about 7,000 balcony tickets to the Phoenix Mercury vs. Indiana Fever game one of the 2009 WNBA Finals. The tickets were then distributed at the Mercury box office free-of-charge to fans. Kerr wanted to follow up Bird's similar action stating that he knows how important a large crowd can be in a Finals series.

End-of-season business report[edit]

  • The WNBA's regular season on ESPN2 (13 telecasts) concluded with an average of 269,000 viewers, up 8% vs. 2008 season (248,000 viewers). In addition, regular-season games on ESPN2 saw increases in key demographics, including men 18-34 (+9%), men 18-49 (+14%) and men 23-54 (+23%).[1]
  • Ratings and viewership for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on ESPN2 were up 39 percent (.43 rating vs. .31 rating for Game 1 of the '08 WNBA Finals) and 59 percent respectively (555,000 viewers vs. 348,000 viewers), making Game 1 the most viewed WNBA game on cable since Game 4 of the '07 WNBA Finals (Shock vs. Mercury) on ESPN2 (669,000).[2]

Retirements[edit]

Season award winners[edit]

Player of the Week award[edit]

For games
played beginning
Eastern Conference Western Conference
Player Team Player Team
June 6, 2009 Candice Dupree Chicago Sky Seimone Augustus Minnesota Lynx
June 15, 2009 Alana Beard Washington Mystics Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
June 22, 2009 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Candice Wiggins Minnesota Lynx
June 29, 2009 Tammy Sutton-Brown Indiana Fever Cappie Pondexter Phoenix Mercury
July 6, 2009 Alana Beard Washington Mystics Cappie Pondexter Phoenix Mercury
July 13, 2009 Shameka Christon New York Liberty Cappie Pondexter Phoenix Mercury
July 20, 2009 Asjha Jones Connecticut Sun Sue Bird Seattle Storm
July 27, 2009 Katie Douglas Indiana Fever Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars
August 3, 2009 Katie Douglas Indiana Fever Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars
August 10, 2009 Sancho Lyttle Atlanta Dream Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury
August 17, 2009 Sandrine Gruda Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
August 24, 2009 Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock Sue Bird Seattle Storm
August 31, 2009 Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock Vickie Johnson San Antonio Silver Stars
September 7, 2009 Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks

Postseason awards[edit]

Award Winner Position Team Votes/Statistic
Most Valuable Player Award Diana Taurasi Guard Phoenix Mercury 323 out of 966
Finals MVP Award Diana Taurasi Guard Phoenix Mercury N/A
Rookie of the Year Award Angel McCoughtry Forward Atlanta Dream 30 out of 41
Most Improved Player Award Crystal Langhorne Forward Washington Mystics 19 out of 40
Defensive Player of the Year Award Tamika Catchings Forward Indiana Fever 34 out of 40
Sixth Woman of the Year Award DeWanna Bonner Guard Phoenix Mercury 20 out of 38
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Kara Lawson Guard Sacramento Monarchs 8 out of 38
Peak Performer: Points Diana Taurasi Guard/Forward Phoenix Mercury 20.4 PPG
Peak Performer: Rebounds Candace Parker Forward Los Angeles Sparks 9.8 RPG
Peak Performer: Assists Sue Bird Guard Seattle Storm 5.8 APG
Coach of the Year Award Marynell Meadors Coach Atlanta Dream 30 out of 41
Team Guard Guard Forward Forward Center
All-WNBA First Team Becky Hammon Diana Taurasi Cappie Pondexter Tamika Catchings Lauren Jackson
All-WNBA Second Team Deanna Nolan Katie Douglas Candace Parker Sophia Young Lisa Leslie
All-Defensive First Team Tully Bevilaqua Tanisha Wright Tamika Catchings Nicky Anosike Lauren Jackson
All-Defensive Second Team Alana Beard / Deanna Nolan Angel McCoughtry Candace Parker Sancho Lyttle Lisa Leslie
All-Rookie Team Renee Montgomery Shavonte Zellous Marissa Coleman Angel McCoughtry DeWanna Bonner

Coaches[edit]

Eastern Conference[edit]

Western Conference[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://sportsmedianews.com/09/espn2-to-provide-extensive-coverage-of-wnba-conference-semifinals-conference-finals-and-wnba-finals-coverage-begins-wednesday-sept-16/ ESPN2 Coverage of WNBA Finals. Accessed 2009-09-16. Archived 2009-09-18.
  2. ^ "Finals Game 1 Ratings". Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.

External links[edit]