Teams
The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997, and through a sequence of expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 12 teams. There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history. Most WNBA teams are associated with the NBA team from the same market and are known as sister teams. These teams include the Indiana Pacers and Fever, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sparks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, the New York Knicks and Liberty, the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, the Atlanta Hawks and the Dream, the San Antonio Spurs and the Silver Stars, and the Washington Wizards and Mystics. Of these teams, only the Dream and the Sparks are owned separately. Though located in the same market, the Chicago Sky are not affiliated with the Bulls, as evidenced by the home arena they play (the Sky play at Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, as opposed to the Bulls playing at United Center). The now defunct Charlotte Sting, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, Cleveland Rockers, Orlando Miracle, Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs were also sister teams of the Hornets, Heat, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Magic, Rockets and Kings, respectively. The Detroit Shock was the sister team of the Pistons until the teams' owner sold the Shock to investors who moved the team to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team is not currently affiliated with Oklahoma's NBA team, the Thunder, but Shock owners left the door open for a future affiliation. The Shock are also one of two teams sharing a market with an NBA Development League team, sharing with the Thunder's affiliates, the Tulsa 66ers; the Sparks also share with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Seattle Storm was the sister team of the now relocated SuperSonics.
As of the 2011 WNBA season, the Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, and the San Antonio Silver Stars (formerly Utah Starzz) are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997.
| Conference | Team | City/Area | Arena | Colors | Joined WNBA | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Atlanta Dream | Atlanta, GA | Philips Arena | Sky Blue, Red, White | 2008 | Fred Williams | |
| Chicago Sky | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena | Sky Blue, Yellow, White | 2006 | Pokey Chatman | |
| Connecticut Sun | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena | Navy Blue, Gold, White, Red | 1999* | Vacant | |
| Indiana Fever | Indianapolis, IN | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Navy Blue, Red, Gold, White | 2000 | Lin Dunn | |
| New York Liberty | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center - thru 2013 | Blue, Orange, White, Green | 1997 | Bill Laimbeer | |
| Washington Mystics | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | Blue, Gray, White, Red | 1998 | Vacant | |
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Los Angeles Sparks | Los Angeles, CA | Staples Center | Purple, Gold | 1997 | Carol Ross | |
| Minnesota Lynx | Minneapolis, MN | Target Center | Blue, Green, White, Silver | 1999 | Cheryl Reeve | |
| Phoenix Mercury | Phoenix, AZ | US Airways Center | Purple, Yellow, Orange, White | 1997 | Corey Gaines | |
| San Antonio Silver Stars | San Antonio, TX | AT&T Center | Black, Silver | 1997* | Dan Hughes | |
| Seattle Storm | Seattle, WA | KeyArena | Green, Red, White, Gold | 2000 | Brian Agler | |
| Tulsa Shock | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center | Black, Red, Gold | 1998* | Gary Kloppenburg | |
|
An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information. |
||||||
Read more about this topic: Women's National Basketball Association
Famous quotes containing the word teams:
“A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always like a cat falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days and feels no shame in not “studying a profession,” for he does not postpone his life, but lives already.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)