| 1997 WNBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | Women's National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | June 21 – August 30, 1997 |
| 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 | |
| Semi-Finals 1 champions | Houston Comets |
| Semi-Finals 1 runners-up | Charlotte Sting |
| Semi-Finals 2 champions | New York Liberty |
| Semi-Finals 2 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 inaugural season. 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. [1] The season ended with the Comets defeating the Liberty in a one-game series 65–51. Cynthia Cooper was named MVP of the game.