2003 WNBA season

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2003 WNBA season
League Women's National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
DurationMay 22 - September 16, 2003
Number of games34
Number of teams14
Total attendance2,100,630
Average attendance8,826
TV partner(s) ABC, ESPN, Oxygen
2003 WNBA Draft
Top draft pick Flag of the United States.svg LaToya Thomas
Picked by Cleveland Rockers
Regular season
Season MVP Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lauren Jackson (Seattle)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Detroit Shock
  Eastern runners-up Connecticut Sun
Western champions Los Angeles Sparks
  Western runners-up Sacramento Monarchs
Finals
Champions Detroit Shock
  Runners-up Los Angeles Sparks
Finals MVP Flag of the United States.svg Ruth Riley (Detroit)
WNBA seasons

The 2003 WNBA season was the Women's National Basketball Association's seventh season. It was the first season in which teams either folded or relocated, as well as the first to have teams that were not co-owned with NBA teams. The Orlando Miracle relocated to Connecticut and became the Connecticut Sun, the Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio, Texas and became the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Contents

Meanwhile, both the Miami Sol and the Portland Fire folded, while the Charlotte Sting became the second WNBA team without a brother NBA team. A one-round dispersal draft was held on April 24, 2003 to reassign former Sol and Fire players. [1]

The schedule increased from 32 games per team to 34. The season ended with the Detroit Shock winning their first WNBA Championship.

Miami Sol and Portland Fire dispersal draft

On April 24, 2003, the dispersal draft for the Miami Sol and Portland Fire was held. [1] This draft consisted of one round to re-assign the 26 players from the Sol and Fire rosters, who both folded after the end of 2002 WNBA season. [1] The remaining fourteen teams in the WNBA were able to select one player from either roster in the draft. [2] The order of selection was determined by teams' 2002 regular season records, going from worst to first. [3] Former Sol and Fire players not selected in the dispersal draft became unrestricted free agents. [3]

The top four picks were:

PickPlayerNationalityNew teamFormer teamRef.
1 Ruth Riley Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Detroit Shock Miami Sol [4]
2 Sheri Sam Minnesota Lynx
3 Betty Lennox Cleveland Rockers
4 Tamicha Jackson Phoenix Mercury Portland Fire

Regular season

Standings

Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x259.735–13–412–518–6
Charlotte Sting x1816.5297.013–45–1212–12
Connecticut Sun x1816.5297.010–78–911–13
Cleveland Rockers x1717.5008.011–66–1113–11
Indiana Fever o1618.4719.011–65–1212–12
New York Liberty o1618.4719.011–65–1211–13
Washington Mystics o925.26516.03–146–117–17

Western Conference

Western Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Los Angeles Sparks x2410.706–11–613–417–7
Houston Comets x2014.5884.014–36–1114–10
Sacramento Monarchs x1915.5595.012–57–1013–11
Minnesota Lynx x1816.5296.011–67–1014–10
Seattle Storm o1816.5296.013–45–1211–13
San Antonio Silver Stars o1222.35312.09–83–1410–14
Phoenix Mercury o826.23516.06–112–155–19

Playoffs

Conference semifinals
Best-of-3		Conference finals
Best-of-3 		WNBA Finals
Best-of-3
         
E1 Detroit 2
E4 Cleveland 1
E1 Detroit 2
Eastern Conference
E3 Connecticut 0
E2 Charlotte 0
E3 Connecticut 2
E1 Detroit 2
W1 Los Angeles 1
W1 Los Angeles 2
W4 Minnesota 1
W1 Los Angeles 2
Western Conference
W3 Sacramento 1
W2 Houston 1
W3 Sacramento 2

Awards

Reference: [5]

Individual

AwardWinnerTeam
Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
Finals MVP Ruth Riley Detroit Shock
Defensive Player of the Year Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
Most Improved Player Michelle Snow Houston Comets
Peak Performers ScoringLauren JacksonSeattle Storm
Rebounding Chamique Holdsclaw Washington Mystics
Rookie of the Year Cheryl Ford Detroit Shock
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Edna Campbell Sacramento Monarchs
Coach of the Year Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock

Team

AwardPlayerTeam
All-WNBA First Team Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
Katie Smith Minnesota Lynx
Sue Bird Seattle Storm
Second Team Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
Swin Cash Detroit Shock
Cheryl Ford Detroit Shock
Nikki Teasley Los Angeles Sparks
Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock

Players of the Week

Week endingPlayerTeam
June 1 Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks
June 8 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
June 15Lisa Leslie (2)Los Angeles Sparks
June 22 Swin Cash Detroit Shock
June 29 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever
July 6 Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets
July 20 Chamique Holdsclaw Washington Mystics
July 27 Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm
August 3Swin Cash (2)Detroit Shock
August 10Lauren Jackson (2)Seattle Storm
August 17 DeLisha Milton Los Angeles Sparks
August 25 Anna DeForge Phoenix Mercury

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

References

  1. 1 2 3 "PLUS: W.N.B.A.; Dispersal Draft Scatters 2 Rosters". The New York Times . April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Three Former Lady Techsters Selected in WNBA Dispersal Draft". LA Tech Sports. April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Detroit adds Riley with top pick". ESPN . April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Three Former Lady Techsters Selected in WNBA Dispersal Draft". LA Tech Sports. April 25, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  5. ↑ "2003 WNBA Season Awards - WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
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