2009 WNBA season

2009 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	June 6 – September 13, 2009
Number of games	34
Number of teams	13
Total attendance	1,776,536
Average attendance	8,039
TV partner(s)	ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
2009 WNBA Draft
Top draft pick	Angel McCoughtry
Picked by	Atlanta Dream
Regular season
Season MVP	Diana Taurasi (Phoenix)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Indiana Fever
Eastern runners-up	Detroit Shock
Western champions	Phoenix Mercury
Western runners-up	Los Angeles Sparks
Finals
Champions	Phoenix Mercury
Runners-up	Indiana Fever
Finals MVP	Diana Taurasi
WNBA seasons
← 2008 2010 →

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

See also: List of 2009 WNBA season transactions

• 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

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

Main article: 2009 WNBA draft

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

Standings

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

Main article: 2009 WNBA All-Star Game

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.

ABC (HD)

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: 44 Felicia Grinter, #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #53 Jeff Smith

Statistic leaders

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

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

Main article: 2009 WNBA Playoffs

See also: 2009 WNBA Finals

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

Season highlights

• 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

• 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

• On February 5, 2009, center Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the WNBA. Leslie was one of the four remaining players from the WNBA's inaugural season.
• On May 15, 2009, forward Yolanda Griffith of the Indiana Fever announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the WNBA. Griffith was injured in the third game of the season but continued to help the Fever as an assistant coach figure.
• On May 31, 2009, San Antonio Silver Stars guard Vickie Johnson announced that the 2009 season would be her last in the league. Johnson was one of the four remaining players from the WNBA's inaugural season.
• On September 18, 2009, Seattle Storm guard Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson announced that she would retire at the end of the 2009 season.
• On September 24, 2009, forward Erin Perperoglou of the San Antonio Silver Stars announced that she would not return to the WNBA.

Season award winners

Player of the Week award

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

Award		Winner	Position	Team	Votes/Statistic
Most Valuable Player Award		Diana Taurasi	Guard	Phoenix Mercury	323 out of 966 [3]
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

Eastern Conference

• Atlanta Dream: Marynell Meadors
• Chicago Sky: Steven Key
• Connecticut Sun: Mike Thibault
• Detroit Shock: Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn
• Indiana Fever: Lin Dunn
• New York Liberty: Pat Coyle and Anne Donovan
• Washington Mystics: Julie Plank

Western Conference

• Los Angeles Sparks: Michael Cooper
• Minnesota Lynx: Jennifer Gillom
• Phoenix Mercury: Corey Gaines
• Sacramento Monarchs: Jenny Boucek and John Whisenant
• San Antonio Silver Stars: Dan Hughes
• Seattle Storm: Brian Agler

See also

• WNBA
• WNBA draft
• WNBA All-Star Game
• WNBA Playoffs
• WNBA Finals

References

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". NBA.com . Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
3. "Diana Taurasi Named 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors". WNBA . September 29, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2024.

External links

• Comets To Cease Operations