Team rosters
| 2019 Washington Mystics roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2019 Connecticut Sun roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | September 29 – October 10 | |||||||||
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| MVP | Emma Meesseman | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Washington Mystics defeated Las Vegas Aces 3–1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Connecticut Sun defeated Los Angeles Sparks 3–0 | |||||||||
The 2019 WNBA Finals, officially WNBA Finals 2019 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2019 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Finals featured the top seeded Washington Mystics facing off against the second seed Connecticut Sun. [1] The Washington Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun through five turbulent games, with the Mystics winning the odd-numbered games and the Sun emerging victorious through the even-numbered games, exploiting a temporary absence of Elena Delle Donne and drawing upon unrelenting resolve to keep the series going, to make their bid for a championship that ultimately failed after the Mystics resurged in Game 5's final quarter. This was the first-ever Finals win for the Washington Mystics, as well as the Connecticut Sun's third Finals appearance.
| # | Western Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Sparks (3) | 22 | 12 | .647 | – | 15–2 | 7–10 | 10–6 |
| 2 | Las Vegas Aces (4) | 21 | 13 | .618 | 1 | 13–4 | 8–9 | 11–5 |
| 3 | Seattle Storm (6) | 18 | 16 | .529 | 4 | 11–6 | 7–10 | 10–6 |
| 4 | Minnesota Lynx (7) | 18 | 16 | .529 | 4 | 11–6 | 7–10 | 7–9 |
| 5 | Phoenix Mercury (8) | 15 | 19 | .441 | 7 | 9–8 | 6–11 | 5–11 |
| 6 | e – Dallas Wings | 10 | 24 | .294 | 12 | 8–9 | 2–15 | 5–11 |
| # | Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Mystics (1) | 26 | 8 | .765 | – | 14–3 | 12–5 | 13–3 |
| 2 | Connecticut Sun (2) | 23 | 11 | .676 | 3 | 15–2 | 8–9 | 11–5 |
| 3 | Chicago Sky (5) | 20 | 14 | .588 | 6 | 12–5 | 8–9 | 11–5 |
| 4 | e –Indiana Fever | 13 | 21 | .382 | 13 | 7–10 | 6–11 | 7–9 |
| 5 | e –New York Liberty | 10 | 24 | .294 | 16 | 4–13 | 6–11 | 3–13 |
| 6 | e –Atlanta Dream | 8 | 26 | .235 | 18 | 5–12 | 3–14 | 3–13 |
| First round: Single elimination (Sept. 11) | Second round: Single elimination (Sept. 15) | Semifinals: Best-of-five (Sept. 17 – Sept. 24) | WNBA Finals: Best-of-five (Sept. 29 – Oct. 10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Washington Mystics | 97 | 103 | 75 | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Las Vegas Aces | 93 | 4 | Las Vegas Aces | 95 | 91 | 92 | 90 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Chicago Sky | 105 | 5 | Chicago Sky | 92 | 1 | Washington Mystics | 95 | 87 | 94 | 86 | 89 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Phoenix Mercury | 76 | 2 | Connecticut Sun | 86 | 99 | 81 | 90 | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Connecticut Sun | 84 | 94 | 78 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles Sparks | 92 | 3 | Los Angeles Sparks | 75 | 68 | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Seattle Storm | 84 | 6 | Seattle Storm | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Minnesota Lynx | 74 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
This finals was the third time in the four years since the WNBA switched playoff formats in 2016 that two teams from the same conference met in the WNBA Finals. In 2016 and 2017, two teams from the Western Conference met. This would be the first time two teams from the Eastern Conference met in the Finals. This Finals is also the third time that the top two seeds have made it to the finals since the WNBA switched playoff formats in 2016. The lone non-top two seed to make the finals was the third seeded Washington Mystics in 2018.
The Mystics' home court advantage figured to play a critical role in these finals. The Mystics had a 14–3 home record during the regular season and the Connecticut Sun had a 15–2 regular season home record. However, the Mystics had a regular season away record advantage 12–5 vs. 8–9. The Sun won the regular season series 2–1, with the home team winning each game. [2]
Ariel Atkins turned around her recent poor form to lead the Mystics to a win in Game 1 of the Finals. Atkins was 5–21 during the Mystic's semifinal series, but scored 21 points in Game 1 of the Finals on 6–7 shooting. Additionally, Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman played for the Mystics. This was a change from the regular season series, where both players did not play. Delle Donne in particular made her presence felt, leading the Mystics with twenty-two points and ten rebounds. The Sun got a big performance from Courtney Williams, who scored a game high twenty-six points. However, the Sun's bench contributed only eight total points, while the Mystic's bench scored sixteen. [3]
September 29 3:00pm ET |
| Connecticut Sun 86, Washington Mystics 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 29–25, 20–21, 20–19 | ||
| Pts: Courtney Williams (26) Rebs: Alyssa Thomas / Jonquel Jones (6) Asts: Alyssa Thomas (6) | Pts: Elena Delle Donne (22) Rebs: Elena Delle Donne (10) Asts: Natasha Cloud (7) | |
St. Elizabeth's East Arena Attendance: 4,200 Referees: Roy Gulbeyan Byron Jarrett Tim Greene Cheryl Flores |
Elena Delle Donne only played 3:20 of the first quarter before experiencing back spasms that saw her miss the remainder of the game. The Sun took advantage of the League MVP's absence and won Game Two by twelve points. The Sun were led by Jonquel Jones who achieved the WNBA Finals' first ever thirty point and fifteen rebound game. Jones finished with thirty-two points and eighteen rebounds. The Mystics were able to tie the score at seventy-six, with eight minutes remaining, but Jones re-entered the game after sitting on the bench with four fouls. She returned to the game and helped the Sun finish off the win. With the series tied at one game apiece, the series heads to Connecticut for the next two games. The Sun now have home court advantage in the series. [4]
October 1 8:00pm ET |
| Connecticut Sun 99, Washington Mystics 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:29–17, 27–29, 17–23, 26–18 | ||
| Pts: Jonquel Jones (32) Rebs: Jonquel Jones (18) Asts: Alyssa Thomas / Courtney Williams (6) | Pts: Emma Meesseman (27) Rebs: Emma Meesseman (8) Asts: Kristi Toliver (7) | |
St. Elizabeth's East Arena Attendance: 4,200 Referees: Michael Price Maj Forsberg Tim Greene Billy Smith |
Elena Delle Donne played through her herniated disk and contributed 13 points in the Mystics road win. Washington got out to a hot start, going up fifteen points in the first quarter. They then took a five-point lead into halftime and never looked back, winning by thirteen points. Their road win brings them within one game of the WNBA Championship. The Mystics had four players score in double figures, with two reaching over twenty points. The Sun also had four players score in double figures, but none reached the twenty point mark. [5]
October 6 3:30pm ET |
| Washington Mystics 94, Connecticut Sun 81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter:32–17, 11–22, 25–18, 26–24 | ||
| Pts: Emma Meesseman (21) Rebs: Aerial Powers (8) Asts: Kristi Toliver (10) | Pts: Shekinna Stricklen / Jasmine Thomas (16) Rebs: Jonquel Jones (9) Asts: Alyssa Thomas (9) | |
The Sun stormed out to a fifteen-point lead in the first quarter and held off a late Mystics charge to win Game 4, and force a deciding Game 5. The Mystics made a run after halftime, winning the third quarter by sixteen points, and tying the game going into the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the Sun. Alyssa Thomas starred for the Sun, coming within two rebounds of the first WNBA Finals triple double. Jonquel Jones also recorded a double double for the Sun. The Mystics led by five at one point in the fourth, but the Sun hit two three pointers to gain the lead for good with 2:22 left. Connecticut went four for four on free throws in the last minute to seal the game. [6]
October 8 8:00pm ET |
| Washington Mystics 86, Connecticut Sun 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–32, 23–24, 28–12, 18–22 | ||
| Pts: Aerial Powers (15) Rebs: Natasha Cloud (7) Asts: Natasha Cloud (9) | Pts: Jonquel Jones (18) Rebs: Jonquel Jones (13) Asts: Alyssa Thomas (11) | |
Game five was a tight affair in the first half, with the Sun taking a one-point lead into half time. The game continued to be close in the third quarter. The Sun took a two-point lead into the final period. However, season MVP Elena Delle Donne scored four of her twenty-one points during an 8–0 run with three minutes left to seal the win for the Mystics. The Mystics won the fourth quarter by thirteen points, and the game by eleven. The win secured the Mystic's their first title in franchise history, and leaves the Sun still looking for their franchise's first title. Emma Meesseman lead the Mystics in scoring, with twenty two points. She was named the Finals MVP and became the first bench player to win the award. [7] Jonquel Jones lead the Sun with twenty-five points and Alyssa Thomas had twenty-one points and twelve rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the Mystics. [8]
October 10 8:00pm ET |
| Connecticut Sun 78, Washington Mystics 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 23–19, 21–20, 14–27 | ||
| Pts: Jonquel Jones (25) Rebs: Alyssa Thomas (12) Asts: Alyssa Thomas / Jasmine Thomas (6) | Pts: Emma Meesseman (22) Rebs: Elena Delle Donne (9) Asts: Kristi Toliver (4) | |
| 2019 Washington Mystics roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2019 Connecticut Sun roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded prior to the 1998 season, and is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards. The team plays in the Entertainment and Sports Arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of BET and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting owner Robert L. Johnson, is the managing partner.
The Chicago Sky is an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. The Sky experienced a period of success from 2013 to 2016, making four playoff appearances and playing in the 2014 WNBA Finals. They experienced a second period of success from 2019 to 2022 and won their first championship in the 2021 WNBA Finals.
Elena Delle Donne is an American former professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to 2013. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the second overall pick of the 2013 WNBA draft, and led the Sky to the 2014 WNBA Finals, where they were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury. Delle Donne was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017 and led them to their first WNBA championship in 2019.
Tina Alexandria Charles is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Originally from Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Charles was drafted first overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. In 2009 and 2010, she and teammate Maya Moore led the Connecticut Huskies to two undefeated national championships. She has won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA and will be inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame on September 12, 2024 at the head of her class - the first female to head a class at any major basketball hall of fame.
Emma Meesseman is a Belgian professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe of the Women's Basketball Super League and EuroLeague Women. After playing basketball in Belgium, Meesseman was drafted by the Washington Mystics with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 WNBA draft. She has also played for the Belgian national team and several European professional teams. She was named the 2011 FIBA Europe Young Women's Player of the Year and the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP. Meesseman studied physical education at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The 2015 WNBA All-Star Game is an exhibition basketball game. It was played on July 25, 2015. The Connecticut Sun hosted a WNBA All-Star Game for the fourth time. The Sun previously hosted the game in 2005, 2009, and 2013.
Aerial Powers is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Michigan State University. After a successful college career with the Spartans, Powers was drafted by the Dallas Wings with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft.
The 2017 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 22, 2017. The Seattle Storm hosted a WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.
Jonquel Orthea Jones is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. Since May 2019, she also holds the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing her to play for the national team.
The 2018 WNBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2018 season. The Seattle Storm won the team's third WNBA title, sweeping the Washington Mystics 3–0 in the best-of-five WNBA Finals.
The 2019 WNBA season was the 23rd season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Seattle Storm were the defending champions. The regular season began on May 24, with the Atlanta Dream hosting the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty hosting the Indiana Fever. The season ended with the Washington Mystics securing their first WNBA Title over the Connecticut Sun three games to two, in a closely contested finals. Emma Meesseman was named Finals MVP and teammate Elena Delle Donne was named regular season MVP.
The 2019 WNBA season was the 22nd for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Mystics winning their first WNBA Championship.
The 2019 WNBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2019 season. The Washington Mystics won the team's first WNBA title in their 22-year franchise history.
The 2020 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2020 season being played in Bradenton, Florida at the IMG Academy, known for the season as the "wubble." The Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces three games to zero in the finals to claim the franchise's fourth WNBA title.
The 2020 WNBA Finals, officially WNBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2020 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Finals feature the top seeded Las Vegas Aces facing off against the second seed Seattle Storm. Despite losing both regular season meetings against Las Vegas, the Storm dominated the series, sweeping the Aces in three straight games. Led by Finals MVP Breanna Stewart, Seattle won all three games by double-digits, claiming their second title in three years and fourth in franchise history.
The 2022 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2022 season. This postseason ended with the Las Vegas Aces winning their first championship.
The 2022 WNBA Finals, officially the WNBA Finals 2022 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2022 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The finals featured the first-seeded Las Vegas Aces facing off against the third-seeded Connecticut Sun. The Aces defeated the Sun in 4 games, winning their first WNBA Championship. This was Las Vegas's third time making the finals, and the second time since moving to Vegas. They previously competed in the Finals in 2008 and 2020. This was Connecticut's fourth time making the finals. They previously competed in 2004, 2005, and 2019.
The 2023 New York Liberty season was the 27th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA, and their second season under head coach Sandy Brondello.
The 2023 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2023 season. The playoffs began on September 13, 2023, and culminated with the Las Vegas Aces successfully defending their WNBA title by defeating the New York Liberty three games to one in the finals.
The 2023 WNBA Finals, officially the WNBA Finals 2023 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2023 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The finals featured the first-seeded Las Vegas Aces facing off against the second-seeded New York Liberty. The Aces defeated the Liberty in 4 games, winning their second WNBA Championship in a row. The Aces became the first team in twenty one years, and only the third in history to repeat as WNBA Champions.
