New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx chase WNBA history: Every league champion over the years
The New York Liberty are just one win away from their first WNBA championship after Sabrina Ionescu's game-winning 3-pointer in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals capped a stunning comeback and gave the Liberty with a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five series against the Minnesota Lynx.
The Liberty and Lynx will play Game 4 Friday night in Minneapolis, with Game 5 scheduled for Sunday back in New York if it's necessary. If New York were to win either game, it would become the fifth different franchise to win a WNBA championship since 2019. The Liberty are the last of the WNBA's original teams still in existence to have never won a league title.
The Lynx are hoping to become the first team in league history to win a fifth WNBA Finals. It would be their first championship since 2017.
Here's a look at every WNBA champion since the league began play in 1997.
WHO'S WATCHING: New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx WNBA Finals drawing record viewership
WNBA champions through the years
- 1997: Houston Comets
- 1998: Houston Comets
- 1999: Houston Comets
- 2000: Houston Comets
- 2001: Los Angeles Sparks
- 2002: Los Angeles Sparks
- 2003: Detroit Shock
- 2004: Seattle Storm
- 2005: Sacramento Monarchs
- 2006: Detroit Shock
- 2007: Phoenix Mercury
- 2008: Detroit Shock
- 2009: Phoenix Mercury
- 2010: Seattle Storm
- 2011: Minnesota Lynx
- 2012: Indiana Fever
- 2013: Minnesota Lynx
- 2014: Phoenix Mercury
- 2015: Minnesota Lynx
- 2016: Los Angeles Sparks
- 2017: Minnesota Lynx
- 2018: Seattle Storm
- 2019: Washington Mystics
- 2020: Seattle Storm
- 2021: Chicago Sky
- 2022: Las Vegas Aces
- 2023: Las Vegas Aces
- 2024: New York Liberty or Minnesota Lynx
2024 WNBA Finals bracket, schedule and results
All times Eastern
New York leads Minnesota, 2-1, in best-of-five series
- Game 1: Minnesota Lynx 95, New York Liberty 93 (OT)
- Game 2: New York Liberty 80, Minnesota Lynx 66
- Game 3: New York Liberty 80, Minnesota Lynx 77
- Game 4: Friday, Oct. 18, New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
- Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 20, Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty, 8 p.m. (ESPN, if necessary)
How to watch the 2024 WNBA Finals
The 2024 WNBA Finals series will be broadcast across ABC or ESPN, depending on the game. Streaming options for the series will be on Fubo, Sling and the WNBA League Pass.
Watch the WNBA Finals with Fubo