Who Has the Most WNBA Championships?

Winning a single WNBA Championship is hard, so it’s even more impressive when a team or player wins multiple. The league’s 12 teams (soon to be 13) battle it out for 40 regular season games, hoping they’ll earn one of the eight spots in the WNBA Playoffs to vie for a Championship.

Since its inception in 1997, the WNBA has become a prominent league known for its fierce competition and just-as-passionate fans. If you’re a fan of the W, you’ll enjoy this article, where we walk you through the teams and players who have left their mark on the WNBA’s championship legacy.

What WNBA Team Has Won the Most Championships?

The quest for a WNBA championship has seen some teams emerge as true powerhouses. As of now, three teams tie for securing the most WNBA Championships.

The Houston Comets (now dissolved), the Minnesota Lynx, and the Seattle Storm have won the most WNBA Championships, each with four.

Number of WNBA Championships By Team

Eleven teams have won at least one WNBA Championship. Here’s a breakdown of the number of championships each of these teams has secured:

Learn more: How many WNBA teams are there?

Which WNBA Player Has the Most Championships?

When it comes to the player with the most WNBA championship rings, one name stands out above the rest: Rebekkah Brunson.

Rebekkah Brunson is the player who has won the most WNBA championships.

Rebekka Brunson won 5 WNBA Championships over her 16-year career in the league, placing her at the top of the list of players with the most championships in the league’s history.

The hard-working, gritty forward won a WNBA Championship in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs and in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 with the Minnesota Lynx.

In addition to having the most WNBA Championships, Rebekkah Brunson retired as the league’s career rebounding leader and career offensive rebounds. The Minnesota Lynx retired her jersey number 32 in 2022.

Learn more: What is a rebound in basketball?

Other Top WNBA Championship Winners

Six WNBA players tie for winning the second most WNBA Championships in the league’s history. This list includes Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Cynthia Cooper, Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson. Each won four WNBA Championships during their respective time in the league.

Seimone Augustus

Seimone Augustus was a driving force in helping her Minnesota Lynx squad win four WNBA Championships in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. In her 15-season career, she was named a WNBA All-Star eight times and was WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2016. The Minnesota Lynx retired her jersey number 33 in 2022.

Sue Bird

In addition to winning four WNBA Championships in her 19-season career, Sue Bird is the league’s all-time winningest player (333 games won). Outside of her WNBA accomplishments, Sue also won a record five Olympic gold medals, two NCAA Championships during her time at UCONN, and five EuroLeague titles.

Cynthia Cooper

Cynthia Cooper is a four-time WNBA Champion, having helped the Houston Comets win WNBA Championships from 1997 to 2000. She is considered one of the best basketball players ever and was named the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Finals in all four championship seasons. The Houston Comets retired her jersey number 14.

Maya Moore

Maya Moore won four WNBA Championships (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017) during her career with the Minnesota Lynx. She is one of few women to earn a WNBA Championship, an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, and a Fiba World Cup gold. In 2017, Sports Illustrated gave Maya the Performer of the Year Award and called her the greatest winner in the history of women’s basketball.

Sheryl Swoopes

The first player to be signed by the WNBA, Sheryl Swoopes helped lead the Houston Comets to four WNBA Championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). She is a three-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Like Maya Moore, Sheryl won a WNBA Championship, an Olympic gold medal (she won three), an NCAA Championship, and a Fiba World Cup gold.

Tina Thompson

Tina Thompson, the first college draft pick in WNBA history, helped the Houston Comets win four consecutive WNBA championships in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. One of the league’s all-time leading scorers, Tina was named a WNBA All-Star nine times. She also won two Olympic gold medals.

Most WNBA Championships

Here is a complete list of the players who have won the most WNBA Championships:

Learn more: How much do WNBA players make?

Full List of WNBA Championships, Year-by-Year

Below is a year-by-year list of WNBA Championships. Every year is included, from the league’s inception in 1997 to the most recent championship in 2022. This list highlights the championship teams and offers a glimpse into the ever-evolving landscape of women’s professional basketball.

As you peruse this list, you’ll discover the teams that dominated different eras and the emergence of new contenders.

WNBA Championship Highlights

Throughout its history, the WNBA has been home to some of the most unforgettable championship moments. These are when players and teams rose to the occasion, leaving an indelible mark on the league’s legacy. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these championship highlights.

Houston Comets’ Historic Three-Peat (1997-1999)

The Houston Comets, led by the Big Three of Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, won the first three WNBA championships in consecutive years. This era marked the birth of a WNBA dynasty and set a high bar for future champs. The Comets won their third WNBA Championship weeks after friend and teammate Kim Perrot died from cancer.

T-Spoon’s Game-Winning Half-Court Buzzer Beater (1999)

In Game 2 of The Finals against the Houston Comets, Teresa Weatherspoon (“T-Spoon”) of the New York Liberty hit a miraculous half-court shot at the buzzer to lift her team to the win. The shot forced a game-deciding Game 3, which the Houston Comets won.

Los Angeles Sparks’ Back-to-Back Champs (2001-2002)

The 2002 Los Angeles Sparks are the WNBA’s last back-to-back champion, demonstrating how difficult it is to repeat as champions. Led by basketball legend Lisa Leslie (who holds the record for the very first WNBA dunk) with high-octane scorers DeLisha Milton, Mwadi Mabika, Tamecka Dixon, and then-rookie Nikki Teasley, the Sparks swept the Seattle Storm, Utah Starzz, and the New York Liberty to win their second title in a row. The WNBA has not seen another repeat champion in the 21 years since the Spark’s back-to-back title.

Detroit Shock’s Jump From Worst to First (2003)

The Detroit Shock completed a remarkable “worst-to-first” turnaround in a single season with their 2003 WNBA Championship win. In the Finals, the Shock overtook back-to-back champion Los Angeles Sparks. In Game 3 of the series, Deanna Nolan hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to seal the title for the Shock.

Minnesota Lynx’s Thrilling Dynasty Run (2011-2018)

The Minnesota Lynx hadn’t made the playoffs for six seasons before the team tallied a seven-year run and four WNBA titles during their dynasty run. Led by the “Core Four” – Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, and Lindsey Whalen – the Lynx was the power center of the league for nearly an entire decade. WNBA great Sylvia Fowles joined in 2015 to help with the Lynx’s last two titles, when she won Finals MVP both years.

Seattle Storm’s Dominance in the Wubble (2020)

Sue Bird and Finals MVP Breanna Stewart led the Seattle Storm to their fourth WNBA Championship in the Wubble in 2020. With the WNBA teams isolated all season in Bradenton, Florida, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Storm swept the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals to take the title.

Learn more: How many games are in a WNBA season?

WNBA MVPs on Championship Teams

Winning a WNBA championship is undoubtedly a team effort. But often, the standout performances of individual players tip the scales in favor of victory.

The table below shows a comprehensive list of the WNBA Finals MVP for each respective year from 1997 to 2022. 

Historical Context and Statistics

Delving into the numbers behind WNBA championships reveals intriguing trends and insights that reflect the league’s competitiveness over the years. Let’s take a closer look at some interesting facts related to WNBA championships:

History

The format of the WNBA Championship has changed several times in the league’s history. In the league’s first year, 1997, the champion was decided by a single championship game. Between 1998 and 2004, the WNBA Finals became a best-of-three games series. Since 2005, the WNBA Finals has followed a best-of-five format.

Regional Dominance

The WNBA’s 12 teams (soon to be 13) are currently split into two even conferences of six teams – the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. In the 26 WNBA Championships that have occurred since the league kicked off in 2017, the Western Conference has tallied more championship wins.

Western Conference teams have won 16 WNBA Championships, compared to Eastern Conference teams with 10 WNBA Championships.

The league changed the WNBA Playoffs format in 2016. Since then, the league’s eight teams with the highest regular season winning percentages are seeded from #1 to #8, regardless of conference. As a result, it’s now possible for two Western Conference or two Eastern Conference teams to meet in the WNBA Finals.

Consecutive WNBA Championships

If you look over the history of WNBA Championships, repeat titles are rare. Only the Houston Comets and Los Angeles Sparks have won consecutive WNBA Championships. 

These back-to-back titles happened in the league’s first six seasons. Houston took the first four titles from 1997 to 2000. Los Angeles took the next two in 2001 and 2002. No team has won a consecutive WNBA Championship since then.

FAQ

Who won the first WNBA Championship?

The Houston Comets won the first WNBA Championship in 1997, beating the New York Liberty 65-51 in a one-game championship game.

Who won the WNBA Championship last year?

The Las Vegas Aces won the 2022 WNBA Championship last year, defeating the Connecticut Sun in four games in a best-of-five series.

How do you win a WNBA Championship?

To win a WNBA Championship, teams must first qualify for the playoffs by finishing the regular season with one of the top eight winning percentages. They then must defeat three teams in a best-of-3-5-5 series format.

Are there WNBA teams without championships?

There are seven teams throughout the WNBA’s history without a WNBA title: This includes three active teams (Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty) and four that have ceased operations (Cleveland Rockers, Charlotte Sting, Miami Sol, Portland Fire).

Learning About the WNBA

Discover more about the WNBA and its history and players through our complete fan WNBA guide.

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