The NBA Board of Governors approved the concept for a new women’s professional league, setting a clear plan for the WNBA to begin play in 1997. This decision provided major-league backing for women’s basketball in the U.S. and created a foundation for national marketing and operations.
The league announced NBC as its first national broadcaster, then added ESPN and Lifetime soon after. These deals mattered because regular national TV exposure was critical for reaching fans beyond local markets and helping sponsors justify investment.
Val Ackerman was appointed as the league’s first president, giving the new organization a central executive leader. Her role was important for building league rules, team operations, and business relationships ahead of the first season.
The WNBA announced its first eight team markets: Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Utah. Choosing these cities established the league’s initial geographic footprint and tied most teams to existing NBA organizations for facilities and promotion.
Before play began, the league assigned initial players to teams and held an Elite Draft for experienced pros, followed by the first college/unsigned-veteran draft where Tina Thompson was the first pick. This multi-step approach helped new teams field recognizable stars and fill out complete rosters.
The league’s first game was played at the Great Western Forum, where the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 67–57. The successful launch showed that a summer women’s pro league could draw fans and media attention as a major national sports product.
The Houston Comets defeated the New York Liberty 65–51 to win the league’s inaugural title. The Comets’ early dominance helped create recognizable team and player brands (such as Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes) that the league could market nationwide.
The WNBA held its first expansion draft to stock the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics for their debut season. Early expansion signaled confidence in the league’s growth and increased the number of markets investing in women’s pro basketball.
The rival American Basketball League (ABL) suspended operations and declared bankruptcy in late 1998. Its collapse pushed many established pro players toward the WNBA, increasing available talent and reducing direct competition in the U.S. pro women’s basketball market.
The league and the players’ union reached their first collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a formal contract covering issues like minimum salaries and pay scales. This was a key step toward a more stable labor system and a clearer professional standard for players.
The league staged its first All-Star Game, with East vs. West, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event helped promote star players across teams and provided a marquee midseason showcase for fans and broadcasters.
The WNBA held an expansion draft for four new teams—Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and Seattle Storm—who would begin play in 2000. This large expansion wave rapidly broadened the league’s national presence, while also testing its ability to sustain more franchises.
The Los Angeles Sparks won the 2001 championship, defeating the Charlotte Sting in a best-of-three series. This title marked a shift away from the Houston Comets’ early run and showed that new contenders could take over as the league matured.
The WNBA introduced a draft lottery system (used for the first time for the 2002 draft) to decide the earliest picks among non-playoff teams. The lottery was meant to support competitive balance by discouraging intentional losing and making the top pick less predictable.
In 2002, the league’s title round began using the name “WNBA Finals,” aligning the branding more closely with other major U.S. sports leagues. The change mattered because it clarified the postseason structure for fans and strengthened the league’s big-event identity.
The Detroit Shock defeated the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks to win the 2003 WNBA Finals. This win was a turning point that highlighted how newer expansion-era franchises could build championship teams and keep the league competitively dynamic.
In December 2008, the WNBA announced that the Houston Comets—one of the original teams and the league’s first dynasty—would suspend operations due to ownership and financial problems. The loss of a founding franchise underscored the league’s ongoing business challenges, even as it continued to expand and professionalize.
By 2010, the WNBA had moved from a launch phase into a more established league with a CBA, a draft lottery system, All-Star events, and teams spread across many U.S. markets. This period closed the “founding and early growth” era, setting the stage for later changes in playoff formats, media strategy, and expansion cycles.
Women's National Basketball Association: Founding and Early Growth (1996–2010)