The 2001 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 2001 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Los Angeles Sparks, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Charlotte Sting, fourth-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, two games to none in a best-of-three series. This was Los Angeles' first title.
 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Dates | August 30-September 1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Sparks: Lisa Leslie (2015) Sting: Dawn Staley (2013) Coaches: Michael Cooper (2024, player) Anne Donovan (1995, player) | |||||||||
| Eastern Finals | Charlotte defeated New York, 2–1 | |||||||||
| Western Finals | Los Angeles defeated Sacramento, 2–1 | |||||||||
The Sparks made their first appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Sting also made their first Finals appearance.
Going into the series, no other team except the Houston Comets had ever won a WNBA championship (1997-2000).
The Sparks had a 28–4 record (.875), good enough to receive home-court advantage over the Sting (18–14). It did not matter, however, as the Sparks swept the Sting.
Road to the finals
| Los Angeles Sparks | Charlotte Sting | |
|---|---|---|
| 28–4 (.875) 1st West, 1st overall | Regular season | 18–14 (.562) 4th East, 8th overall |
| Defeated the (4) Houston Comets, 2–0 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (1) Cleveland Rockers, 2–1 |
| Defeated the (2) Sacramento Monarchs, 2–1 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (2) New York Liberty, 2–1 |
Regular season series
The Sparks won the regular season series:
June 2 |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived October 6, 2001) |
| Los Angeles Sparks 76, Charlotte Sting 67 |
June 19 |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived December 14, 2001) |
| Charlotte Sting 69, Los Angeles Sparks 73 |
Game summaries
All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time.
Game 1
August 30 |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived October 6, 2001) |
| Los Angeles Sparks 75, Charlotte Sting 66 | ||
| Scoring by half: 35–39, 40–27 | ||
| Pts: Leslie (24) Rebs: Leslie, Milton (8) Asts: Milton (5) | Pts: Stinson (18) Rebs: Feaster (5) Asts: Stinson (5) | |
| L.A Sparks leads series, 1–0 | ||
Game 2
September 1 |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived October 31, 2001) |
| Charlotte Sting 54, Los Angeles Sparks 82 | ||
| Scoring by half: 30–38, 24–44 | ||
| Pts: Sutton-Brown (12) Rebs: Smith (8) Asts: Staley (5) | Pts: Leslie (24) Rebs: Leslie (13) Asts: Dixon (7) | |
| L.A Sparks wins WNBA Finals, 2–0 | ||
Awards
- 2001 WNBA Champion: Los Angeles Sparks
- Finals MVP: Lisa Leslie
Rosters
| 2001 Los Angeles Sparks Finals roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 Charlotte Sting Finals roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
🔥 Top keywords: Main PageSpecial:SearchIndian Premier LeagueWikipedia:Featured picturesPornhubUEFA Champions League2024 Indian Premier LeagueFallout (American TV series)Jontay PorterXXXTentacionAmar Singh ChamkilaFallout (series)Cloud seedingReal Madrid CFCleopatraRama NavamiRichard GaddDeaths in 2024Civil War (film)Shōgun (2024 miniseries)2024 Indian general electionJennifer PanO. J. SimpsonElla PurnellBaby ReindeerCaitlin ClarkLaverne CoxXXX (film series)Facebook2023–24 UEFA Champions LeagueYouTubeCandidates Tournament 2024InstagramList of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finalsJude BellinghamMichael Porter Jr.Andriy LuninCarlo AncelottiBade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024 film)