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The 1997 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 1997 season which ended with the Houston Comets beating the New York Liberty, 1-0 (65-51). Cynthia Cooper was named the MVP of the Finals. This was the first year of WNBA playoffs.
| Dates | August 28–30, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Houston Comets (Finals Champion) |
| East champion | New York Liberty (Coach: Nancy Darsch) |
| West champion | Houston Comets (Coach: Van Chancellor) |
Eastern Conference
| Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Comets x | 18 | 10 | .643 | 6–6 | – |
| New York Liberty x | 17 | 11 | .607 | 8–4 | 1.0 |
| Charlotte Sting x | 15 | 13 | .536 | 5–7 | 3.0 |
| Cleveland Rockers o | 15 | 13 | .536 | 5–7 | 3.0 |
Western Conference
| Western Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Mercury x | 16 | 12 | .571 | 9–3 | – |
| Los Angeles Sparks o | 14 | 14 | .500 | 8–4 | 2.0 |
| Sacramento Monarchs o | 10 | 18 | .357 | 4–8 | 6.0 |
| Utah Starzz o | 7 | 21 | .250 | 3–9 | 9.0 |
Note: Teams with an "X" clinched playoff spots.
Format
- The four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four.
- Each round of the playoffs was a single elimination game.
Bracket
| Semi-Finals Single game | WNBA Championship Single game | ||||||||
| 1 | Houston | 70 | |||||||
| 4 | Charlotte | 54 | |||||||
| 1 | Houston | 65 | |||||||
| 2 | New York | 51 | |||||||
| 2 | New York | 59 | |||||||
| 3 | Phoenix | 41 | |||||||
- Bold – Game winner
Semifinals
Charlotte Sting vs. Houston Comets
August 28 |
| Charlotte Sting 54, Houston Comets 70 | ||
| Scoring by half: 33–29, 21–41 | ||
| Pts: Congreaves, Mapp 12 each Rebs: Vicky Bullett 9 Asts: Rhonda Mapp 5 |
Pts: Cynthia Cooper 31 Rebs: Tina Thompson 12 Asts: Cynthia Cooper 5 | |
New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury
August 28 |
| New York Liberty 59, Phoenix Mercury 41 | ||
| Scoring by half: 23–18, 36–23 | ||
| Pts: Rebecca Lobo 16 Rebs: Kym Hampton 14 Asts: Teresa Weatherspoon 5 |
Pts: Gillom, Askamp 9 each Rebs: Jennifer Gillom 7 Asts: Webb, Pettis 2 each | |
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 16,751 Referees: Bob Trammel, June Courteau, Violet Palmer |
August 30 |
| New York Liberty 51, Houston Comets 65 | ||
| Scoring by half: 24–28, 27–37 | ||
| Pts: Kym Hampton 13 Rebs: Kym Hampton 13 Asts: Teresa Weatherspoon 5 |
Pts: Cynthia Cooper 25 Rebs: Tammy Jackson 11 Asts: Cynthia Cooper 4 | |
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