1999 WNBA Playoffs
| East champion | New York Liberty (Coach: Richie Adubato) |
|---|---|
| West champion | Houston Comets (Coach: Van Chancellor) |
→ | |
The 1999 WNBA Playoffs was the
postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 1999 season which ended with the Western Conference champion Houston Comets beating the Eastern Conference champion New York Liberty, 2-1. Cynthia Cooper was named the MVP of the Finals. The Comets completed a three-peat
.
Road to the playoffs
Eastern Conference
| Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Liberty x | 18 | 14 | .563 | 12–8 | – |
| Detroit Shock x | 15 | 17 | .469 | 12–8 | 3.0 |
| Charlotte Sting x | 15 | 17 | .469 | 12–8 | 3.0 |
| Orlando Miracle o | 15 | 17 | .469 | 9–11 | 3.0 |
| Washington Mystics o | 12 | 20 | .375 | 10–10 | 6.0 |
| Cleveland Rockers o | 7 | 25 | .219 | 5–15 | 11.0 |
Western Conference
| Western Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Comets x | 26 | 6 | .813 | 16–4 | – |
| Los Angeles Sparks x | 20 | 12 | .625 | 12–8 | 6.0 |
| Sacramento Monarchs x | 19 | 13 | .594 | 9–11 | 7.0 |
| Phoenix Mercury o | 15 | 17 | .469 | 7–13 | 11.0 |
| Minnesota Lynx o | 15 | 17 | .469 | 8–12 | 11.0 |
| Utah Starzz o | 15 | 17 | .469 | 8–12 | 11.0 |
Note:Teams with an "X" clinched playoff spots.
Playoffs
First round
Charlotte Sting vs. Detroit Shock
August 24
|
| Charlotte Sting 60, Detroit Shock 54 | ||
| Scoring by half: 22–26, 38–28 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Wendy Palmer 10 Rebs: Wendy Palmer 9 Asts: Jennifer Azzi 3 | |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 6,917 Referees: Michael Price, Bob Trammell, June Courteau |
Sacramento Monarchs vs. Los Angeles Sparks
August 24
|
| Sacramento Monarchs 58, Los Angeles Sparks 71 | ||
| Scoring by half: 32–21, 26–50 | ||
| : Ruthie Bolton-Holifield 4 | Pts: Lisa Leslie 22 Rebs: Lisa Leslie 12 Asts: Gordana Grubin 9 | |
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 8,569 Referees: Stan Gaxiola, Sally Bell, Jason Phillips |
Conference Finals
Houston Comets vs. Los Angeles Sparks
August 26
|
| Houston Comets 60, Los Angeles Sparks 75 | ||
| Scoring by half: 29–33, 31–42 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Lisa Leslie 23 Rebs: Frett, Leslie 7 each Asts: Gordana Grubin 7 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 10,099 Referees: Patty Broderick, Teresa Dahlem, Courtney Kirkland |
August 29
|
| Los Angeles Sparks 55, Houston Comets 83 | ||
| Scoring by half: 28–34, 27–49 | ||
| : Lisa Leslie 4 | Pts: Cynthia Cooper 22 Rebs: Tammy Jackson 10 Asts: Cynthia Cooper 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
August 30
|
| Los Angeles Sparks 62, Houston Comets 72 | ||
| Scoring by half: 38–35, 24–37 | ||
| : Mwadi Mabika 5 | Pts: Sheryl Swoopes 23 Rebs: Cynthia Cooper 7 Asts: Cynthia Cooper 12 | |
| Houston wins series, 2–1 | ||
New York Liberty vs. Charlotte Sting
August 27
|
| New York Liberty 67, Charlotte Sting 78 | ||
| Scoring by half: 36–33, 31–45 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Mapp, Staley, Stinson 16 each Rebs: Vicky Bullett 11 Asts: Dawn Staley 9 | |
| Charlotte leads series, 1–0 | ||
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 10,840 Referees: Sally Bell, Derek Collins, Lisa Mattingly |
August 29
|
| Charlotte Sting 70, New York Liberty 74 | ||
| Scoring by half: 29–39, 41–35 | ||
| : Andrea Stinson 4 | Pts: Teresa Weatherspoon 19 Rebs: Kym Hampton 10 Asts: Teresa Weatherspoon 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 13,510 Referees: Stan Gaxiola, Karen Wilhite, Scott Yarbrough |
August 30
|
| Charlotte Sting 54, New York Liberty 69 | ||
| Scoring by half: 26–32, 28–37 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Crystal Robinson 18 Rebs: Kym Hampton 11 Asts: Teresa Weatherspoon 11 | |
| New York wins series, 2–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 12,929 Referees: Jason Phillips, Patty Broderick, Bill Stokes |
WNBA Championship
September 2
|
| Houston Comets 73, New York Liberty 60 | ||
| Scoring by half: 29–20, 44–40 | ||
| : Cynthia Cooper 6 | Pts: Sophia Witherspoon 18 Rebs: Sue Wicks 11 Asts: Teresa Weatherspoon 10 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 17,113 Referees: Derek Collins, Gary Zielinski, Sally Bell |
September 4
|
| New York Liberty 68, Houston Comets 67 | ||
| Scoring by half: 23–37, 45–30 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Tina Thompson 15 Rebs: Swoopes, Tzekova 6 each Asts: Cynthia Cooper 6 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
September 5
|
| New York Liberty 47, Houston Comets 59 | ||
| Scoring by half: 25–33, 22–26 | ||
| 3 | Pts: Cynthia Cooper 24 Rebs: Tammy Jackson 11 Asts: Sonja Henning 2 | |
| Houston wins series, 2–1 | ||
Aftermath
The two teams would meet each other again in the
2000 WNBA Finals
.