The 2004 WNBA season was the Women's National Basketball Association's eighth season. The league had one fewer team than in 2003 as the Cleveland Rockers folded after the 2003 season. The season ended with the Seattle Storm winning their first WNBA Championship, as their head coach Anne Donovan became the first female coach to win a WNBA championship.
Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft
On January 6, 2004, the Cleveland Rockers dispersal draft was held. This draft reassigned players from the Cleveland Rockers who folded after the end of 2003 WNBA season. The remaining thirteen teams in the WNBA each selected one player from the 2003 Rockers roster in the one-round draft. Teams drafted in inverse order of their 2003 regular season finish.
The top four picks were: PickPlayerNationalityNew Team 1 Penny Taylor Phoenix Mercury 2 Chasity Melvin Washington Mystics 3 LaToya Thomas San Antonio Silver Stars 4 Ann Wauters New York Liberty
Regular season Standings Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Playoffs
Awards Reference:
Individual Award Winner Team Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Finals MVP Betty Lennox Seattle Storm Defensive Player of the Year Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Most Improved Player(co-winners) Kelly Miller Indiana Fever Wendy Palmer Connecticut Sun Peak PerformersScoring Lauren Jackson Seattle StormRebounding Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Teresa Edwards Minnesota Lynx Coach of the Year Suzie McConnell Serio Minnesota Lynx
Team Award Player Team All-WNBA First Team Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm Tina Thompson Houston Comets Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury Sue Bird Seattle Storm Second Team Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Swin Cash Detroit Shock Yolanda Griffith Sacramento Monarchs Nikki Teasley Los Angeles Sparks Nykesha Sales Connecticut Sun
Players of the Week Week endingPlayerTeamMay 30Tina ThompsonHouston CometsJune 6Tamika CatchingsIndiana FeverJune 13Swin CashDetroit ShockJune 20Tamika Catchings (2)Indiana FeverJune 27Nykesha SalesConnecticut SunJuly 4Anna DeForgePhoenix MercuryJuly 11Swin Cash (2)Detroit ShockJuly 18Lauren JacksonSeattle StormJuly 25Lauren Jackson (2)Seattle StormAugust 1Tina Thompson (2)Houston CometsSeptember 7Lisa LeslieLos Angeles SparksSeptember 13Alana BeardWashington MysticsSeptember 20Adrienne GoodsonSan Antonio Silver Stars
Coaches Eastern Conference Charlotte Sting: Trudi Lacey and Tyrone Bogues Connecticut Sun: Mike Thibault Detroit Shock: Bill Laimbeer Indiana Fever: Brian Winters New York Liberty: Richie Adubato and Pat Coyle Washington Mystics: Michael Adams
Western Conference Houston Comets: Van Chancellor Los Angeles Sparks: Michael Cooper, Karleen Thompson and Ryan Weisenberg Minnesota Lynx: Suzie McConnell Serio Phoenix Mercury: Carrie Graf Sacramento Monarchs: John Whisenant San Antonio Silver Stars: Dee Brown and Shell Dailey Seattle Storm: Anne Donovan
References
External links 2004 WNBA Final Standings