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1998 WNBA Championship

1998 WNBA Championship
1998 WNBA Finals logo.png
Team Coach Wins
Houston Comets Van Chancellor 2
Phoenix Mercury Cheryl Miller 1
Dates August 27-September 1
MVP Cynthia Cooper (Houston Comets)
Television NBC
Referees
Game 1: Corteau, Stokes, Kennedy
Game 2: Bell, Price, Zielinski
Game 3: Corteau, Kennedy, Zielinski
Eastern Finals Phoenix defeated Cleveland 2-1
Western Finals Houston defeated Charlotte 2-0
WNBA Finals
Game 1: Corteau, Stokes, Kennedy
Game 2: Bell, Price, Zielinski
Game 3: Corteau, Kennedy, Zielinski

The 1998 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 1998 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Houston Comets, top-seeded team of the league, defeated the Phoenix Mercury, third-seeded team of the league, two games to one in a best-of-three series. This was Houston's second straight title.

The Comets made their second appearance in the Finals in two years. The Mercury appeared in the Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Going into the series, the Comets had won the only championship, being it only the second season of the league's existence.

The Comets' 27–3 record gave them home court advantage over Phoenix (19–11). The Comets lost game 1 in Phoenix, but won games 2 and 3 to take the series.

The Houston Comets won 2 of the 3 games in the regular season series:

All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time.

Jennifer Gillom's basket in the lane with 8.9 seconds left gave the Phoenix Mercury a 54-51 victory over the Houston Comets in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

Gillom, who helped set up her go-ahead shot by blocking a shot by Houston's Kim Perrot on the previous possession, finished with 15 points on just 5-of-20 shooting. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Mercury, who finished eight games behind the Comets in the Western Conference, can win the title with a victory at Houston on Saturday. Phoenix handed Houston its fourth loss all season (another also from Phoenix in the regular season).

League MVP Cynthia Cooper was a one-woman show for the Comets, finishing with 29 points. The rest of the team—which includes first-team All-WNBA choices Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson—managed to hit just 10-of-41 shots.


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