Eastern Conference
LeagueWNBA
SportBasketball
First season1997
No. of teams6
Most recent
champion(s)		Indiana Fever (2015)
Most titlesDetroit Shock (4)

The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.[1]

From the league's second season in 1998 through 2015, the WNBA operated separate playoff brackets for its Eastern and Western Conferences. Each conference's playoff was divided into two playoff rounds, the Conference Semi-Finals and the Conference Finals, with the Conference Finals winners receiving Conference Championships and advancing to the WNBA Finals to determine the WNBA champion. In the final years of this playoff scheme, all in-conference playoff series were best-of-three.

Since 2016, the league has abandoned separate conference playoffs in favor of a single league-wide playoff bracket. The top eight teams in the regular season, without regard to conference affiliation, advance to the playoffs, which are seeded based strictly on regular-season record (with tiebreakers as needed). The bottom four playoff teams play single-elimination games (5 vs. 8, 6 vs. 7) in the first round, with the higher seeds (5 and 6) hosting the games. The first-round winners advance to the second round, where they play the 3 and 4 seeds in single-elimination games. The 3 seed hosts the lower seed among the first-round winners, with the 4 seed hosting the other first-round survivor. The winners of these games advance to the WNBA Semifinals, where they face the top two seeds in best-of-five series. In this round, the 1 seed plays the lower seed among the second-round winners, and the 2 seed plays the other second-round winner. Both series are best-of-five and played in a 2–2–1 format, with the higher seeds (1 and 2) hosting the first two games plus a possible fifth game. The winners of these series advance to the best-of-five WNBA Finals.

Teams

Team City/Area Arena Colors Joined WNBA Head coach
Atlanta Dream College Park, Georgia Gateway Center Arena Sky blue, red, white 2008 Tanisha Wright
Chicago Sky Chicago, Illinois Wintrust Arena Sky blue, yellow, white 2006 James Wade
Connecticut Sun Uncasville, Connecticut Mohegan Sun Arena Navy blue, red, gold, white 1999* Curt Miller
Indiana Fever Indianapolis, Indiana Hinkle Fieldhouse[a] Navy blue, gold, red, white 2000 Carlos Knox
New York Liberty Brooklyn, New York Barclays Center Black, green, orange, white 1997 Sandy Brondello
Washington Mystics Washington, D.C. Entertainment and Sports Arena Navy, gray, white, red 1998 Mike Thibault
  1. ^ Temporary home during renovation of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Former teams

Defunct

Changed to Western Conference

Relocated

Eastern Conference champions

The WNBA awarded conference championships between 1998 and 2015 to the winners of the Conference Finals in the playoffs. Conference championships were not awarded in the 1997 inaugural season, and they were again discontinued since the WNBA adopted its current single-table playoff format in 2016.

WNBA champions in bold

All-time regular-season conference standings

2023 season

# Team
W L PCT GB Conf. Home Road Cup
1 x – Las Vegas Aces 34 6 .850 – 18–2 19–1 15–5 9–1
2 x – New York Liberty 32 8 .800 2 16–4 15–5 17–3 7–3
3 x – Connecticut Sun 27 13 .675 7 14–6 13–7 14–6 7–3
4 x – Dallas Wings 22 18 .550 12 11–9 11–9 11–9 6–4
5 x – Atlanta Dream 19 21 .475 15 11–9 11–9 8–12 6–4
6 x – Minnesota Lynx 19 21 .475 15 12–8 9–11 10–10 5–5
7 x – Washington Mystics 19 21 .475 15 9–11 12–8 7–13 5–5
8 x – Chicago Sky 18 22 .450 16 5–15 7–13 11–9 3–7
9 e – Los Angeles Sparks 17 23 .425 17 9–11 10–10 7–13 5–5
10 e – Indiana Fever 13 27 .325 21 5–15 6–14 7–13 2–8
11 e – Seattle Storm 11 29 .275 23 8–12 4–16 7–13 4–6
12 e – Phoenix Mercury 9 31 .225 25 2–18 8–12 1–19 1–9

Notes

(#) – League Standing
x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from postseason contention
Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings

2022 season

#
Team
 W L PCT GB Conf. Home Road Cup
1 x – Las Vegas Aces 26 10 .722 – 15–3 13–5 13–5 9–1
2 x – Chicago Sky 26 10 .722 – 15–3 14–4 12–6 9–1
3 x – Connecticut Sun 25 11 .694 1.0 11–7 13–5 12–6 5–5
4 x – Seattle Storm 22 14 .611 4.0 10–8 13–5 9–9 6–4
5 x – Washington Mystics 22 14 .611 4.0 11–7 12–6 10–8 5–5
6 x – Dallas Wings 18 18 .500 8.0 8–10 8–10 10–8 5–5
7 x – New York Liberty 16 20 .444 10.0 10–8 9–9 7–11 6–4
8 x – Phoenix Mercury 15 21 .417 11.0 7–11 11–7 4–14 3–7
9 e – Minnesota Lynx 14 22 .389 12.0 8–10 7–11 7–11 4–6
10 e – Atlanta Dream 14 22 .389 12.0 5–13 8–10 6–12 3–7
11 e – Los Angeles Sparks 13 23 .361 13.0 6–12 7–11 6–12 3–7
12 e – Indiana Fever 5 31 .139 21.0 2–16 3–15 2–16 2–8

Notes

(#) – League Standing
x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from playoff contention
Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings

2021 season

# Team W L PCT GB Conf. Home Road Cup
1 x – Connecticut Sun 26 6 .813 – 12–3 15–1 11–5 9–1
2 x – Las Vegas Aces 24 8 .750 2 11–4 13–3 11–5 6–4
3 x – Minnesota Lynx 22 10 .688 4 10–5 13–3 9–7 7–3
4 x – Seattle Storm 21 11 .656 5 9–6 11–5 10–6 8–2
5 x – Phoenix Mercury 19 13 .594 7 6–9 7–9 12–4 5–5
6 x – Chicago Sky 16 16 .500 10 10–5 6–10 10–6 6–4
7 x – Dallas Wings 14 18 .438 12 7–8 7–9 7–9 3–7
8 x – New York Liberty 12 20 .375 14 6–9 7–9 5–11 5–5
9 e – Washington Mystics 12 20 .375 14 7–8 8–8 4–12 4–6
10 e – Los Angeles Sparks 12 20 .375 14 2–13 8–8 4–12 1–9
11 e – Atlanta Dream 8 24 .250 18 6–9 4–12 4–12 4–6
12 e – Indiana Fever 6 26 .188 20 4–11 4–12 2–14 2–8

Notes

(#) – League Standing
x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from playoff contention
Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings


2020 season

# Team W L PCT GB Conf.
1 x – Las Vegas Aces 18 4 .818 – 8–2
2 x – Seattle Storm 18 4 .818 – 8–2
3 x – Los Angeles Sparks 15 7 .682 3 5–5
4 x – Minnesota Lynx 14 8 .636 4 4–6
5 x – Phoenix Mercury 13 9 .591 5 4–6
6 x – Chicago Sky 12 10 .545 6 6–4
7 x – Connecticut Sun 10 12 .455 8 7–3
8 x – Washington Mystics 9 13 .409 9 6–4
9 e – Dallas Wings 8 14 .364 10 1–9
10 e – Atlanta Dream 7 15 .318 11 5–5
11 e – Indiana Fever 6 16 .273 12 4–6
12 e – New York Liberty 2 20 .091 16 2–8

Notes

x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from playoffs
Home and Away records not shown, as all games played at a neutral location.
Updated to include results from September 13, 2020
Source


2019 season

# Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
1 Washington Mystics (1) 26 8 .765 – 14–3 12–5 13–3
2 Connecticut Sun (2) 23 11 .676 3 15–2 8–9 11–5
3 Chicago Sky (5) 20 14 .588 6 12–5 8–9 11–5
4 e –Indiana Fever 13 21 .382 13 7–10 6–11 7–9
5 e –New York Liberty 10 24 .294 16 4–13 6–11 3–13
6 e –Atlanta Dream 8 26 .235 18 5–12 3–14 3–13

Notes

(#) – Conference Standing, Playoff Seeds shown to the right of team name
e – Eliminated from playoffs

2018 season

# Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
1 Atlanta Dream (2) 23 11 .676 – 13–4 10–7 12–4
2 Washington Mystics (3) 22 12 .647 1 12–5 10–7 12–4
3 Connecticut Sun (4) 21 13 .618 2 13–4 8–9 9–7
4 e – Chicago Sky 13 21 .382 10 7–10 6–11 6–10
5 e – New York Liberty 7 27 .206 16 4–13 3–14 6–10
6 e – Indiana Fever 6 28 .176 17 2–15 4–13 3–13

Notes

(#) – Conference Standing, Playoff Seeds shown to the right of team name
x – Clinched Playoff Berth
e – Eliminated from playoffs

2017 season

# Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
1 New York Liberty - (3) 22 12 .647 - 13–4 9–8 10–6
2 Connecticut Sun - (4) 21 13 .636 1 12–5 9–6 10–6
3 Washington Mystics - (6) 18 16 .529 4 11–6 7–10 12-4
4 Chicago Sky - e 12 22 .353 10 4–13 8–9 6–10
5 Atlanta Dream - e 12 22 .353 10 9–8 3–14 5–11
6 Indiana Fever - e 9 25 .265 13 6–11 3–14 4–12

Notes

(#) – Conference Standing
Playoff Seeds shown next to team name
e – Eliminated from playoffs

2016 season

Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
3 - New York Liberty 21 13 .618 - 10-7 11-6 11-5
4 - Chicago Sky 18 16 .529 3 11-6 7-10 8-8
5 - Indiana Fever 17 17 .500 4 8-9 9-8 8-8
6 - Atlanta Dream 17 17 .500 4 11-6 6–11 9-7
e - Connecticut Sun 14 20 .412 7 8-9 6-11 4-12
e - Washington Mystics 13 21 .382 8 5-12 8-9 8-8

Notes

# – Playoff seed
e – Eliminated from playoffs

2015 season

Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
x - New York Liberty 23 11 .676 – 12–5 11–6 13–9
x - Chicago Sky 21 13 .618 2 13–4 8–9 14–8
x - Indiana Fever 20 14 .588 3 11–6 9–8 13–9
x - Washington Mystics 18 16 .529 5 11–6 7–10 10–12
e - Atlanta Dream 15 19 .441 8 9–8 6–11 10–12
e - Connecticut Sun 15 19 .441 8 8–9 7–10 6–16

Notes

x – Clinched playoff spot
e – Eliminated from playoffs

2014 season

# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB GP
1 y- Atlanta Dream 19 15 .559 - 34
2 x- Indiana Fever 16 18 .471 3.0 34
3 x-Washington Mystics 16 18 .471 3.0 34
4 x-Chicago Sky 15 19 .441 4.0 34
5 e-New York Liberty 15 19 .441 4.0 34
6 e-Connecticut Sun 13 21 .382 6.0 34

2013 season

# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB GP
1 z-Chicago Sky 24 10 .706 - 34
2 x-Atlanta Dream 17 17 .500 7 34
3 x-Washington Mystics 17 17 .500 7 34
4 x-Indiana Fever 16 18 .471 8 34
5 e-New York Liberty 11 23 .324 13 34
6 e-Connecticut Sun 10 24 .294 14 34

2012 season

Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Connecticut Sun y 25 9 .735 – 12–5 13–4 18–4
Indiana Fever x 22 12 .647 3.0 13–4 9–8 15–7
Atlanta Dream x 19 15 .559 6.0 11–6 8–9 12–10
New York Liberty x 15 19 .441 10.0 9–8 6–11 10–12
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 11.0 7–10 7–10 8–14
Washington Mystics o 5 29 .147 20.0 4–13 1–16 3–19

2011 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Indiana Fever x 21 13 .618 – 13–4 8–9 13–9
Connecticut Sun x 21 13 .618 – 15–2 6–11 14–8
Atlanta Dream x 20 14 .588 1.0 11–6 9–8 14–8
New York Liberty x 19 15 .559 2.0 12-5 7–10 11–11
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 7.0 10–7 4–13 10–12
Washington Mystics o 6 28 .176 15.0 4–13 2–15 4–18

2010 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Washington Mystics x 22 12 .647 – 13–4 9–8 13–9
New York Liberty x 22 12 .647 – 13–4 9–8 14–8
Indiana Fever x 21 13 .618 1.0 13–4 8–9 13–9
Atlanta Dream x 19 15 .559 3.0 10–7 9–8 10–12
Connecticut Sun o 17 17 .500 5.0 12–5 5–12 9–13
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 8.0 7–10 7–10 7–15

2009 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Indiana Fever x 22 12 .647 – 14–3 8–9 17–5
Atlanta Dream x 18 16 .529 4.0 12–5 6–11 10–12
Detroit Shock x 18 16 .529 4.0 11–6 7–10 11–11
Washington Mystics x 16 18 .471 6.0 11–6 5–12 10–12
Chicago Sky o 16 18 .471 6.0 12–5 4–13 10–12
Connecticut Sun o 16 18 .471 6.0 12–5 4–13 9–12
New York Liberty o 13 21 .382 9.0 8–9 5–12 8–13

2008 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x 22 12 .647 – 14–3 8–9 16–4
Connecticut Sun x 21 13 .618 1.0 13–4 8–9 13–7
New York Liberty x 19 15 .559 3.0 11–6 8–9 11–9
Indiana Fever x 17 17 .500 5.0 11–6 6–11 12–8
Chicago Sky o 12 22 .353 10.0 8–9 4–13 10–10
Washington Mystics o 10 24 .294 12.0 6–11 4–13 6–14
Atlanta Dream o 4 30 .118 18.0 1–16 3–14 2–18

2007 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x 24 10 .706 – 12–5 12–5 14–6
Indiana Fever x 21 13 .618 3.0 12–5 9–8 12–8
Connecticut Sun x 18 16 .529 6.0 8–9 10–7 10–10
New York Liberty x 16 18 .471 8.0 10–7 6–11 10–10
Washington Mystics o 16 18 .471 8.0 8–9 8–9 8–12
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 10.0 6–11 8–9 6–14

2006 season

Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
z - Connecticut Sun 26 8 .765 – 14–3 12–5 15–5
x - Detroit Shock 23 11 .676 3.0 14–3 9–8 14–6
x - Indiana Fever 21 13 .618 5.0 12–5 9–8 12–8
x - Washington Mystics 18 16 .529 8.0 13–4 5–12 12–8
e - New York Liberty 11 23 .324 15.0 7–10 4–13 7–13
e - Charlotte Sting 11 23 .324 15.0 7–10 4–3 6–14
e - Chicago Sky 5 29 .147 21.0 3–14 2–15 4–16

2005 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Connecticut Sun x 26 8 .765 – 14–3 12–5 13–7
Indiana Fever x 21 13 .618 5.0 14–3 7–10 14–6
New York Liberty x 18 16 .529 8.0 10–7 8–9 9–11
Detroit Shock x 16 18 .471 10.0 12–5 4–13 11–9
Washington Mystics o 16 18 .471 10.0 10–7 6–11 9–11
Charlotte Sting o 6 28 .176 20.0 5–12 1–16 4–16

2004 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Connecticut Sun x 18 16 .529 – 10–7 8–9 14–6
New York Liberty x 18 16 .529 – 11–6 7–10 10–10
Detroit Shock x 17 17 .500 1.0 8–9 9–8 11–9
Washington Mystics x 17 17 .500 1.0 11–6 6–11 9–11
Charlotte Sting o 16 18 .471 2.0 10–7 6–11 8–12
Indiana Fever o 15 19 .441 3.0 10–7 5–12 8–12

2003 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x 25 9 .735 – 13–4 12–5 18–6
Charlotte Sting x 18 16 .529 7.0 13–4 5–12 12–12
Connecticut Sun x 18 16 .529 7.0 10–7 8–9 11–13
Cleveland Rockers x 17 17 .500 8.0 11–6 6–11 13–11
Indiana Fever o 16 18 .471 9.0 11–6 5–12 12–12
New York Liberty o 16 18 .471 9.0 11–6 5–12 11–13
Washington Mystics o 9 25 .265 16.0 3–14 6–11 7–17

2002 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT Conf. GB
New York Liberty x 18 14 .563 11–10 –
Charlotte Sting x 18 14 .563 12–9 –
Washington Mystics x 17 15 .531 12–9 1.0
Indiana Fever x 16 16 .500 12–9 2.0
Orlando Miracle o 16 16 .500 13–8 2.0
Miami Sol o 15 17 .469 11–10 3.0
Cleveland Rockers o 10 22 .312 7–14 8.0
Detroit Shock o 9 23 .281 6–15 9.0

2001 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT Conf. GB
Cleveland Rockers x 22 10 .688 15–6 –
New York Liberty x 21 11 .656 13–8 1.0
Miami Sol x 20 12 .625 14–7 2.0
Charlotte Sting x 18 14 .563 15–6 4.0
Orlando Miracle o 13 19 .406 9–12 9.0
Indiana Fever o 10 22 .313 7–14 12.0
Detroit Shock o 10 22 .313 7–14 12.0
Washington Mystics o 10 22 .313 4–17 12.0

2000 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT Conf. GB
New York Liberty x 20 12 .625 14–7 –
Cleveland Rockers x 17 15 .531 13–8 3.0
Orlando Miracle x 16 16 .500 13–8 4.0
Washington Mystics x 14 18 .438 13–8 6.0
Detroit Shock o 14 18 .438 10–11 6.0
Miami Sol o 13 19 .406 9–12 7.0
Indiana Fever o 9 23 .281 7–14 11.0
Charlotte Sting o 8 24 .250 5–16 12.0

1999 season

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

1998 season

Eastern Conference W L PCT Conf. GB
Cleveland Rockers x 20 10 .667 12–4 –
Charlotte Sting x 18 12 .600 11–5 2.0
New York Liberty o 18 12 .600 8–8 2.0
Detroit Shock o 17 13 .567 8–8 3.0
Washington Mystics o 3 27 .100 1–15 17.0

1997 season

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

References

  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions: WNBA".
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