Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the premier women's professional basketball league. It is composed of 12 teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA), and league play started in 1997. The regular season is played from May to September, with the All Star game being played midway through the season in July and the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October.
Sheryl Swoopes, the first player signed (shown in 2008)
Lisa Leslie of the Sparks
Bill Laimbeer
Diana Taurasi of the Mercury
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.
Bill Russell defending against Wilt Chamberlain in 1966.
Michael Jordan became the league's most popular player during the 1990s, while leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships.
Tim Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships between 1999 and 2014.
Kobe Bryant defending LeBron James in a February 2016 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers
