# 2005 WNBA season

The 2005 WNBA Season was the Women's National Basketball Association's ninth season. The season ended with the Sacramento Monarchs winning their first WNBA Championship.

## Regular season standings

Eastern Conference
| 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 |
Western Conference
| Western Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
| Sacramento Monarchs $^x$ | 25 | 9 | .735 | – | 15–2 | 10–7 | 17–5 |
| Seattle Storm $^x$ | 20 | 14 | .588 | 5.0 | 14–3 | 6–11 | 13–9 |
| Houston Comets $^x$ | 19 | 15 | .559 | 6.0 | 11–6 | 8–9 | 11–11 |
| Los Angeles Sparks $^x$ | 17 | 17 | .500 | 8.0 | 11–6 | 6–11 | 12–10 |
| Phoenix Mercury $^o$ | 16 | 18 | .471 | 9.0 | 11–6 | 5–12 | 12–10 |
| Minnesota Lynx $^o$ | 14 | 20 | .412 | 11.0 | 11–6 | 3–14 | 9–13 |
| San Antonio Silver Stars $^o$ | 7 | 27 | .206 | 18.0 | 5–12 | 2–15 | 3–19 |

## Season award winners

| Award | Winner | Team |
| WNBA Finals MVP Award | Yolanda Griffith | Sacramento Monarchs |
| WNBA Most Valuable Player Award | Sheryl Swoopes | Houston Comets |
| WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award | Tamika Catchings | Indiana Fever |
| WNBA Most Improved Player Award | Nicole Powell | Sacramento Monarchs |
| WNBA Peak Performer | Sheryl Swoopes | Houston Comets |
| WNBA Peak Performer | Cheryl Ford | Detroit Shock |
| WNBA Rookie of the Year Award | Temeka Johnson | Washington Mystics |
| Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award | Taj McWilliams-Franklin | Connecticut Sun |
| WNBA Coach of the Year Award | John Whisenant | Sacramento Monarchs |

## Playoffs

| First Round Best of 3 | First Round Best of 3 | First Round Best of 3 | Conference Finals Best of 3 | Conference Finals Best of 3 | Conference Finals Best of 3 | WNBA Finals Best of 5 | WNBA Finals Best of 5 | WNBA Finals Best of 5 |
| E1 | Connecticut | 2 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Detroit | 0 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Detroit | 0 | E1 | Connecticut | 2 | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Connecticut | 2 | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Indiana | 0 | | | |
| E2 | Indiana | 2 | E2 | Indiana | 0 | | | |
| E3 | New York | 0 | | | | | | |
| E3 | New York | 0 | | | | E1 | Connecticut | 1 |
| | | | | | | W1 | Sacramento | 3 |
| W1 | Sacramento | 2 | | | | | | | W1 | Sacramento | 3 |
| W4 | Los Angeles | 0 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Los Angeles | 0 | W1 | Sacramento | 2 | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Sacramento | 2 | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | Houston | 0 | | | |
| W2 | Seattle | 1 | W3 | Houston | 0 | | | |
| W3 | Houston | 2 | | | | | | |

## 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: Pat Coyle
* Washington Mystics: Richie Adubato

### Western Conference

* Houston Comets: Van Chancellor
* Los Angeles Sparks: Henry Bibby and Joe Bryant
* Minnesota Lynx: Suzie McConnell Serio
* Phoenix Mercury: Carrie Graf
* Sacramento Monarchs: John Whisenant
* San Antonio Silver Stars: Dan Hughes
* Seattle Storm: Anne Donovan