The Most Successful WNBA Teams in League History

Seattle Storm

Championships: 4
Playoff appearances: 20

The Storm were founded in 2000 and have made the playoffs in 20 of 26 WNBA seasons, securing four championships, tied for the most in league history.

Seattle captured its first title in 2004, and won again in 2010, 2018 and 2020. That last title is often overlooked, having taken place in Bradenton, Florida at the IMG Academy in "The Wubble," a protected environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the team played its final season at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, and it secured the first-ever Commissioner's Cup, topping the Connecticut Sun in the title game. For the 2022 season, the Storm moved to the much larger Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

When you think Seattle Storm basketball, the first players who come to mind should be Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. Jackson played for the franchise from 2001-12, while Bird starred from 2002-22. Both players' jerseys are retired.

Minnesota Lynx

Championships: 4
Playoff appearances: 16

The Lynx were denied a WNBA record fifth championship by the Liberty last fall. Minnesota is tied with the now-defunct Houston Comets (1997-2000) and Seattle Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020) with four championships.

Minnesota has appeared in the WNBA Finals more than any other organization, winning four of seven trips.

The Lynx played their first WNBA game in April 1999, coming into the league at the same time as the long-gone Orlando Miracle.

Teresa Edwards was one of the biggest early stars, playing for the team in 2003-04. She was indicated into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2013. The organization also has five retired numbers: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen. Current star Napheesa Collier might one day join that list of honorees.

Houston Comets

Championships: 4
Playoff appearances: 9

The Comets were an original WNBA franchise, and sister club of the NBA's Houston Rockets. And, they ended up winning the first-ever WNBA title in 1997, one of four WNBA Championships. Like the Seattle Storm (above), Houston is the only franchise which is unbeaten in the WNBA Finals, going 4-0.

Houston actually won four consecutive titles from 1997 through 2000, while no other organization has won more than two consecutive championships.

The Comets, led by head coach Van Chancellor, are best known for early superstars such as Cynthia Cooper and the late Kim Perrot, the organization's two retired numbers. Michelle Snow, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson also spent time in the Space City during the dynasty seasons.

Los Angeles Sparks

Championships: 3
Playoff appearances: 20

The Sparks are another one of the cornerstone franchises of the WNBA, founded in 1997. The logo consists of a palm tree logo with the basketball in the middle, and colors matching the very popular Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.

It didn't take long for the Sparks to get to the top of the heap. Under the leadership of head coach Michael Cooper and superstar Lisa Leslie, the Sparks made headlines in the early 2000s. The team won its first championship in 2001, sweeping the now-defunct Charlotte Sting. It clinched a second consecutive title in 2002, and Leslie turned heads by becoming the first player with a dunk in a WNBA game.

Leslie is an eight-time first-team All-WNBA player and All-Star, and her No. 9 was retired by the organization. She is far from the only star in franchise history, though. Candace Parker's No. 3 jersey is retired, as is Penny Toler's No. 11.

The organization secured a third WNBA championship in 2016 and returned to the WNBA Finals in 2017, falling to the Lynx. It has since fallen on hard times, but with a core of players such as Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, Kelsey Plum and Azura Stevens, things are looking up again in SoCal.

Phoenix Mercury

Championships: 3
Playoff appearances: 19

The Mercury, like the Sparks, have three WNBA championships. The first title came in 2007, while the second championship occurred in 2009.

Led by Brittney Griner, Phoenix won the title again in 2014. The Mercury rocketed to a 29-5 record in that championship season, culminating in a sweep of the Chicago Sky.

Diana Taurasi was the Finals MVP that season, and she and Griner are perhaps the most notable players in franchise history. Taurasi was drafted out of UConn in 2004, and she spent her entire WNBA career with the Mercury while also playing overseas in the offseason from 2005-17.

The organization has four retired numbers (Jennifer Gillom, Bridget Pettis, Penny Taylor and Michele Timms), and it's almost a certainty Griner and Taurasi will join those jerseys in the rafters at PHX Arena one day.

Phoenix has a new "Big Three" of Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, ready to lead the franchise into the future.

Dallas Wings

Championships: 3 (as the Detroit Shock)
Playoff appearances: 14 (includes Detroit, Tulsa)

The Wings have not yet appeared in the WNBA Finals, at least since the organization has moved to the Metroplex, but they have had past success elsewhere. The future is bright for the Wings franchise, too.

Dallas has three championships, although they came in 2003, 2006 and 2008, when the franchise was known as the Detroit Shock. After a brief relocation to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the team rebranded as the Wings in 2016. In 2025, the team used the No. 1 overall pick to select Paige Bueckers as the face of the franchise.

Las Vegas Aces

Championships: 2
Playoff appearances: 16 (includes Utah, San Antonio)

The Aces organization was founded back in 1997 as the Utah Starzz, playing in the Beehive State until 2002 before relocating to become the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2003. The organization remained in Texas through 2017, changing its name to the Stars in 2014. In 2018, the team relocated to its current home on the Strip.

The Aces play at Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. In 2021, the franchise was purchased by Mark Davis and his mother, Carol, owners of the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL. Since then, the organization has reached new heights.

The Davis family saw immediate returns on its investment. The team hired Becky Hammon as the head coach in December 2021, and she led the team to back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023, the same year former NFL quarterback Tom Brady became a minority owner of the team.

Hammon finished what former head coach Bill Laimbeer built in his tenure from 2018-21. The team reached the WNBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Storm. The Aces have made it to at least the semifinals round of the playoffs in each of the past six seasons heading into the 2025 postseason.

A'ja Wilson is the team's superstar, and she might be the best player in the WNBA, pairing with Jackie Young to give the team one of the best combos in the league.

New York Liberty

Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 20

The Liberty have made the WNBA Finals on six occasions, the second-most appearances of any franchise. However, it wasn't until 2024 that the organization finally could call itself WNBA champions after heartbreak in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2023.

Still, when casual fans think about the WNBA, they might think back to the days of Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Witherspoon, pioneers of the fledgling women's league in the 1990s, and they might be in disbelief that those teams never hoisted a trophy. It's a bit mind-boggling that New York has made the playoffs in 19 of its 28 seasons as a franchise yet has just one championship.

The current assortment of stars such as Leonie Fiebich, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart will forever be remembered for bringing the organization its first-ever title.

Indiana Fever

Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 15

Founded in 2000, the Fever have made the playoffs in 15 of their 26 seasons. However, Indiana's popularity soared upon the drafting of superstar Caitlin Clark in 2024.

Clark brought eyeballs to television sets during her time at the University of Iowa, and a whole new generation of basketball fans to women's college basketball and now women's professional basketball. Her popularity has changed the way the WNBA is viewed, and the newfound popularity of the league, thanks in large part to Clark, is a reason it will expand to 18 teams.

The Fever won a WNBA championship back in 2012, losing in the WNBA Finals in both 2009 and 2015.

Indiana's franchise history is littered with great players, including Tamika Catchings, Yolanda Griffith, Nikki McCray-Penson, Natalie Williams and Kara Wolters. Catchings is the only player in franchise history to have her jersey (No. 24) retired.

Washington Mystics

Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 15

The Mystics were founded in 1998 but didn't have much success through 2012. In fact, the team made it to just one conference finals in that period, losing in 2002 to the Liberty.

There were some good seasons from 2017-2023 with Della Donne in the frontcourt, including a WNBA Finals loss to Seattle in 2018 and the organization's first-ever championship in 2019 after an epic five-game series against Connecticut.

The team hasn't been past the first round of the playoffs since that title, however, missing the playoffs in two of the past four seasons, including 2025. But Washington has new building blocks such as Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Jacy Sheldon, who are capable of taking this organization to the next level.

Chicago Sky

Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 9

The Sky were founded in 2005 and play at Wintrust Arena.

One of the team's earliest stars came as a result of the 2008 WNBA Draft, as Sylvia Fowles joined the ranks.

The Sky's best run came from 2013 to 2016, as Elena Della Donne took the organization to new heights. The Sky appeared in the WNBA Finals in 2014, led by Della Donne and local product Allie Quigley, losing to the Mercury. In 2015, the organization went out and invested in Cappie Pondexter, another Chicagoland native.

The Sky had some tough seasons from 2017-18, but they re-emerged as a championship contender in 2019 thanks to the likes of Diamond DeShields, Katie Lou Samuelson and Gabby Williams. Courney Vandersloot was also a vital part of the team's core.

The most notable success came in 2021, with the Sky topping the Mercury in four games for the organization's first-ever WNBA title. Kahleah Copper earned WNBA Finals MVP honors.

The lean years have returned to the Windy City in recent seasons, but the drafting of star Angel Reese and frontcourt sensation Kamilla Cardoso gives the organization two tremendous building blocks.

Sacramento Monarchs

Championships: 1
Playoff appearances: 9

The Monarchs were another one of the WNBA's eight original organizations, and they might be the owners of one of the more forgotten championships.

Sacramento was very competitive from the jump, as stars Ruthie Bolton and Yolanda Griffith helped build success in California's capital city. In 2004, the Monarchs came up short in the Conference Finals against the Seattle Storm. However, in 2005, they ended up winning a title under head coach John Whisenant, topping the Connecticut Sun in four games.

In 2006, the Monarchs returned to the WNBA Finals, but they were upended by the Detroit Shock in a decisive Game 5. After that, the Monarchs tumbled, and the owners of the NBA's Sacramento Kings had no interest in operating the organization. There were attempts to relocate the organization to Oakland, California, but a deal was never reached, and eventually the team was dissolved in 2009, the last WNBA team to cease operations.

Connecticut Sun

Championships: 0
Playoff appearances: 17 (includes Orlando)

The Sun was originally founded in 1999 as the Orlando Miracle before relocating to Connecticut in 2003. It was purchased by the Mohegan Tribe, becoming the first franchise to be owned by a Native American tribe. The team plays its games at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Sun have made the postseason in 16 of their 23 seasons, appearing in four WNBA Finals. However, they have yet to hoist a trophy.

The Sun's honored numbers include FIBA Hall of Famer Margo Dydek, Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales and Lindsay Whalen.

The team is going through a rebuilding mode, missing the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2016.

Atlanta Dream

Championships: 0
Playoff appearances: 11

Founded in 2008, the Dream plays their home games at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

Atlanta has had some big-name players come through its doors, including Chamique Holdsclaw, Angel McCoughtry and Sancho Lyttle.

The organization has been to three WNBA Finals, but like Connecticut, it is still waiting on its first championship.

The team added veteran Brittney Griner in 2025, pairing her with Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Brionna Jones. The future is bright with rookie Te-Hina Paopao, too, and that first-ever title could be just around the corner.

Charlotte Sting

Championships: 0
Playoff appearances: 6

The Sting were a team which played at Charlotte Coliseum, then the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, and they were one of eight original WNBA organizations.

The Sting never won a WNBA championship, but they certainly came close. Legendary University of South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley played with the Sting. They surprised in the playoffs, ousting the Detroit Shock, before falling in the Conference Finals to the New York Liberty.

In 2001, the Sting surprised the Cleveland Rockers, the No. 1 seed, then they exacted revenge on the Liberty, the No. 2 seed. However, the Cinderella run ended in the WNBA Finals, as the Sparks ended up sweeping the Sting. It was the only WNBA Finals appearance, and things went downhill from there. There was nearly a move of the team to Kansas City, but that never materialized, and the organization officially folded in January 2007.