Women's National Basketball Association (2002)
2001
2003



Lisa Leslie - MVP of the All-Star Game (Photo: USA Today)

Lisa Leslie - finals MVP (Photo: Reuters)
In 2002, the WNBA players association threatened to strike the next season if a new deal was not worked out between players and the league. The result was a delay in the start of the 2003 preseason.
 
 Los Angeles Sparks - WNBA Champions 2002
 Head Coach: Michael Cooper
 * Lisa Leslie
 * Mwadi Mabika
 * Tamecka Dixon
 * Delisha Milton
 * Nikki Teasley
 Latasha Byears
 Erika Desouza
 Sophia Witherspoon
 Nicky Mccrimmon
 Marlies Askamp
 Vedrana Grgin Fonse
 
 WNBA Finals 2002:
 Game 1: Los Angeles 71, New York 63
 Game 2: Los Angeles 69, New York 66
 
 WNBA Awards 2002:
 WNBA Most Valuable Player: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
 WNBA Finals MVP: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
 WNBA Rookie of the Year: Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
 WNBA Most Improved Player: Coco Miller, Washington Mystics
 WNBA Coach of the Year: Marianne Stanley, Washington Mystics
 WNBA Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Winners: Jennifer Gillom, Phoenix Mercury
 All-WNBA 1st Team:
 Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
 Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
 Tamika Catchings, Indiana
 Sue Bird, Seattle
 Mwadi Mabika, Los Angeles
 All-WNBA 2nd Team:
 Tina Thompson, Houston
 Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington
 Tari Phillips, New York
 Shannon Johnson, Orlando
 Katie Smith, Minnesota
 
 WNBA All-Star Game 2002
 July 15, 2002 MCI Center (Washington) West 81 East 76 19,487
 
 East
 Tamika Catchings
 Andrea Stinson
 Tari Phillips
 Teresa Weatherspoon
 Dawn Staley
 Nykesha Sales
 Sheri Sam
 Shannon Johnson
 Tammy Sutton-Brown
 Penny Taylor
 Stacey Dales-Schuman
 Chamique Holdsclaw (DNP-injury)
 West
 Sheryl Swoopes
 Tina Thompson
 Lisa Leslie
 Ticha Penicheiro
 Sue Bird
 Katie Smith
 Tamecka Dixon
 Lauren Jackson
 Adrienne Goodson
 Mwadi Mabika
 Marie Ferdinand
 
 2002 Draft:
 First Round
 1. Seattle Storm Sue Bird G Connecticut
 2. Detroit Shock Swin Cash F Connecticut
 3. Washington Mystics Stacey Dales-Schuman G Oklahoma
 4. Washington Mystics (from Indiana) Asjha Jones F/C Connecticut
 5. Portland Fire Nikki Teasley (traded to Los Angeles) G North Carolina
 6. Minnesota Lynx Tamika Williams F Connecticut
 7. Charlotte Sting (from Orlando) Sheila Lambert G Baylor
 8. Cleveland Rockers (from Phoenix) Deanna Jackson F UAB
 9. Charlotte Sting Shaunzinski Gortman G South Carolina
 10. Houston Comets Michelle Snow C Tennessee
 11. Utah Starzz Danielle Crockrom F Baylor
 12. Sacramento Monarchs Hamchetou Maiga G/F Old Dominion
 13. Indiana Fever (from Phoenix via Miami) Tawana McDonald C Georgia
 14. Utah Starzz (from New York) LaNeishea Caufield G Oklahoma
 15. Miami Sol (from Phoenix via Cleveland) Tamara Moore G Wisconsin
 16. Los Angeles Sparks Rosalind Ross G Oklahoma

 Second round
 17. Indiana Fever (from Washington) Zuzi Klimesova F Vanderbilt
 18. Detroit Shock Lenae Williams G/F DePaul
 19. Seattle Storm Lucienne Berthieu C/F Old Dominion
 20. Detroit Shock (from Indiana) Ayana Walker F Louisiana Tech
 21. Detroit Shock (from Portland) Jill Chapman C Indiana
 22. Detroit Shock (from Minnesota) Kathy Wambe G Belgium
 23. Orlando Miracle Davalyn Cunningham F Rutgers
 24. Cleveland Rockers (from Phoenix) Brandi McCain G Florida
 25. Phoenix Mercury (from Charlotte) Tootie Shaw F Wichita State
 26. New York Liberty (from Houston) Linda Frohlich F UNLV
 27. Utah Starzz Andrea Gardner F/C Howard
 28. Seattle Storm (from Sacramento) Felicia Ragland G Oregon State
 29. Miami Sol Lindsey Yamasaki G/F Stanford
 30. Los Angeles Sparks (from New York) Gergana Slavtcheva (traded to Portland) G Florida International
 31. Cleveland Rockers Angie Welle C Iowa State
 32. Los Angeles Sparks Jackie Higgins F/C North Carolina

 Third round
 33. Washington Mystics LaNisha Cartwell C Alabama
 34. Indiana Fever (from Detroit) Kelly Komara G Purdue
 35. Seattle Storm Takeisha Lewis F/C Louisiana Tech
 36. Washington Mystics (from Indiana) Teresa Geter F/C South Carolina
 37. Portland Fire Mandy Nightingale G Colorado
 38. Minnesota Lynx Lindsey Meder G Iowa
 39. Orlando Miracle Saundra Jackson C Mississippi
 40. Phoenix Mercury Kayte Christensen F UC-Santa Barbara
 41. Charlotte Sting Edniesha Curry G Oregon
 42. Houston Comets Shondra Johnson G Alabama
 43. Utah Starzz Edmarie Lumbsley C Mobile
 44. Sacramento Monarchs Alayne Ingram G Michigan
 45. Miami Sol Jerica Watson F Iowa
 46. New York Liberty Tracy Gahan G Iowa State
 47. Detroit Shock (from Cleveland) Ericka Haney G/F Notre Dame
 48. Los Angeles Sparks Rashana Barnes F Penn State
 
 Fourth round
 49. Indiana Fever (from Washington) LaKeisha Taylor C Arizona
 50. Portland Fire (from Detroit) Melody Johnson C Arizona State
 51. Sacramento Monarchs (from Seattle) Jermisha Dosty C St. Mary's College
 52. Indiana Fever Jillian Danker G/F Vanderbilt
 53. Portland Fire Monique Cardenas G Florida
 54. Minnesota Lynx Sharron Francis G Old Dominion
 55. Orlando Miracle Tomeka Brown G Ohio State
 56. Phoenix Mercury Amba Kongolo F/C North Carolina Central
 57. Charlotte Sting Jessie Stomski F Wisconsin
 58. Houston Comets Cori Enghusen C Stanford
 59. Utah Starzz Jaclyn Winfield G Southern
 60. Sacramento Monarchs Elizabeth Pickney F Arizona
 61. Miami Sol Jerkisha Dosty F St. Mary's College
 62. New York Liberty Deedee Warley F Maryland
 63. Cleveland Rockers Marche Strickland G Maryland
 64. Los Angeles Sparks Tiffany Thompson G/F Old Dominion