By Jonah Sharf
On August 30, 1997, the Houston Comets beat the New York Liberty 65-51 to become the first ever WNBA Champions. The Comets were led by the WNBA’s inaugural MVP Cynthia Cooper, who scored 25 points in the game and was named the Championship MVP. Cooper also led the team with four assists, while Tammy Jackson grabbed 11 rebounds. Future Hall of Famer and three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes was also on the Comets, but played just four minutes in the championship game as she was just returning from a pregnancy that kept her out for most of the season. Check out this week’s Legends of Sport Podcast with the WNBA’s first president Val Ackerman to learn more about the beginnings of the WNBA!