The WNBA had three promising rookies:
Brittney Griner of the
Phoenix Mercury,
Elena Delle Donne of the
Chicago Sky, and
Skylar Diggins of the
Tulsa Shock as "three to see" going into the 2013 season. Griner, a 6’8” center who had been dominant in college, was seen as such a potential game-changer that many picked the Mercury to win the WNBA championship. It was Delle Donne, however, who turned out to have the breakout season, leading the Sky to the best record in the
Eastern Conference, and their first trip to the
playoffs. Griner was slowed by injuries, but her Phoenix team finished third in the
West, and made it to the conference finals. The
Minnesota Lynx finished with the best record in the WNBA for the third consecutive season, behind the play of
Seimone Augustus,
Lindsay Whalen, and
Maya Moore. Joining the Sky in the playoffs were the defending WNBA champion
Indiana Fever, who finished fourth after surviving a rash of injuries during the season; the
Atlanta Dream, led by league scoring champion
Angel McCoughtry; and the
Washington Mystics, who were hoping to win their first playoff game since 2004. The
Los Angeles Sparks finished second in the West, behind the play of league MVP
Candace Parker. They lost to Phoenix in the conference semifinals. Finally, the
Seattle Storm surprised many by earning the final entry into the playoffs, allowing veteran and future hall-of-famer
Tina Thompson to retire from a playoff team.
Standings ==Playoffs==