2012 WNBA season

2012 WNBA season
LeagueWomen's National Basketball Association
SportBasketball
DurationMay 18 – September 23, 2012
Number of games34
Number of teams12
Total attendance1,520,112
Average attendance7,452
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
Top draft pickUnited States Nneka Ogwumike
Picked byLos Angeles Sparks
Season MVPUnited States Tina Charles (Connecticut)
Eastern championsIndiana Fever[1]
  Eastern runners-upConnecticut Sun
Western championsMinnesota Lynx
  Western runners-upLos Angeles Sparks
Finals championsIndiana Fever
  Runners-upMinnesota Lynx
Finals MVPTamika Catchings (Indiana)
WNBA seasons

The 2012 WNBA season was the 16th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on May 18 and concluded on September 23 and playoffs started on September 27 and concluded on October 21.[2]

2011/2012 WNBA offseason

2012 WNBA draft

Main article: 2012 WNBA draft

The WNBA Draft lottery was held on November 10, 2011. The lottery teams were the Tulsa Shock, Minnesota Lynx (from Wash.), Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks. The top pick was awarded to Los Angeles.

The 2012 WNBA Draft was held on April 16, 2012, in Bristol, Connecticut. Coverage of the first round was shown on ESPN (HD). Second and third round coverage was shown on ESPNU and NBA TV.

Regular season

Due to the 2012 Summer Olympics, there was no All-Star Game this season as the Olympiad caused a break from mid-July through August.[3]

Standings

Eastern Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Connecticut Sun y 25 9 .735 – 12–5 13–4 18–4
Indiana Fever x 22 12 .647 3.0 13–4 9–8 15–7
Atlanta Dream x 19 15 .559 6.0 11–6 8–9 12–10
New York Liberty x 15 19 .441 10.0 9–8 6–11 10–12
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 11.0 7–10 7–10 8–14
Washington Mystics o 5 29 .147 20.0 4–13 1–16 3–19
Western Conference
W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Minnesota Lynx z 27 7 .794 – 16–1 11–6 17–5
Los Angeles Sparks x 24 10 .706 3.0 16–1 8–9 15–7
San Antonio Silver Stars x 21 13 .618 6.0 12–5 9–8 14–8
Seattle Storm x 16 18 .471 11.0 10–7 6–11 11–11
Tulsa Shock o 9 25 .265 18.0 6–11 3–14 5–17
Phoenix Mercury o 7 27 .206 20.0 3–14 4–13 4–18

Playoffs and finals

Main articles: 2012 WNBA playoffs and 2012 WNBA finals
Conference Semi-Finals
Best-of-3 		Conference Finals
Best-of-3 		WNBA Finals
Best-of-5
         
E1 Connecticut 2
E4 New York 0
E1 Connecticut 1
Eastern Conference
E2 Indiana 2
E2 Indiana 2
E3 Atlanta 1
E2 Indiana 3
W1 Minnesota 1
W1 Minnesota 2
W4 Seattle 1
W1 Minnesota 2
Western Conference
W2 Los Angeles 0
W2 Los Angeles 2
W3 San Antonio 0

Season award winners

Player of the Week award

For games
played beginning 		Eastern Conference Western Conference
Player Team Player Team
May 18, 2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
May 28, 2012 Epiphanny Prince Chicago Sky DeWanna Bonner Phoenix Mercury
June 4, 2012 Epiphanny Prince Chicago Sky Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks
June 11, 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
June 18, 2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
June 25, 2012 Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream Sophia Young San Antonio Silver Stars
July 2, 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars
July 8, 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
August 16, 2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Maya Moore Minnesota Lynx
August 20, 2012 Sancho Lyttle Atlanta Dream Kristi Toliver Los Angeles Sparks
August 27, 2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever DeWanna Bonner Phoenix Mercury
September 3, 2012 Lindsey Harding Atlanta Dream Maya Moore Minnesota Lynx
September 10, 2012 Cappie Pondexter New York Liberty Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks
September 17, 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks

Player of the Month award

For games played Eastern Conference Western Conference
Player Team Player Team
May 2012 Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
June 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
July 2012 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks
August 2012 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever Kristi Toliver Los Angeles Sparks
September 2012 Cappie Pondexter New York Liberty Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks

Rookie of the Month award

For games played Player Team
May 2012 Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks
June 2012 Samantha Prahalis Phoenix Mercury
July 2012 Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks
August 2012 Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks
September 2012 Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks

Postseason awards

Award Winner Position Team Votes/Statistic
Most Valuable Player Award Tina Charles Center Connecticut Sun 25 out of 41[4]
Finals MVP Award Tamika Catchings Forward Indiana Fever
Rookie of the Year Award Nneka Ogwumike Forward Los Angeles Sparks Unanimous
Most Improved Player Award Kristi Toliver Guard Los Angeles Sparks 24 out of 41
Defensive Player of the Year Award Tamika Catchings Forward Indiana Fever 19 out of 41
Sixth Woman of the Year Award Renee Montgomery Guard Connecticut Sun 23 out of 41
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Kara Lawson Guard Connecticut Sun 18 out of 41
Peak Performer: Points Angel McCoughtry Guard/Forward Atlanta Dream 21.4 PPG
Peak Performer: Rebounds Tina Charles Center Connecticut Sun 10.5 RPG
Peak Performer: Assists Lindsay Whalen Guard Minnesota Lynx 5.4 APG
Coach of the Year Award Carol Ross Coach Los Angeles Sparks 15 out of 41
Team Guard Guard Forward Forward Center
All-WNBA First Team Cappie Pondexter Seimone Augustus Candace Parker Tamika Catchings Tina Charles
All-WNBA Second Team Kristi Toliver Lindsay Whalen Maya Moore Sophia Young Sylvia Fowles
All-Defensive First Team Briann January Alana Beard Tamika Catchings Sancho Lyttle Sylvia Fowles
All-Defensive Second Team Danielle Robinson Armintie Price Sophia Young Candace Parker Tina Charles
All-Rookie Team Samantha Prahalis Riquna Williams Tiffany Hayes Nneka Ogwumike Glory Johnson

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

See also

References

  1. ^ East, Tony (May 23, 2022). "Sights and sounds from the Indiana Fever 2012 WNBA Championship tenth anniversary celebration". The Next. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  2. ^ Siegal, Rachel Margolis (May 16, 2012). "ESPN Unveils 12-Game Regular-Schedule for the 2012 WNBA Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Voepel, Mechelle (July 19, 2014). "Phoenix is center of WNBA universe". ABC News. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "Tina Charles Named 2012 WNBA Most Valuable Player of the Year". WNBA. September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2024.