A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, or ability.
64-485: Gymnastics World Championships refers to a number of different world championships for each of the disciplines in competitive gymnastics . The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) organizes World Championships for six disciplines: acrobatic gymnastics , aerobic gymnastics , artistic gymnastics , parkour , rhythmic gymnastics , as well as trampoline and tumbling . The International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics (IFAGG) organizes World Championships for
128-420: A 'world champion', who or which is commonly considered the best nation, team, individual (or other entity) in the world in a particular field, although the vagaries of sport ensure that the competitor recognised at the best in an event is not always the 'world champion' (see Underdog ). This may also be known as a world cup competition , for example cycling ( UCI World Championships and UCI World Cups ). Often,
192-513: A 66-game regular season following the lockout. Many news outlets began covering the league more frequently. NBA TV , the television home of the NBA scheduled over 70 regular-season games to be televised (along with a dozen more on ESPN2 and ABC ). The new influx of young talent into the league gave many teams something to be excited about. Players like Candace Parker of the Sparks , Maya Moore of
256-659: A faster pace. As a league, the 2010 average of 80.35 points per game was the best, far surpassing the 69.2 average in the league's inaugural season . On October 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma , to become the Tulsa Shock . On November 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners,
320-466: A milestone as the first team-oriented women's professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary, the WNBA released its All-Decade Team , comprising the ten WNBA players who had contributed, through on-court play and off-court activities, the most to women's basketball during the league's existence. After not making it to the Finals in 2004 and 2005,
384-619: A new CBA to take effect with the 2020 season and running through 2027. Among the features of the new agreement were: Also in January 2020, the WNBA announced a new in-season tournament, the Commissioner's Cup , which would begin with the 2020 season. Each team was scheduled to play 10 Cup games during the season: specifically, the first home and road games against each team in its conference. The final Cup games were to be played in July, with
448-659: A worst-to-first turnaround with the Shock finishing the season 25–9 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. After winning the first two rounds of the Playoffs, the Shock faced two-time champion, Los Angeles Sparks , and Lisa Leslie in the 2003 Finals . The Shock defeated the Sparks , winning Game Three on a three-pointer by Deanna Nolan . After the 2003 season , the Cleveland Rockers , one of
512-644: Is a women's professional basketball league based in the United States and will include 13 teams as of the 2025 season. It is considered as the premier professional women's basketball league in the world. The league was founded on April 24, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA). League play began in 1997. The regular season runs from May to September, with each team playing 44 games. The top eight teams (regardless of conference) qualify for
576-424: Is decided by a "title match", not a tournament. In a title match system, the championship can only be won by directly defeating the incumbent, who in turn must continue to compete to retain their title or risk forfeiture . Still other competitions, most commonly in professional sports , may or may not have a true world championship but may designate the winners of a domestic competition to be "world champions". This
640-557: Is especially true of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada ; world cups and championships exist in all four of the major sports, but the domestic U.S. and Canadian leagues are generally known as the world professional championships (due to the best players worldwide being in the league itself) (as with the Stanley Cup , ostensibly an independent championship for ice hockey but under
704-658: The 2001 WNBA season was the Los Angeles Sparks . Led by Lisa Leslie , the Sparks posted a regular-season record of 28–4 . They advanced to their first WNBA Finals and swept the Charlotte Sting . Looking to repeat in 2002, the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason, going 25–7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper , who formerly for the Los Angeles Lakers . Again, Leslie dominated her opponents throughout
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#1732772926988768-524: The Charlotte Bobcats organization announced it would no longer operate the Charlotte Sting . Soon after, the WNBA announced that the Sting would not operate for 2007. A dispersal draft was held on January 8, 2007. Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records with Chicago receiving the first pick. Former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach, Paul Westhead , was named head coach of
832-746: The Connecticut Sun 67–100. Paul Westhead resigned from the Mercury after capturing the 2007 title and Penny Taylor opted to stay home to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics , causing the Mercury to falter in 2008. The team posted a 16–18 record and became the first team in WNBA history to miss the Playoffs after winning the championship in the previous season. In their place, the Detroit Shock won their third championship under coach Bill Laimbeer , solidifying their place in WNBA history before Laimbeer resigned early in 2009, effectively ending
896-523: The Finals , the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22,076 fans in game five to claim their first-ever WNBA title. In October 2007, the WNBA awarded another expansion franchise to Atlanta . Atlanta businessman Ron Terwilliger was the original owner of the new team. Citizens of Atlanta were voted for their choice of the new team's nickname and colors. The Dream , as they were named, played their first regular-season game on May 17, losing to
960-693: The Lynx , DeWanna Bonner of the Mercury , Angel McCoughtry of the Dream , Sylvia Fowles of the Sky , Tina Charles of the Sun , and Liz Cambage of the Shock brought a new level of excitement to the game, adding talent to the teams of young veterans such as Diana Taurasi , Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter . The level of play seemed to be evidenced by higher scoring, better defense, and higher shooting percentages. By
1024-649: The Maloof family , who were also the owners of the Sacramento Kings at the time. The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay area ; however, no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009. The 2010 season saw a tight race in the East , with three teams being tied for first place on the final day of the regular season. Five of
1088-792: The National Football League , is commonly nicknamed as the world champion by the players, the press and fans alike; the NFL itself explicitly marketed the contest as a world championship in its first iterations. Winners of the Major League Baseball 's World Series are also commonly called world champions. Outside of the Big Four leagues, winners of the Women's National Basketball Association , much like its men's counterpart , commonly call themselves world champions, as with
1152-956: The New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles . The Liberty defeated the Sparks 67-57. A crowd of 14,284 attended the game at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California . The game was televised nationally in the United States on the NBC television network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals in with NBC ( NBA rights holder), the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN , and Lifetime Television Network. Penny Toler scored
1216-527: The Phoenix Mercury on October 11, 2005, bringing his up-tempo style of play to the WNBA. This fast-paced offense was perfect for his team, especially after the league shortened the shot clock from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in 2006. Much like the early Houston Comets championship teams, the Phoenix Mercury had risen to prominence led by their own "Big Three" of Cappie Pondexter , Diana Taurasi , and Penny Taylor . The Mercury were well-suited for
1280-528: The Shock bounced back in 2006 behind newly acquired Katie Smith , along with six remaining members from their 2003 Finals run ( Cash , Ford , Holland-Corn , Nolan , Powell , and Riley ). The Shock finished second in the Eastern Conference and knocked out first-seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs. The Shock faced reigning champion Sacramento Monarchs in a five-game series, winning in Game Five on their home floor. In December 2006,
1344-640: The Shock dynasty. During the 2008 regular season, the first-ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71–55 in front of over 19,000 fans. Late in 2008, the WNBA took over ownership of one of the league's original franchises, the Houston Comets . The Comets ceased operations on December 1, 2008, after no owners for
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#17327729269881408-743: The Tulsa Shock moved in 2016 to the Dallas–Fort Worth region in Texas and were renamed the Dallas Wings , and in 2018 the San Antonio Stars went to Nevada , becoming the Las Vegas Aces . During the 2018 season, the WNBA players' union opted out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, which ended after the 2019 season. In January 2020, the league and union announced that they had reached an agreement on
1472-484: The de facto control of the National Hockey League through two trustees who since no later than 1947 have been NHL loyalists) or the equivalent of a world club championship. In American football , although an IFAF World Championship exists, the United States is so far above and beyond the other nations it faces that the winner of the U.S.-based Super Bowl , a competition limited to the 32 teams in
1536-594: The national governing body for basketball in the United States. The league's headquarters are located in New York, NY . The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996, and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo , Lisa Leslie , and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance. The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League , another professional women's basketball league that began play in
1600-525: The 2003 preseason and the 2003 WNBA draft . As a result of the strike, the league received negative publicity. Former Detroit Pistons forward, Bill Laimbeer , took over the Detroit Shock in 2002 as head coach and general manager. He had high hopes for the Detroit Shock , despite the team having gone just 9–23 its previous season. Three Shock members made it the 2003 All-Star Game ( Swin Cash , Cheryl Ford , and Deanna Nolan ) and Laimbeer orchestrated
1664-504: The Bradenton complex, and all games and practices took place there. Players had until June 25 to let their teams know whether they planned to participate. On March 15, 2021, an announcement was made that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo, basketball, and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called "Count It". As part of the campaign, the league unveiled The W25 , consisting of 25 players determined to be
1728-599: The Olympic Games, though each year ITF (International Tennis Federation) designates a World Champion based on performances throughout the year). There are some sports that already had a 'world championship' in the 18th or 19th century, although it was variable how 'world-wide' these competitions really were. The French player Clergé is considered to be the first international champion in real tennis , since 1740. In chess , international matches have been held for centuries, often resulting in certain players considered
1792-485: The Playoffs, leading the Sparks to a perfect 6–0 record, beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals . Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002 , when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party as a result of the dot-com bubble . This led to two teams moving: Utah moved to San Antonio , and Orlando moved to Connecticut and became
1856-585: The Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League , would be Ackerman 's successor as of April 2005 . The WNBA awarded an expansion team to Chicago (later named the Sky ) in February 2006 . In the off-season, a set of rule changes was approved that made the WNBA more like the NBA. In 2006, the league reached
1920-444: The United States (a distinction held by the defunct WBL ), the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA . The WNBA logo, "Logo Woman", paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs. On the heels of a much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games , the WNBA began its first season on June 21, 1997. The first WNBA game featured
1984-528: The bench in June and fellow rookie Danielle Robinson had a 36-point game in September. Atlanta Dream forward, Angel McCoughtry , was the first player in league history to average over 20 points per game (21.6ppg) while playing under 30 minutes per game (27.9mpg). McCoughtry led her team to the Finals for the second straight year, but despite breaking her own Finals scoring record, the Dream were swept for
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2048-532: The best of all, with the first multiplayer tournament held in London in 1851 , but Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886 was the first chess player generally recognized as the world chess champion . Other sports with early 'world championships' were English draughts (1840) and speed skating . The following lists for the various sports with a world championship include: Women%27s National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA )
2112-601: The end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another. On the court, the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years, defeating the Atlanta Dream in the Finals and becoming the first team to sweep the playoff series since the Seattle Storm . The promotion of Griner , Delle Donne , and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent, and half of the teams ended
2176-544: The end of it. We expect to keep growing the league." In 1999, the league's chief competition, the American Basketball League (ABL), declared bankruptcy. Many of the ABL's star players, including several Olympic gold medalists (such as Nikki McCray and Dawn Staley ) and a number of standout college performers (including Kate Starbird and Jennifer Rizzotti ), joined the rosters of WNBA teams, enhancing
2240-605: The end of the 2011 regular season , nine of the twelve teams in the league had increased attendance over their 2010 averages . Connecticut Sun center, Tina Charles , set a league record for double-doubles in a season with 23. Also, Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky became only the second player in WNBA history to finish a season averaging at least 20 points (20.0ppg) and 10 rebounds (10.2rpg) per game. The San Antonio Silver Stars experienced boosts from their young players as well; rookie Danielle Adams scored 32 points off
2304-474: The fall of 1996, but would cease operation during its 1998–99 season. The WNBA began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting , Cleveland Rockers , Houston Comets , and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks , Phoenix Mercury , Sacramento Monarchs , and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference. While not the first major women's professional basketball league in
2368-445: The fast offense driven by their three stars. Phoenix averaged a league-record 88.97 points per game in 2007. Other teams could not keep up with their new style of play, and the Mercury were propelled into first place in the Western Conference. Facing the reigning champions, the Detroit Shock , the Mercury imposed their high-scoring offense with hopes of capturing their first title in franchise history. Averaging 93.2 points per game in
2432-403: The first WNBA championship game. The initial "We Got Next" advertisement ran before each season until it was replaced with a "We Got Game" campaign. Two teams were added in 1998 ( Detroit and Washington ), and two more in 1999 ( Orlando and Minnesota ), bringing the total number of teams in the league up to 12. The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and
2496-459: The first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise. This sale of teams also led to two teams folding, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire , because new owners could not be found . The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) threatened to strike in 2003 if a new deal was not worked out between players and the league. The result was a delay in the start of
2560-565: The first two rounds to advance to the Finals in only the third year of the team's existence. After the 2010 season, President Orender announced she would be resigning from her position as of December 31. On April 21, 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that former Girl Scouts of the USA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Laurel J. Richie , would assume duties as president on May 16, 2011. The 2011 season began with strong publicity brought on by
2624-416: The franchise could be found. A dispersal draft took place on December 8, 2008, with the first pick, Sancho Lyttle , taken by the Atlanta Dream . After an unsatisfying conclusion in 2008, the Mercury looked to bounce back to championship caliber. New head coach Corey Gaines implemented Paul Westhead 's style of play, and the Mercury averaged 92.82 points per game throughout the 2009 season. Helped by
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2688-446: The league's first point. The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo , Lisa Leslie , and Sheryl Swoopes . In the league's first season, Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks underperformed and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy. Perhaps the WNBA's first star was MVP Cynthia Cooper , Swoopes' teammate on the Houston Comets . The Comets defeated Lobo's New York Liberty in
2752-406: The league's greatest and most influential, as chosen by a panel of media and pioneering women's players. The delayed launch of the Commissioner's Cup was officially announced on May 12, 2021, two days before the start of the regular season. The originally planned schedule, with the first home game and first road game of each team against each of its fellow conference members doubling as Cup games,
2816-605: The league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes , Tina Thompson , and Cynthia Cooper (who won the Finals MVP for all four championships), the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor , the team posted a 98–24 record their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs ). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league, and the Comets ' dynasty came to an end. The top contender in
2880-414: The league's original eight teams, folded because its owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise . Val Ackerman , the first WNBA president, resigned effective February 1, 2005, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. Ackerman later became president of USA Basketball . On February 15, 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender , who had been serving as
2944-538: The league, marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women's professional sports . That year, the WNBA also announced that it would add four more teams for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever , the Seattle Storm , the Miami Sol , and the Portland Fire ), bringing the league up to 16 teams. WNBA President Val Ackerman discussed expansion by saying, "This won't be
3008-468: The most thrilling games in WNBA history in game one of the series (Phoenix winning in overtime, 120–116). The Mercury beat the Fever in game five, this time on their home court, capturing their second WNBA championship. Not only did Paul Westhead 's system influence his Mercury team, but it created a domino effect throughout the league. Young athletic players were capable of scoring more and playing at
3072-582: The overall quality of play in the league . When a lockout resulted in an abbreviated NBA season, the WNBA saw faltering TV viewership . On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden . Before this invitation, only men's sports teams had traveled to the White House . At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since
3136-640: The playoffs, culminating in the WNBA Finals , which is played in October. The All-Star Game occurs midway through the season in July (except in Olympic years). The league hosts an annual mid-season competition, the Commissioner's Cup , the dates of which vary from year to year. The WNBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as
3200-402: The return of Penny Taylor , the Mercury once again locked up first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals . The championship series was a battle of contrasting styles as the Mercury (number one league offense, 92.82 points per game) had to face the Indiana Fever (number three league defense, 73.55 points per game). The series went five games, including arguably one of
3264-443: The rising young stars of the league and the NBA lockout. The 2011 NBA lockout began on July 1, 2011. Unlike the previous lockout, which affected the WNBA, president Laurel J. Richie confirmed that this lockout would not affect the WNBA. If the NBA season was shortened or canceled, the 2012 WNBA season (including the WNBA teams still owned by NBA owners) would run as planned. The lockout ended on November 26, and NBA teams would play
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#17327729269883328-471: The season profitable. The improved health of the league was on display after the season, when the Los Angeles Sparks ' ownership group folded; it took the league only a few weeks to line up Guggenheim Partners to purchase the team, and the franchise also garnered interest from the ownership of the Golden State Warriors . Two more franchise relocations happened in the following years, as
3392-415: The second straight year, this time by the Minnesota Lynx , which won its first title behind a fully healthy Seimone Augustus . 2012 featured a long Olympic break. The Indiana Fever won that year's WNBA championship. The much-publicized 2013 WNBA draft produced Baylor University star Brittney Griner , Delaware's Elena Delle Donne , and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins (now Diggins-Smith) as
3456-529: The six teams in the East were in first place at some point during the season. The East held a .681 winning percentage over the West , its highest ever. In the 2010 Finals , two new teams represented each conference: the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream . Seattle made their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2004 , and Atlanta, coming into the playoffs as a four seed, impressively swept its opponents in
3520-573: The sport of aesthetic group gymnastics . Last updated on November 17, 2024. Next championships: 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships , August 20–24, 2025. World championships The title is usually awarded through a combination of specific contests or, less commonly, ranking systems (e.g. the ICC Test Championship ), or a combination of the two (e.g. World Triathlon Championships in Triathlon ). This determines
3584-689: The top team in the Cup standings from each conference advancing to a one-off Cup final in August. The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a month-long break in July and August to allow players to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics . The 2020 games were postponed until 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , rendering the break unnecessary. On April 3, 2020, the WNBA announced that the beginning of its own schedule would be postponed. The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it
3648-443: The top three picks. The draft was the first to be televised in primetime on ESPN . Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins were thus labeled "The Three To See." With the draft came other standouts such as Tayler Hill , Layshia Clarendon and Alex Bentley . The retirement of legends Katie Smith , Tina Thompson , Ticha Penicheiro , and Sheryl Swoopes coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked
3712-415: The tournament to include the champion from other continents - from the AFC Champions League ( Asia and Australia ), CAF Champions League ( Africa ), CONCACAF Champions League ( North America and Caribbean ) and OFC Champions League ( Oceania ) and created the FIFA Club World Cup . The first edition in 2000 ran concurrently with the 2000 Intercontinental Cup , and in 2004 the Intercontinental Cup
3776-444: The use of the term cup or championship in this sense is just a choice of words. Some sports have multiple champions because of multiple organizations, such as boxing, mixed martial arts and wrestling. Certain competitive exercises do not have a world championship or a world cup as such, but may have one or several world champions. Professional boxing , for example, has several world champions at different weights , but each one of them
3840-477: The winners of the National Lacrosse League and Drum Corps International . On the other hand, association football (soccer) has more parity between national leagues and even continental tournaments has seen the birth of one true "world championship". The first such tournament was the Football World Championship disputed from 1876 to 1904 between the winners of the FA Cup and Scottish Cup . After that, there have been many tournaments between teams from around
3904-423: The world, but it wasn't until 1960 when the Intercontinental Cup was established, competed between the winners two greatest and most important continental championships: the UEFA Champions League from Europe and CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores from South America, the cup was endorsed by both UEFA and CONMEBOL but had no involvement from FIFA , the governing body for world football. As such, FIFA wanted to expand
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#17327729269883968-404: Was done remotely. No details of the revised schedule were announced as of the time of the draft, and the Commissioner's Cup was ultimately not held in 2020. In June 2020, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for the league to have a 22-game regular season, and a traditional playoff format, to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida . The players were housed at
4032-415: Was maintained. All Cup games within each conference were played before the league took its Olympic break after July 11. The Cup final, officially termed the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, involves the conference leaders in the Cup standings; its first edition was held on August 12 as the league's first game after the Olympic break, and was streamed via Amazon Prime Video . A prize pool of $ 500,000
4096-401: Was merged with the CCW, which has been ongoing since 2005 with yearly editions. Finally, certain competitions do not have a world championship or world cup, but rather hold a series of events recognised as the elite level in their field (e.g. tennis and golf have a series of four Grand Slam events recognised as the pinnacle of the game, in addition to key team events, world tour finals and
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