The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Salt Lake City . They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams.
106-534: One of the eight original WNBA teams, the Starzz, which was partially named after the old ABA team. Utah Jazz ownership was not interested in keeping the Starzz, and without new owners the team would have folded. No local ownership was found, so in 2002, the Starzz announced their intentions to move out of Salt Lake City . On December 5, 2002, the Utah Starzz was bought by Spurs Sports & Entertainment, and it
212-513: 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
318-472: A congregation of over 12,000, purchased the Great Western Forum at the end of 2000 and began holding church services there on Sunday mornings. Unlike Houston 's Lakewood Church , which converted the former Summit into their church, Faithful Central representatives said that they never intended to convert the arena for religious purposes; in 2009, the church discontinued their regular use of
424-659: 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,
530-435: A fundraiser for George McGovern's presidential campaign . Although ticket prices ranged from $ 5.50 to $ 100 and the event grossed $ 300,000, after expenses were deducted McGovern's campaign received only $ 18,000. During her set, Streisand asked the audience to choose between "Second Hand Rose" and " Stoney End " for her next song; the latter was the overwhelming choice. Her performance was recorded and released as Live Concert at
636-587: A hockey team at the Arena, the Western Hockey League 's Los Angeles Blades . The Commission told Cooke that if he won the franchise, he would not be allowed to use the facility. In response, Cooke planned to build a new arena in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood . Nearly 30 years later, Cooke told Los Angeles Times sportswriter Steve Springer that he remembered "one official representing
742-466: 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,
848-619: 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
954-663: A photo session atop the Forum in a silver lamé bodysuit with large, silver-lamé wings. On December 10, 1981, Devo performed at the Forum during their New Traditionalists tour. In April 1982, the Forum was the site of the " Miracle on Manchester ", in which the Kings overcame a 5–0 deficit in a first-round Stanley Cup playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers to win 6–5 in overtime. With additional upset wins in Games 1 and 5 of
1060-659: 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
1166-644: 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
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#17327720109381272-597: Is provided for the Cup, with players on the winning team guaranteed a minimum bonus of $ 30,000 and those of the losing team guaranteed $ 10,000, with the championship game MVP receiving an extra $ 5,000. Great Western Forum The Kia Forum , also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum , is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California , United States, adjacent to Los Angeles . Located on West Manchester Boulevard , with Pincay Drive to
1378-658: 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
1484-556: The Big West Conference (from 1983 to 1988) and 1989 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournaments. The venue also hosted tennis and boxing matches, as well as major music concerts and political events. In 2000, the Forum was acquired by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which used it for occasional church services and leased it for sporting events, concerts, and other events. In 2012,
1590-524: 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
1696-746: 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
1802-523: 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
1908-687: The Golden State Warriors to celebrate the team's 50th season in Los Angeles; the Lakers lost, 110–91. In 2011, Prince began a 21-show run at the Forum. After acquiring the arena in June 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company announced plans for a $ 50 million renovation. The City of Inglewood made an $ 18 million commercial-rehabilitation loan, contingent on MSG's $ 50 million investment. The arena
2014-604: The Great Western Forum , and was nicknamed "the Fabulous Forum" by long-time Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn . It is also known informally as the LA Forum to distinguish it from other places with the name "Forum". On the site of a former golf course, the "fabulous" Forum (as it was colloquially known to locals) was built in 1967 by Jack Kent Cooke (owner of the Lakers and founding owner of
2120-693: 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
2226-649: 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
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#17327720109382332-463: The New York Knicks ' second and most recent championship was also clinched in a Game 5 at the same venue the following season . Cream played two shows during the band's farewell tour, on October 18–19, 1968, with Deep Purple as the opening act. The band's show of October 19 produced the live tracks on their farewell LP, Goodbye . Deep Purple also recorded their part of the show, which
2438-830: 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
2544-527: 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
2650-528: 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,
2756-640: 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
2862-743: 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
2968-585: The WNBA 's Los Angeles Sparks until they moved to Crypto.com Arena as well. Alongside Madison Square Garden in New York City , the Forum was once one of the best-known indoor sports venues in the U.S., largely due to the Lakers' success and the Hollywood celebrities often seen there. It was the site of the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Games , the 1981 NHL All-Star Game , 1984 Olympic basketball , and
3074-588: The World Team Tennis league played home matches at the Forum from 1975 to 1978, led on the court by Chris Evert . The team was owned by Los Angeles businessman Jerry Buss . The Forum hosted several boxing fights, most notably the second Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton on September 10, 1973. Several events featured Latin American fighters like José Nápoles , Chucho Castillo , Rubén Olivares , Carlos Zárate Serna and Alfonso Zamora . In 1979, Cooke sold
3180-657: 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
3286-525: 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
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3392-515: The Beast " was included on the documentary Iron Maiden: Flight 666 . In May and June 2009, Michael Jackson rehearsed at the Forum for his This Is It concert series in London. After Jackson died on June 25, 2009 , footage of these rehearsals and those at Staples Center became part of Michael Jackson's This Is It . On October 9, 2009, the Lakers returned to the Forum for a preseason game against
3498-504: 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
3604-508: The Dixie Chicks) played at the Forum on October 8, 2016, as part of their DCX MMXVI World Tour . The performance was filmed and later released on DVD. The Forum was the venue of the 2015 , 2016 and 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards . In addition, the Forum hosted the 2016, 2017, and 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards , 2016 American Country Countdown Awards and the 2016 and 2018 Teen Choice Awards . Juan Gabriel performed
3710-827: The Dream of the Blue Turtles Tour on June 6, 1986, and the Nothing Like the Sun Tour on March 21 and 22, 1988. Genesis played five consecutive sold out concerts at the Forum from October 13 to 17, 1986, during the first leg of their Invisible Touch Tour . On September 30, 1987, former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters played the Forum on the US leg of his Radio K.A.O.S (tour) . Iron Maiden performed on July 12, 1988. Rock bands AC/DC and Cinderella performed on November 13, 1988. Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez fought at
3816-562: The Eagles – Live in Concert tour on January 15, 17, 18, 22, 24 and 25, 2014. On March 15–16, the Forum hosted the men's freestyle wrestling World Cup . On May 17, 2014, the Forum hosted its first boxing card since 2001. Mexican Juan Manuel Márquez defeated Mike Alvarado for the WBO international welterweight championship, for the right to challenge world champion Manny Pacquiao . The event
3922-710: The Forum . Bob Dylan 's live album Before the Flood with The Band was compiled from songs performed at the Forum over the course of three shows on February 13 and 14, 1974. The only song on the album not recorded at the Forum was " Knockin' on Heaven's Door ", which was recorded in New York City. Jethro Tull played five sold-out shows in a seven-day stretch in 1975, here at The Forum. The dates were February 3+4, 8–10. Kiss had their debut there in 1976 on February 23 for two consecutive nights, three days after getting their footprints outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and played three more consecutive nights shows
4028-408: The Forum . On November 14, 1970, Elvis Presley played afternoon and evening shows, with 18,700 and 18,698 paid admissions. He returned for two more sold-out shows on May 11, 1974, with 18,500 paid admissions each. The Osmonds performed two shows on December 4, 1971, which were recorded and released as The Osmonds Live . Barbra Streisand performed on April 15, 1972, during Four for McGovern ,
4134-526: The Forum during their vaunted Spring 1977 tour, as well as three-night runs in February and December 1989. Between 1970 and 1977, Led Zeppelin performed 16 times at the Forum, including a run of six sold-out dates in 1977. Part of their live album, How the West Was Won , was recorded at the arena. The band's first 1977 show is the source of the bootleg Listen to This Eddie . Another bootleg from
4240-520: The Forum for services. During the Faithful Central ownership, the arena was available for concerts, sporting events and other activities requiring a large venue. It was owned by the church's for-profit entity, Forum Enterprises, which accommodated secular and pop-music artists. The church influenced the approval of performers, however; in 2005 and 2009 the Forum refused to allow performances by heavy metal band Lamb of God , whose former name
4346-611: The Forum shows, For Badgeholders Only , contains one of the last live performances by Keith Moon on drums, with his surprise performance there. The Jackson 5 performed numerous times at the Forum between 1970 and 1981. The 1970 show broke attendance records, with 18,675 paid admissions and a gross income of $ 105,000 (when the Jackson 5 had released two albums and three singles). By 1972, they had released seven albums on Motown , in addition to Michael and Jermaine Jackson 's solo albums. Both shows were recorded and released as Live at
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4452-777: The Forum was an 8–1 preseason win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on September 20, 1999. As the Staples Center had not yet opened, the Kings played their remaining preseason home games at the San Diego Sports Arena and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas . The Lakers' 118–107 playoff loss to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on May 23, 1999, was their last postseason game played at
4558-409: The Forum was purchased by the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), for $ 23.5 million; MSG announced plans to renovate the arena as a world-class concert venue. On September 24, 2014, the Forum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . On March 24, 2020, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer purchased The Forum from MSG for $ 400 million. The Forum has previously been known as
4664-442: The Forum, the Lakers and the Kings to Buss for a then-record $ 67.5 million. The Lakers were successful during the 1980s, winning five NBA championships and making the NBA Finals every year except 1981 and 1986 . They won the 1982 , 1987 and 1988 championships at the Forum. The Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons were the only visiting teams to win a championship at the Forum during this period; both teams clinched
4770-413: The Forum. The Lakers played two preseason games at the Forum before the 1999–2000 season before moving to the Staples Center. The Los Angeles Sparks played their 2000 season at the arena before following the Lakers and Clippers to Staples Center. The Great Western Forum hosted live events, offices and training facilities for the 2000–2001 Women of Wrestling season. Faithful Central Bible Church, with
4876-418: The Hollywood Bowl in 1964 and 1965 with the Beatles . Some songs played at the Forum appeared on the Wings Over America live LP released later that year and re-released in 2013. The Eagles performed three shows during their Hotel California tour on October 20–22, 1976. The shows were recorded, with some songs appearing on Eagles Live . The Bee Gees appeared at the Forum during their Children of
4982-426: The Kings). The Canadian Cooke, who enjoyed ice hockey, was determined to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles. In 1966, the NHL announced that it was adding six new franchises for 1967 , and Cooke prepared a bid. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which operated the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena , supported a competing bid headed by Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Reeves —who already had
5088-446: The MSG remodeling, when it was overlaid with the new "Forum Presented by Chase" logo. In 2004, Madonna premiered the Re-Invention World Tour at the Forum, which was filmed for the documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret . The Forum was made available for film use, including interior shots for the 2002 film Like Mike . The Foo Fighters used the building as a setting for the music video for " All My Life " in 2003, featuring
5194-436: 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
5300-401: 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
5406-444: 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
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#17327720109385512-405: The World tour on December 20, 1976; the show was recorded and released as Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live . Parliament-Funkadelic recorded half of their live album, Live: P-Funk Earth Tour , at the arena on January 19, 1977. Alice Cooper brought his big productions of Billion Dollar Babies , Welcome To My Nightmare and Mad House Rock to the Forum. The Los Angeles Strings of
5618-507: The arena's naming rights to Great Western Savings & Loan , coinciding with the arrival in Los Angeles of hockey star Wayne Gretzky . The building exterior was repainted blue, replacing its original "California sunset red." It was renamed the Great Western Forum; the name was retained for several years, even after Great Western was acquired by Washington Mutual (now Chase ) and ceased to exist. Although naming-rights agreements are now commonplace in major American sports, they were rare at
5724-430: The band's tour video, which was televised in 1983. In 1984, the Forum hosted the basketball tournaments and the men's handball finals of the 1984 Summer Olympics . The arena hosted Amnesty International 's June 6, 1986 A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert, headlined by U2 and Sting and featuring Bryan Adams , Jackson Browne , Peter Gabriel , Lou Reed , Joan Baez and the Neville Brothers . Sting played
5830-421: The band. On August 1, 2015, to complete their R40 Live Tour , Canadian rock band Rush performed their final concert at the Forum. On March 27, 2016, former Pink Floyd member David Gilmour played his first ever concert at the Forum as the third show on the US leg of his Rattle That Lock Tour . On June 4, 2016, the UFC 199 mixed martial arts event was held at The Forum. The Chicks (then known as
5936-420: 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
6042-417: The building opened in 1967. The original scoreboard, designed by All American Scoreboards in Pardeeville, Wisconsin , had a two-line message board on each side (the third electronic message board in the NHL, and the second in the NBA). The new scoreboard, designed by Daktronics , kept the two-line message boards and added a Sony Jumbotron scoreboard on each side. The Forum hosted the 1991 NBA Finals and
6148-405: The building's exterior in its opening and closing shots. In 2008, a scene for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie and the video for Weezer 's " Troublemaker " (from their 2008 Red Album ) were filmed outside the Forum. Iron Maiden appeared during their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour on February 19, 2008, with Lauren Harris their opening act. Their live version of " The Number of
6254-503: The city center, began planning a new downtown sports arena and entertainment complex and hoped to attract the Lakers and Kings from Inglewood. The Kings' owners, who were real-estate developers, agreed to develop the complex; Buss agreed to move the Lakers into the new arena as co-tenants with the Kings and a third tenant, the NBA's Clippers , who would move there from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena . The new Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena ) opened on October 17, 1999; as part of
6360-601: The commission laughing at him" when Cooke said he would build in Inglewood. Cooke won the franchise, paying $ 2 million for the Los Angeles club, which he called the Kings. According to Springer, "Cooke went to Inglewood and built the Forum. Goodbye, Lakers. Goodbye, Kings." The round, $ 16 million building was designed by Los Angeles architect Charles Luckman to be "reminiscent of Roman coliseums." The arena seats 17,505 for basketball, 16,005 for hockey and up to 18,000 for musical concerts; although it has no luxury suites, it had 2,400 club seats for events. More than 70% of
6466-400: The concert portion of her Diana television special at the Forum, entering the arena through the audience and singing her 1980 Billboard top-five hit " I'm Coming Out ". Guests included Quincy Jones (who conducted a performance of "Home" from The Wiz ) and Michael Jackson , who joined Ross onstage for a performance of her 1980 number-one song " Upside Down ". The special began with Ross in
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#17327720109386572-423: The deal, Buss sold the Great Western Forum to the L. A. Arena Company (which was controlled by the Kings' owners). The Kings played their final regular season NHL game at the Forum, a 3–2 loss to the St. Louis Blues , on April 18, 1999. Coincidentally, Wayne Gretzky , who had previously played for both teams, played his final NHL game (as a member of the New York Rangers ) on the same day. The Kings' final game at
6678-414: 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
6784-416: 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
6890-546: 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
6996-405: 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
7102-445: 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
7208-403: 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
7314-403: 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
7420-400: The first major awards show at the Forum. The arena was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 24, 2014. The Foo Fighters performed on January 10, 2015, to celebrate singer Dave Grohl's 46th birthday. Paul Stanley from Kiss, Tenacious D, Slash, Alice Cooper, Zakk Wylde, Perry Farrell, Trombone Shorty, David Lee Roth, and Motörhead's Lemmy all got up and performed with
7526-486: 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
7632-452: The five-game series, the Kings eliminated the heavily favored Oilers to reach the second round. In September 1982, on their Hot Space Tour , Queen played their final U.S. concert ever at the Forum. Fleetwood Mac played two shows during its Mirage tour on October 21–22, 1982, with Dave Mason opening. The shows, originally scheduled for October 4–5, were postponed when Stevie Nicks developed walking pneumonia . They were recorded for
7738-535: The following year on April 25, 1970, as part of their final U.S. tour. The concert has been widely circulated thanks to 3 available bootleg audience recordings. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded shows in June and July 1970, including at the Forum. Some of them ended up on their 1971 live album, 4 Way Street . The Rolling Stones performed at the Forum during their 1969, 1972 and 1975 North American tours. Steppenwolf played there during their At Your Birthday Party tour on July 14, 1969, with Three Dog Night as
7844-527: The following year, 1977, on August 26–28 (the first of these shows sold out), with live tracks from these 1977 shows included on their second live album, Alive II , released in October of that same year. On June 21, 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings began a three-night stand at the Forum during their Wings Over the World tour . The shows were McCartney's first live performances in Los Angeles since he played at
7950-478: 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
8056-420: The interim), and Forum Enterprises changed the venue's name back to "the Forum". The Great Western corporate logo and the words "Great Western" remained on portions of the exterior, including the roof (with a logo visible to planes landing at LAX), and were slowly removed over time. The roof, which was the last part of the building to contain the "GW" logo and "Great Western Forum" name, would not be repainted until
8162-446: 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
8268-406: 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,
8374-605: 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
8480-414: 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
8586-656: 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
8692-468: 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
8798-549: The opening act. Three Dog Night recorded their set, which was later released as a live album entitled Captured Live at the Forum . Queen played a total of 12 concerts from 1977 to 1982. David Bowie played concerts here on April 3, 4, and 6, 1978. Chicago played two long sets in front of nearly 18,000 people as the headline act on April 24, 1971. This performance was two weeks after their historic week-long sellout at Carnegie Hall where they played eight shows in six days from April 5 to 10, 1971. The Grateful Dead performed at
8904-582: 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
9010-585: 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
9116-471: 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
9222-443: 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
9328-399: 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
9434-523: The seats are between the goals, and no seat is more than 170 feet (52 m) from the playing surface. During the Cooke era, the Forum hosted five NBA Finals in its first six years (1967–73). The Boston Celtics celebrated both the 1968 and 1969 championships in the arena, the latter of which marked the final games Bill Russell ever played. The Lakers won the 1972 NBA Finals at the Forum in Game 5, while
9540-478: 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
9646-529: 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
9752-608: The south and between Kareem Court and Prairie Avenue to the east and west, it is north of SoFi Stadium and the Hollywood Park Casino , and about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The Forum opened on December 30, 1967. Architect Charles Luckman 's vision was realized by engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen . It was a groundbreaking structure without extensive internal support pillars that
9858-415: The time of Buss's deal with Great Western. There was some initial criticism of the name change, and local residents continued to call the arena "the Forum." Adverse reaction was eventually muted; Great Western Forum sounded like a natural name because of the arena's location in the western United States. Before the 1991–92 NBA and NHL seasons, a new scoreboard was installed, replacing the one in use since
9964-482: The title in a Game 4 sweep in 1983 and 1989 respectively. The Lakers' owner, Jerry Buss, also purchased the Los Angeles Strings expansion franchise of the second incarnation of TeamTennis (the original team and league having folded in 1978) and appointed his 19-year-old daughter Jeanie Buss as the tennis team's general manager, with all home matches played at the Forum. In 1981, Diana Ross filmed
10070-640: 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
10176-443: 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
10282-419: The venue against Ruben Castillo in 1995, Vernon Buchanan in 1988 and Roger Mayweather in 1989. In 1989, Neil Diamond set the all-time attendance record at the Forum by surpassing his already leading record of seven sold-out shows (in 1983) with 10 sold-out shows. For doing so, Diamond was presented with a gold plaque, stating his accomplishment(s). On December 5, 1988, it was announced that Jerry Buss sold
10388-559: Was Burn the Priest. On February 14, 2003, Phish began their first post-hiatus tour at the Forum. A fan jumped onstage during "AC/DC Bag", and they performed a cover of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show 's " The Cover of Rolling Stone " after appearing on the magazine's cover. In 2003, Great Western 's naming-rights contract on the building expired (despite being bought by Washington Mutual in 1997, their name had been retained in
10494-541: Was announced that the Starzz would move immediately to San Antonio and change their nickname to the Silver Stars. The Starzz were the sister team to the NBA 's Utah Jazz . The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars . Women%27s National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA )
10600-431: Was broadcast by HBO 's Boxing After Dark , the first time since its 1996 premiere that the series presented a card from the Forum. On May 16, 2015, Gennady Golovkin defeated Willie Monroe Jr. during a live broadcast on HBO Boxing. Golovkin returned the following year on April 23, 2016, to battle Dominic Wade, which resulted in a second-round KO. On August 24, 2014, the arena hosted the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards ,
10706-460: 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
10812-459: Was later released as a live album entitled Inglewood – Live in California . The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at the Forum for the first time on April 26, 1969. A soundboard recording of this concert has been officially released: Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969 (Live). Opening acts for this sold-out concert were Cat Mother and Chicago . The Experience later performed there again
10918-415: 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
11024-471: Was renamed "The Forum, presented by Chase" to reflect its sponsor, Chase Bank (which had incidentally purchased Great Western's legal successor, Washington Mutual, a few years earlier ), and its exterior returned to the original red. New features also included new lighting, new seating, LED video systems and HD screen and new retail. The Forum reopened with six concerts by the Eagles during their History of
11130-644: Was the site of the Chicago Bulls ' first NBA championship victory. It also hosted Games 3 and 4 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals between the Kings and Montreal Canadiens , the only time the Stanley Cup Finals was held at the arena. Coincidentally, Montreal's home rink at the time was also called the Forum . By the middle of the decade, the Great Western Forum was considered too small; it lacked luxury boxes and had insufficient retail and commercial space. Los Angeles officials, seeking to redevelop
11236-596: Was unique in an indoor arena the size of the Forum. From 1967 to 1999, the Forum was home to the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) before both teams joined the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers at the Crypto.com Arena , then known as the Staples Center. From 1997 to 2001, the Forum was also the home of
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