The belt vs. the champion

30 seasons with a playoffs final

The belt doesn't care about brackets. But how often does it end the season in the same hands as the trophy? Here's the team that won each season's last playoffs game next to the team holding the belt when the season's games ran out.

22Seasons it matched

73%Match rate

8Seasons it didn't

0Current matching streak

Season	Champion	Belt at season's end
2026	Golden State Valkyries	Portland Fire
2025	Las Vegas Aces	Las Vegas Aces	Same team
2024	New York Liberty	Los Angeles Sparks
2023	Las Vegas Aces	Las Vegas Aces	Same team
2022	Las Vegas Aces	Las Vegas Aces	Same team
2021	Chicago Sky	Chicago Sky	Same team
2020	Seattle Storm	Seattle Storm	Same team
2019	Washington Mystics	Washington Mystics	Same team
2018	Seattle Storm	Seattle Storm	Same team
2017	Minnesota Lynx	Minnesota Lynx	Same team
2016	Los Angeles Sparks	Los Angeles Sparks	Same team
2015	Minnesota Lynx	Minnesota Lynx	Same team
2014	Phoenix Mercury	Connecticut Sun
2013	Minnesota Lynx	Minnesota Lynx	Same team
2012	Indiana Fever	Indiana Fever	Same team
2011	Minnesota Lynx	Minnesota Lynx	Same team
2010	Seattle Storm	Seattle Storm	Same team
2009	Phoenix Mercury	Phoenix Mercury	Same team
2008	Detroit Shock	Detroit Shock	Same team
2007	Phoenix Mercury	Phoenix Mercury	Same team
2006	Detroit Shock	Phoenix Mercury
2005	Sacramento Monarchs	Washington Mystics
2004	Seattle Storm	Seattle Storm	Same team
2003	Detroit Shock	Detroit Shock	Same team
2002	Los Angeles Sparks	Houston Comets
2001	Los Angeles Sparks	Los Angeles Sparks	Same team
2000	Houston Comets	Utah Starzz
1999	Houston Comets	Utah Starzz
1998	Houston Comets	Houston Comets	Same team
1997	Houston Comets	Houston Comets	Same team

The belt vs. the champion

Know the second a belt changes hands