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The WNBA Belt · season

The 1997 season

31 belt games · 12 title changes

New York Liberty carried the belt into the 1997 season. It changed hands 12 times among 7 franchises, 1 of those in the playoffs, and Houston Comets finished the season with it. Most defenses: New York Liberty, 7.

Who held it, in order

LibertyMercuryAcesCometsSparksLibertyAcesRockersCometsStingRockersLibertyComets

Every belt game

Belt game	Date	Result
1	Jun 21, 1997	New York Liberty beat Los Angeles Sparks 67–57 in the first game	First holder
2	Jun 23, 1997	New York Liberty beat Sacramento Monarchs 73–62	Defense
3	Jun 26, 1997	New York Liberty beat Houston Comets 62–60	Defense
4	Jun 29, 1997	New York Liberty beat Phoenix Mercury 65–57	Defense
5	Jul 2, 1997	New York Liberty beat Houston Comets 70–67	Defense
6	Jul 4, 1997	New York Liberty beat Houston Comets 65–58	Defense
7	Jul 5, 1997	New York Liberty beat Utah Starzz 66–53	Defense
8	Jul 7, 1997	Phoenix Mercury beat New York Liberty 69–50	Title change
9	Jul 9, 1997	Phoenix Mercury beat Houston Comets 69–64	Defense
10	Jul 12, 1997	Utah Starzz beat Phoenix Mercury 52–51	Title change
11	Jul 14, 1997	Houston Comets beat Utah Starzz 79–56	Title change
12	Jul 16, 1997	Los Angeles Sparks beat Houston Comets 77–52	Title change
13	Jul 19, 1997	New York Liberty beat Los Angeles Sparks 69–57	Title change
14	Jul 22, 1997	Utah Starzz beat New York Liberty 78–71	Title change
15	Jul 26, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Utah Starzz 77–66	Title change
16	Jul 28, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Phoenix Mercury 76–64	Defense
17	Jul 29, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Houston Comets 73–64	Defense
18	Jul 31, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Phoenix Mercury 79–67	Defense
19	Aug 2, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Sacramento Monarchs 72–51	Defense
20	Aug 5, 1997	Houston Comets beat Cleveland Rockers 76–66	Title change
21	Aug 7, 1997	Houston Comets beat Phoenix Mercury 74–70	Defense
22	Aug 9, 1997	Houston Comets beat Los Angeles Sparks 72–71	Defense
23	Aug 11, 1997	Houston Comets beat Charlotte Sting 72–62	Defense
24	Aug 12, 1997	Houston Comets beat Utah Starzz 76–56	Defense
25	Aug 16, 1997	Charlotte Sting beat Houston Comets 80–71	Title change
26	Aug 17, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Charlotte Sting 81–49	Title change
27	Aug 21, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat Houston Comets 76–75	Defense
28	Aug 23, 1997	Cleveland Rockers beat New York Liberty 72–71	Defense
29	Aug 24, 1997	New York Liberty beat Cleveland Rockers 79–72	Title change
30	Aug 28, 1997	New York Liberty beat Phoenix Mercury 59–41 Playoffs	Defense
31	Aug 30, 1997	Houston Comets beat New York Liberty 65–51 Playoffs	Title change

Know the second a belt changes hands

One email per title change. Nothing else.