LOS ANGELES — June 21, 1997, will be a legendary day for as long as the WNBA exists.
This date marks the first-ever WNBA game between the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks.
They met again on June 21, 2026 to celebrate that inaugural matchup.
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The 18,043 fans in attendance received a stellar basketball game with the Sparks rallying from down by as many as 17 points to beat the Liberty 98-97 off a Nneka Ogwumike game-winner.
The victory was the best for this Sparks season.
It led to the packed crowd showering Ogwumike with cheers and left the superstar forward in tears, overwhelmed with joy, living in the moment.
This contest is also on a short list of the best WNBA games this year, but the events surrounding the day somehow bested the on-court product.
Prior to the start of the game, the Sparks had their legends—Lisa Leslie, Tamecka Dixon and DeLisha Milton-Jones—talk to the media. They were beaming with pride and joy and spoke for over 20 minutes with the media, something that is uncommon for players ever to do.
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Here’s what Leslie said:
I think when you look at 30 years ago, our idea was never to play to grow the league. It was really, we played the game because we appreciated the opportunity to play in our country. Most people don’t know, but most American women, after graduating from college, we all played somewhere overseas. We lived overseas. We did that for maybe eight or nine months out of the year. And so, to have the WNBA, really was an opportunity that we all took very seriously. We hugged babies, we kissed babies, we signed autographs for everyone. We understood the assignment. We understood that it was about growing the community and getting back and being role models.
Most people don’t realize that most of these women have at least one degree, that we are not just amazing women on the court, but off the court as well. And I think the beautiful thing about this 30th anniversary is that I’m happy for the women who get to reap those benefits, that the brands have realized the beauty and the benefits of these women and partnering with us because everybody’s watching women’s basketball.
After the presser, Leslie was so ecstatic about the day that she asked the media to huddle up, so she could take a picture of the people covering the game. As if it were also a blast from the past, Leslie took the photo using her own disposable camera.
Before the game action began, there was a ceremonial tip between Leslie and Kym Hampton, re-enacting the very first tip in WNBA history.
During halftime, the celebration of these legends continued.
The Sparks brought out their legends, and the Liberty did as well with appearances by Teresa Weatherspoon and Rebecca Lobo, who was also calling the game for ESPN, for a celebratory moment. Leslie, being the leader she is, gave a powerful speech to the packed crowd.
Weatherspoon also joined Lobo during the broadcast to reminisce and discuss the league’s bright future.
With Warren G performing in between the third and fourth quarters and then the Sparks coming back to win at home, it was a perfect ending to an incredible night for the WNBA.
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In its first 30 seasons, the WNBA went from a league with questions about its sustainability to one with its best days ahead. Now that the league’s potential is obvious to even its harshest critics, the next three decades will undoubtedly be even better.
