1997 Charlotte Sting season
| 1997 Charlotte Sting season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Marynell Meadors |
| Arena | Charlotte Coliseum |
| Attendance | 8,307 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 15–13 (.536) |
| Place | 3rd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost WNBA Semifinals (1-0) to Houston Comets |
| Team Leaders | |
| Points | Andrea Stinson (15.7) |
| Rebounds | Vicky Bullett (6.4) |
| Assists | Andrea Stinson (4.4) |
The 1997 WNBA season was the inaugural season for the Charlotte Sting.
Offseason
Initial Player Allocation
| Pick | Player | Nationality | WNBA Team | College/HS/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vicky Bullett (C) |  United States
|
Charlotte Sting | Maryland |
| 2 | Andrea Stinson (G) | United States
|
Charlotte Sting | North Carolina State |
WNBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Tora Suber | (G) | United States
|
Virginia |
Regular season
Season standings
| Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Comets x | 18 | 10 | .643 | 6–6 | – |
| New York Liberty x | 17 | 11 | .607 | 8–4 | 1.0 |
| Charlotte Sting x | 15 | 13 | .536 | 5–7 | 3.0 |
| Cleveland Rockers o | 15 | 13 | .536 | 5–7 | 3.0 |
Season schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22 | @ Phoenix | 59-76 | Loss | 0-1 |
| June 25 | @ Los Angeles | 54-74 | Loss | 0-2 |
| June 26 | @ Sacramento | 70-78 | Loss | 0-3 |
| June 29 | Cleveland | 67-44 | Win | 1-3 |
| July 5 | Los Angeles | 78-66 | Win | 2-3 |
| July 7 | @ Houston | 56-74 | Loss | 2-4 |
| July 9 | New York | 87-69 | Win | 3-4 |
| July 10 | @ New York | 48-62 | Loss | 3-5 |
| July 12 | Cleveland | 72-43 | Win | 4-5 |
| July 16 | Utah | 75-63 | Win | 5-5 |
| July 17 | @ Cleveland | 47-65 | Loss | 5-6 |
| July 21 | Los Angeles | 75-64 | Win | 6-6 |
| July 23 | New York | 63-65 | Loss | 6-7 |
| July 26 | @ New York | 64-61 | Win | 7-7 |
| July 30 | Phoenix | 68-67 | Win | 8-7 |
| August 1 | Sacramento | 85-61 | Win | 9-7 |
| August 3 | @ Los Angeles | 77-70 | Win | 10-7 |
| August 4 | @ Utah | 70-73 | Loss | 10-8 |
| August 6 | @ Sacramento | 64-77 | Loss | 10-9 |
| August 9 | Phoenix | 79-59 | Win | 11-9 |
| August 11 | Houston | 62-72 | Loss | 11-10 |
| August 14 | Sacramento | 68-51 | Win | 12-10 |
| August 16 | Houston | 80-71 | Win | 13-10 |
| August 17 | @ Cleveland | 49-81 | Loss | 13-11 |
| August 19 | @ Houston | 69-77 | Loss | 13-12 |
| August 21 | @ Utah | 66-56 | Win | 14-12 |
| August 22 | @ Phoenix | 63-78 | Loss | 14-13 |
| August 24 | Utah | 70-52 | Win | 15-13 |
| August 28 (WNBA Semifinal) | @ Houston | 54-70 | Loss | 0-1 |
Player stats
- Vicky Bullett ranked seventh in the WNBA in field goals with 145.
- Vicky Bullett ranked eighth in the WNBA in total rebounds with 178
- Vicky Bullett was tied for sixth in the WNBA in steals with 54.
- Vicky Bullett ranked third in the WNBA in blocks with 55.
- Rhonda Mapp ranked third in the WNBA in Field Goal Percentage (.492)
- Andrea Stinson ranked sixth in the WNBA in assists with 124.
- Andrea Stinson tied for seventh in the WNBA in blocks with 21.
- Andrea Stinson ranked sixth in the WNBA in points with 439 points.
- Andrea Stinson ranked second in the WNBA in field goals with 177.
- Andrea Stinson ranked second in the WNBA in minutes per game with 36.1
- Andrea Stinson ranked fifth in the WNBA in points per game with 15.7
Awards and honors
- Vicky Bullett of Charlotte ranked third in the WNBA with 2.0 blocks per game.
- Andrea Stinson of Charlotte ranked second in the WNBA with 1011 minutes played.[2]