2019 WNBA Finals
Washington Mystics def. Connecticut Sun, 3-2
2019 WNBA Finals result: Washington Mystics def. Connecticut Sun, 3-2.
Result
| Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Washington Mystics | 3-2 |
| Runner-up | Connecticut Sun |
Finals MVP: Emma Meesseman
Washington's first WNBA title. Meesseman, who scored 22 points off the bench in the clinching Game 5, became the first bench player to win Finals MVP.
Games
| Game | Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | September 29, 2019 | Washington Mystics 95–86 Connecticut Sun | Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, D.C. |
| Game 2 | October 1, 2019 | Connecticut Sun 99–87 Washington Mystics | Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, D.C. |
| Game 3 | October 6, 2019 | Washington Mystics 94–81 Connecticut Sun | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Game 4 | October 8, 2019 | Connecticut Sun 90–86 Washington Mystics | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Game 5 | October 10, 2019 | Washington Mystics 89–78 Connecticut Sun | Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, D.C. |
Finals context
Washington's first championship, a year after its first-ever Finals loss to Seattle, came in a five-game series defined by the physical toll on both teams' stars, particularly regular-season MVP Elena Delle Donne, who battled back spasms and a herniated disk throughout. Washington won Game 1 at home behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from Delle Donne, plus 21 points on efficient 6-of-7 shooting from Ariel Atkins, while Courtney Williams led Connecticut with 26. Connecticut evened the series in Game 2, a 12-point win keyed by Jonquel Jones's 32 points and 18 rebounds — the first 30-point, 15-rebound game in Finals history — after Delle Donne played only 3 minutes and 20 seconds before back spasms forced her out entirely. Washington regained the lead in Game 3 at home, winning by 13 as Delle Donne, playing through what was later revealed to be a herniated disk, contributed 13 points while four Mystics scored in double figures. Connecticut forced a decisive Game 5 with a 90-86 win in Game 4, as Alyssa Thomas came within two rebounds of a triple-double and Jonquel Jones recorded another double-double, overcoming a tied game after three quarters with clutch free-throw shooting. The deciding Game 5, in Washington, delivered the franchise's breakthrough: Delle Donne, still hampered by her back injury, scored 21 points including four during a decisive 8-0 run with three minutes remaining, but it was Emma Meesseman who stole the spotlight, scoring a game-high 22 points off the bench to be named Finals MVP — the first bench player in league history to win the award, a distinction that remains unique as of this writing. Jonquel Jones added 25 points for Connecticut in the loss, with Alyssa Thomas contributing 21 points and 12 rebounds. Delle Donne's willingness to play through a herniated disk across the closing games of the series became one of the defining storylines of the 2019 WNBA season, and her sacrifice, paired with Meesseman's historic bench performance, gave Washington its first title in franchise history. The series also marked the first Finals meeting between two Eastern Conference teams since the league restructured its playoff format in 2016, a quirk of bracket seeding that meant a Western Conference team missed the championship round entirely that year. For Connecticut, the loss was the franchise's third Finals defeat without a title (following 2004 and 2005), a pattern of championship-round frustration that has persisted for the Sun across every subsequent Finals appearance as well.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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