Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Women's National Basketball Association officially received approval from the NBA Board of Governors on the 24th of April 1996. A press conference followed immediately with Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance to announce the new league.
Penny Toler scored the very first point of Women's National Basketball Association history during that opening matchup. League play began on the 21st of June 1997 when the New York Liberty faced the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.
The Miami Sol and Portland Fire ceased operations shortly after their debut seasons while the Cleveland Rockers became another casualty in 2003. The Houston Comets dynasty ended in 2008 when the league took over ownership due to lack of interested buyers and the Sacramento Monarchs folded in November 2009 leaving the league with only twelve teams for fifteen years.
The 2020 CBA allowed unrestricted free agency one year earlier than previously permitted and provided full salary during maternity leave. Each athlete received her own hotel room during road games and an annual childcare stipend of $5,000 per player became available through the union.
Liz Cambage scored 53 points against Dallas Wings on the 17th of July 2018 setting the highest single-game total. Diana Taurasi leads all scorers with 10,646 career points across her tenure from 2004 through 2024.