The 2005 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Sacramento Monarchs, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the Connecticut Sun, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, three games to one in a best-of-five series. This was Sacramento's first title.

The Monarchs made their first appearance in the Finals in franchise history. The Sun appeared in the Finals for the second straight time after having lost to Seattle in 2004.

Going into the series, neither team had won a WNBA championship. The Houston Comets hold the record with four championships won.

The Sun's 26-8 record gave them home court advantage over Sacramento (25–9). But it did not matter, because Sacramento went on to win the series.

The Sun won the regular season series against the Monarchs:

All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time.

In an electric atmosphere, Yolanda Griffith came through with a powerful performance.

Griffith scored 19 of her 25 points in the second half as the Sacramento Monarchs posted a thrilling 69-65 victory over the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002.

The series is played between the winners of the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winner of the WNBA Finals is presented the championship trophy. The WNBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every WNBA season in history, the first being held in 1997.

Since 2005, the winner of the WNBA Finals has been determined through a 2–2–1 format. The first, second, and fifth games of the series are played at the arena of the team who earned home court advantage by having the better record during the regular season.

The WNBA Finals were originally a single championship game to decide the WNBA champion. However, in 1998, after the addition of two teams, the WNBA Finals were turned into a best-of-three games series. In 2005, the WNBA Finals adopted a best-of-five format. This finale series was known as the WNBA Championship from 1997 to 2001, before changing to reflect its NBA counterpart.

Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982 in Chino, California) is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and UMMC Ekaterinburg from Russia. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.

Taurasi grew up in Chino, California and attended Don Antonio Lugo High School where she was the recipient of the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the Los Angeles Times to the best player in Southern California. She was also named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Taurasi finished her prep career ranked third in state history with 3,047 points (behind Giuliana Mendiola's 3,069 and Cheryl Miller's 3,446). Taurasi was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2000 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored twelve points, and earned MVP honors.

Taurasi was born to her parents Mario and Liliana. Taurasi has an older sister, Jessika. Her father was born in Italy and raised in Argentina, which is also the native land of her mother Liliana. Her parents moved to the U.S. before she was born. Diana's father was a professional soccer player in Italy. He had logged several years as a goalie.

Suzanne Brigit "Sue" Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American professional women's basketball player for the Seattle Storm and WBC Spartak Moscow Region.

In high school, she was the New York State Player of the Year, the New York Daily News Player of the Year, and a WBCA All-American. In her senior year at undefeated UConn in 2002, she won the Wade Trophy and the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year. She finished her UConn career ranked first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, second in assists and steals, and as a three-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation, while leading her team to a record of 114–4.

The Seattle Storm selected Bird with the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA Draft, and she has been a seven-time WNBA All-Star. She is one of seven women to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NCAA Championship, and a WNBA Championship. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.

Bird was born on October 16, 1980 in Syosset, New York. She is the younger of Herschel and Nancy Bird's two children. Her father's family was Jewish and originally from Russia, and their original name was "Boorda". Bird was raised in her mother's Christian religion. In 2006, Bird acquired Israeli citizenship. She still maintains her citizenship in the United States and represents the U.S. in international basketball competitions.