The 1997 WNBA season, the league's first, opened with a game between Los Angeles and the New York Liberty that the Sparks lost. Sparks player Penny Toler scored the league's first two points with a lay-up in that game. The Sparks had what many considered to be a disappointing season in 1997, finishing with a record of 14–14. The team did compete for a playoff spot, but thanks to a loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the final game of the season, it missed the playoffs. In 1998, the Sparks finished 12–18, missing the playoffs once more. The 1999 season featured the development of Lisa Leslie and the Sparks' first playoff berth, as the Sparks posted a 20–12 record. The Sparks won their first playoff game and series, too, with a win over the Sacramento Monarchs. They played a competitive Western Conference Finals but fell to the defending champion Houston Comets, 2 games to 1, in the three-game series. (*)