Sometimes it's one shot or one play. Other times, it's an entire game. Or maybe it's a whole series.
That's the thing about memories: The moments -- and all their specifics -- linger long afterward. As we prepare for the 2014 WNBA playoffs, we've picked our top moments from the league's 17-year postseason history. Some are from the WNBA Finals, which was a best-of-three series from 1998 through 2004, but has been best-of-five since then. Some are from the conference semifinals or finals. All are moments worth revisiting as we get ready to see what the league's best have in store for us this season.
Check out espnW's top 10 moments below (which are listed chronologically) and then click here to rank your favorites and help us determine the top three of all time. The winners will be unveiled next month during the WNBA Finals.
Sept. 4, 1999: Spoon's half-court heave
Houston had a two-point lead and was seconds away from celebrating its third consecutive WNBA title, but New York's Teresa Weatherspoon had other ideas. Her half-court heave swished at the buzzer, sending the Finals to a deciding third game. Houston still won the series (and a fourth title in a row the following season), but Spoon's shot was an unforgettable fantastic finish. -- Mechelle Voepel
Sept. 5, 1999: 3 for 10
Just a little more than two weeks after beloved friend and teammate Kim Perrot died from cancer, Houston wasn't going to be denied. After New York won Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Teresa Weatherspoon's half-court shot, the Comets came back and took Game 3 for the franchise's third consecutive league championship. The WNBA's sportsmanship award is named after Perrot, who wore No. 10 for the Comets. -- MV
Aug. 31, 2002: L.A. rookie seals the deal
Los Angeles, trying to repeat as WNBA champion, was tied with New York as the clock wound down in Game 2 of the league finals. Sparks rookie Nikki Teasley wanted to pass to Lisa Leslie, but the star center was well-covered. So Teasley took the shot herself, sinking a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to secure the title. -- MV
Sept. 16, 2003: Shock's worst-to-first
The Detroit Shock had the worst record in the league in 2002, but they had hired coach Bill Laimbeer during that season to begin a turnaround. It happened quickly: The next year, the Shock beat two-time defending champion Los Angeles in the 2003 WNBA Finals, winning the deciding third game 83-78 in front of more than 22,000 fans in Detroit. Deanna Nolan's 3-pointer with 53 seconds left was the key shot. -- MV
Sept. 14, 2004: B-Money lives up to billing
Connecticut beat Seattle in the opening game of the 2004 WNBA Finals, and the Sun were getting a fantastic performance from Nykesha Sales in Game 2. That's when Betty Lennox took over. She lived up to her B-Money nickname with 27 points in a 67-65 Game 2 victory. The Storm went on to win the third game and the title, and Lennox was the Finals MVP. -- MV
Sept. 27, 2008: Young's series-saver
Los Angeles was 1.3 seconds from advancing to the WNBA Finals, holding a 66-65 lead in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. San Antonio inbounded the ball to Sophia Young, whose 14-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer won it for the Stars and kept them alive. San Antonio went on to win Game 3 and advance to the franchise's only appearance in WNBA Finals. That prevented Candace Parker, the league MVP and rookie of the year, from reaching the championship series just a few months after winning her second NCAA title. -- MV
Sept. 29, 2009: High-octane opener
Phoenix and Indiana launched the 2009 WNBA Finals with the highest-scoring game in league history, with the Mercury prevailing 120-116 in overtime. Katie Douglas sent it to OT with a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left and finished with 30 points. Cappie Pondexter had seven points in overtime for Phoenix, which went on to win the series in five games. -- MV
Sept. 7, 2010: Angel outduels Cappie
Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry and New York's Cappie Pondexter both put on superstar shows in Game 2 of the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. McCoughtry had 42 points, four assists and five steals; Pondexter had 36 points and nine assists. McCoughtry's Dream prevailed 105-93 to make the franchise's first trip to the WNBA Finals. -- MV
Oct. 8, 2012: Feverish ending
Indiana's Briann January missed a transition layup in the closing seconds of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, but she didn't give up on the play. She chased after her own rebound, went diving into Connecticut's bench, and saved the ball to Shavonte Zellous, who swished the game-winning shot to tie the series. Indiana went on to win Game 3 at Connecticut and then the WNBA Finals for Tamika Catchings' first league title. -- MV
Oct. 10, 2013: Maya's house
Minnesota's Maya Moore scored 23 points in the third game of the 2013 WNBA Finals, beating Atlanta 86-77 and securing the Lynx's second title. The victory came at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Georgia, where Moore had won three state high school championships. -- MV
Don't forget to click here to rank the moments for espnW.