2001 Cleveland Rockers season

The 2001 WNBA season was the 5th season for the Cleveland Rockers. The Rockers topped the Eastern Conference with the best record in franchise history, but their season ended shortly in the playoffs, losing in the first round to eventual conference champion Charlotte Sting.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Transactions

Roster

Schedule

Regular season

|- | 1 | May 31 | Washington | W 69–34 | Merlakia Jones (17) | Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough (10) | Chasity Melvin (5) | Gund Arena | 1–0

|- | 2 | June 2 | @ Sacramento | L 65–70 | Penny Taylor (19) | Jones <br> Melvin (7) | Andrade <br> Taylor (4) | ARCO Arena | 1–1 |- | 3 | June 5 | @ Los Angeles | L 50–58 | Merlakia Jones (18) | Merlakia Jones (12) | Helen Darling (8) | Staples Center | 1–2 |- | 4 | June 7 | New York | W 67–49 | Jones <br> Melvin (13) | Merlakia Jones (8) | Merlakia Jones (6) | Gund Arena | 2–2 |- | 5 | June 9 | Indiana | W 86–76 | Chasity Melvin (22) | Brown <br> Jones (6) | Chasity Melvin (5) | Gund Arena | 3–2 |- | 6 | June 12 | @ Portland | L 62–67 | Penny Taylor (11) | Merlakia Jones (7) | Andrade <br> Jones (4) | Rose Garden | 3–3 |- | 7 | June 14 | @ Seattle | W 58–36 | Chasity Melvin (16) | Chasity Melvin (10) | Mery Andrade (6) | KeyArena | 4–3 |- | 8 | June 16 | Miami | W 70–53 | Merlakia Jones (18) | Chasity Melvin (11) | Andrade <br> Jones (5) | Gund Arena | 5–3 |- | 9 | June 17 | @ Washington | W 57–55 | Merlakia Jones (17) | Chasity Melvin (12) | Mery Andrade (6) | MCI Center | 6–3 |- | 10 | June 22 | Los Angeles | W 74–70 | Merlakia Jones (26) | Chasity Melvin (7) | Helen Darling (4) | Gund Arena | 7–3 |- | 11 | June 24 | @ Miami | W 54–35 | Chasity Melvin (11) | Merlakia Jones (9) | Jennifer Rizzotti (4) | American Airlines Arena | 8–3 |- | 12 | June 26 | Portland | W 61–57 | Merlakia Jones (20) | Taylor <br> Wauters (6) | Helen Darling (5) | Gund Arena | 9–3 |- | 13 | June 27 | @ Orlando | W 65–41 | Chasity Melvin (12) | Hall <br> Melvin <br> Taylor (5) | Helen Darling (8) | TD Waterhouse Centre | 10–3 |- | 14 | June 30 | @ Charlotte | L 55–58 | Rushia Brown (16) | Merlakia Jones (7) | Darling <br> Jones <br> Melvin (3) | Charlotte Coliseum | 10–4

|- | 15 | July 1 | Minnesota | W 52–47 | Merlakia Jones (13) | Merlakia Jones (6) | Helen Darling (6) | Gund Arena | 11–4 |- | 16 | July 6 | @ Utah | L 69–73 | Jones <br> Melvin (13) | Chasity Melvin (8) | Mery Andrade (4) | Delta Center | 11–5 |- | 17 | July 8 | @ Houston | W 63–53 | Helen Darling (18) | Rushia Brown (11) | Helen Darling (7) | Compaq Center | 12–5 |- | 18 | July 10 | Seattle | W 59–53 | Rushia Brown (18) | Rushia Brown (8) | Brown <br> Darling <br> Rizzotti (4) | Gund Arena | 13–5 |- | 19 | July 11 | @ Indiana | W 76–58 | Darling <br> Taylor (14) | Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough (5) | Jennifer Rizzotti (7) | Conseco Fieldhouse | 14–5 |- | 20 | July 13 | Phoenix | W 69–61 | Merlakia Jones (22) | Merlakia Jones (11) | Darling <br> Rizzotti (3) | Gund Arena | 15–5 |- | 21 | July 19 | New York | W 65–60 | Ann Wauters (19) | Brown <br> Jones (9) | Helen Darling (6) | Gund Arena | 16–5 |- | 22 | July 21 | Charlotte | W 56–41 | Ann Wauters (15) | Brown <br> Jones (6) | Helen Darling (4) | Gund Arena | 17–5 |- | 23 | July 25 | Miami | W 52–48 (OT) | Rushia Brown (15) | Ann Wauters (10) | Mery Andrade (5) | Gund Arena | 18–5 |- | 24 | July 27 | Indiana | L 63–67 | Rushia Brown (20) | Jones <br> Taylor (7) | Mery Andrade (7) | Gund Arena | 18–6 |- | 25 | July 28 | @ Detroit | W 57–50 | Merlakia Jones (12) | Ann Wauters (8) | Helen Darling (2) | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 19–6 |- | 26 | July 30 | Orlando | W 65–46 | Helen Darling (16) | Rushia Brown (8) | Helen Darling (5) | Charlotte Coliseum | 20–6

|- | 27 | August 4 | @ New York | W 58–43 | Ann Wauters (14) | Merlakia Jones (11) | Rushia Brown (3) | Madison Square Garden | 21–6 |- | 28 | August 7 | @ Orlando | L 67–74 | Merlakia Jones (20) | Rushia Brown (7) | Mery Andrade (5) | TD Waterhouse Centre | 21–7 |- | 29 | August 8 | Detroit | W 73–66 | Jones <br> Taylor (14) | Jones <br> Wauters (7) | Andrade <br> Melvin (4) | Gund Arena | 22–7 |- | 30 | August 10 | Charlotte | L 53–55 | Merlakia Jones (15) | Ann Wauters (10) | Ann Wauters (5) | Gund Arena | 22–8 |- | 31 | August 12 | @ Washington | L 49–57 | Chasity Melvin (13) | Chasity Melvin (10) | Helen Darling (4) | MCI Center | 22–9 |- | 32 | August 14 | @ Detroit | L 65–76 | Penny Taylor (21) | Ann Wauters (8) | Mery Andrade (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 22–10

Playoffs

|- | 1 | August 16 | @ Charlotte | L 46–53 | Ann Wauters (12) | Merlakia Jones (7) | Merlakia Jones (7) | Charlotte Coliseum | 0–1 |- | 2 | August 18 | Charlotte | W 69–51 | Merlakia Jones (19) | Merlakia Jones (7) | Darling <br> Rizzotti (6) | Gund Arena | 1–1 |- | 3 | August 20 | Charlotte | L 64–72 | Merlakia Jones (13) | Helen Darling (5) | Helen Darling (10) | Gund Arena | 1–2

Season standings

Statistics

Regular season

<br />^‡Waived/Released during the season <br />^â€ÂTraded during the season <br />^â‰ÂAcquired during the season

References