Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, and Ticha Penicheiro Capture 2010 WNBA Peak Performer Awards
August 25, 2010 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2010 - Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun, and Ticha Penicheiro of the Los Angeles Sparks have won the 2010 WNBA Peak Performer Awards for scoring, rebounding, and assists, respectively, the WNBA announced today.
The WNBA presents the Peak Performer awards annually to the players who lead the league in each of those categories during the regular season. Each player will receive a Tiffany trophy in honor of her accomplishments.
Taurasi earned her third consecutive and fourth overall Peak Performer award for scoring after averaging 22.6 points in 2010. She also won the scoring title in 2009 (20.4 ppg), 2008 (24.1 ppg) and 2006 (25.3 ppg). The seventh-year veteran outpaced former teammate and New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter (21.4 ppg), Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry (21.1 ppg) and Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson (20.5 ppg).
Taurasi averaged more than 20 points for the fourth time in her career and shot 42.7 percent from the field. She scored 20 or more points in 20 games this season, including a season-high 44 against Seattle on July 14. She boosted her league-record for 30-point games to 31 with eight such performances. Taurasi, who collected three Player of the Week presented by Kia Motors awards in 2010, led the league in three pointers made with 80. The seventh-year pro out of the University of Connecticut closed out the season ranked second in all-time career scoring average (20.7 ppg) and sixth in points scored (4,731).
With 11.7 rebounds per game, Charles bested Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson (10.3 rpg) and Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles (9.9 rpg) to earn the rebounding award.
Charles, a four-time Rookie of the Month winner in 2010, set a league record with 22 double-doubles this season. She also established a new mark for total rebounds in a year with 398. The first-year player set a rookie record with 23 rebounds in a game, which was also a career high. She recorded 10 or more rebounds 23 times. Charles has also established new single-season franchise marks for offensive (129) and defensive (269) rebounds. Her defensive rebound total is the second highest in league history, behind the 276 Lisa Leslie collected in 2004.
Penicheiro, the league's all-time assists leader, recorded 6.9 assists per game to edge out last year's assists leader, Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird (5.8 apg), as well as Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen (5.6 apg) and San Antonio Silver Star guard Becky Hammon (5.4 apg) for the assists crown.
Penicheiro is the all-time leader in total assists (2,398) and assists per game (6.0). In her 13th WNBA season, Penicheiro posted double figures in assists eight times, setting her season high (15) on Aug. 4. She handed out five or more assists in a game 24 times and finished out the season averaging 10.8 assists for the month of August.
2010 WNBA Peak Performers - Final Statistics
Top Five: Scoring Average
Player (Team) G FG FT PTS PPG
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) 31 212 198 702 22.6
Cappie Pondexter (N.Y. Liberty) 34 254 157 729 21.4
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream) 34 246 191 716 21.1
Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm) 32 220 162 656 20.5
Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) 34 207 157 618 18.2
Top Five: Rebounding Average
Player (Team) G OR ORPG DR DRPG TOT RPG
Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun) 34 129 3.8 269 7.9 398 11.7
Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx) 30 120 4.0 190 6.3 310 10.3
Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky) 34 74 2.2 264 7.8 338 9.9
Sancho Lyttle (Atlanta Dream) 32 102 3.2 214 6.7 316 9.9
Crystal Langhorne (Wash. Mystics) 34 98 2.9 232 6.8 330 9.7
Top Five: Assists Average
Player (Team) G AST APG
1. Ticha Penicheiro (L.A. Sparks) 32 220 6.9
2. Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) 33 190 5.8
3. Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) 33 184 5.6
4. Becky Hammon (S.A. Silver Stars) 32 172 5.4
5. Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury) 32 161 5.0
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 25, 2010
- Diana Taurasi Captures 2010 Peak Performer Award - Phoenix Mercury
- Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, and Ticha Penicheiro Capture 2010 WNBA Peak Performer Awards - WNBA
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