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Women's National Basketball Association

Los Angeles' Carol Ross Named 2012 WNBA Coach of the Year

October 7, 2012 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2012 - The Los Angeles Sparks' coach Carol Ross is the recipient of the 2012 WNBA Coach of the Year Award, the league announced today. Ross received 15 votes from a national panel of 41 sportswriters and broadcasters. Connecticut's Mike Thibault, the 2006 winner, finished second with 12 votes, while Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve, the winner last season, received nine votes. Gary Kloppenburg of Tulsa (three votes) and Dan Hughes of San Antonio (two) rounded out the vote-getters.

Ross is the third member of the Los Angeles organization to receive WNBA honors in 2012. Last week, Sparks' guard Kristi Toliver was named the 2012 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Boost Mobile. Earlier today, forward Nneka Ogwumike was honored as the league's Rookie of the Year.

In 2012, the Sparks authored a significant turnaround, finishing the regular season with the league's third-best record (24-10) and earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference of the WNBA Playoffs presented by Boost Mobile. Los Angeles' nine-game improvement over last season (15-19) is the second-largest turnaround in franchise history. The Sparks are now taking on the Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference Semifinals.

WNBA success is not new to Ross, who, as an assistant with Atlanta under Marynell Meadors from 2009-11, helped the Dream earn a pair of Eastern Conference crowns and a berth in the WNBA Finals in each of the past two seasons. In 2009, her first campaign with the Dream, Ross helped build the framework of those championship-contending teams as Atlanta enjoyed a 14-game turnaround from its inaugural WNBA season of 2008, tied for second place in the Eastern Conference and earned a berth in the playoffs.

Not only have teams thrived with Ross on the sidelines but individual players have excelled as well, particularly in Los Angeles where Toliver flourished under the first-year head coach's tutelage. In her fourth season in the league, Toliver posted career highs in scoring (17.5 ppg, sixth best in the WNBA this year), field goal percentage (.491, 197-of-401), assists (4.9 apg), rebounds (3.2 rpg), and steals (1.3 apg). She scored 20-plus points in every game played in August and was honored as the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month presented by Boost Mobile.

Similarly, with Ross at the helm, Sparks forward Candace Parker returned to her All-Star form after a pair of injury shortened seasons and guard Alana Beard overcame career-threatening foot and ankle injuries to excel for Los Angeles. Parker led the league in blocks (2.3 bpg), ranked third in rebounds (9.7 rpg), and seventh in scoring (17.4 ppg). Beard, in her seventh season, registered the top three-point field goal percentage of her career (.402, 35-of-87), and her second best marks for field goal percentage (.436, 137-of-314) and free throw percentage (.795, 66-of-83). Ogwumike led all rookies in scoring (14 ppg), rebounds (7.5 rpg), and double-doubles (nine).

Prior to her tenure in WNBA, Ross amassed a 324-161 (.668) record in 16 seasons as an NCAA Division I head coach in the Southeastern Conference, guiding her teams to 12 NCAA Tournaments and two WNIT appearances. Twelve of those seasons (1990-02) were spent at the University of Florida - where she coached current Sparks forward DeLisha Milton-Jones, who would go on to become a two-time WNBA All-Star, win two WNBA championships, and earn a pair of Olympic gold medals.

Below are the voting results for 2011 WNBA Coach of the Year Award as well as a list of past recipients:

2012 WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR RESULTS

15 Carol Ross Los Angeles Sparks

12 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun

9 Cheryl Reeve Minnesota Lynx

3 Gary Kloppenburg Tulsa Shock

2 Dan Hughes San Antonio Silver Stars

WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2012 Carol Ross Los Angeles Sparks

2011 Cheryl Reeve Minnesota Lynx

2010 Brian Agler Seattle Storm

2009 Marynell Meadors Atlanta Dream

2008 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun

2007 Dan Hughes San Antonio Silver Stars

2006 Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun

2005 John Whisenant Sacramento Monarchs

2004 Suzie McConnell Serio Minnesota Lynx

2003 Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock

2002 Marianne Stanley Washington Mystics

2001 Dan Hughes Cleveland Rockers

2000 Michael Cooper Los Angeles Sparks

1999 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

1998 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

1997 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

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