Atlanta's McCoughtry, San Antonio's Hammon Named Players of the Week
August 1, 2011 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, August 1, 2011 - Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream and Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars were named the WNBA's Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, July 25 through Sunday, July 31.
McCoughtry led the WNBA in scoring with 31.7 points per game, while also averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals. In the process, the University of Louisville product led the Dream to a 2-1 record. This marks McCoughtry's second straight Player of the Week honor and her fourth overall in three WNBA seasons.
McCoughtry began last week with a season-high 37 points, to go along with four rebounds and three steals in a 76-68 road win over the Tulsa Shock. The scoring barrage included an 11-for-22 effort from the field and a 15-for-19 effort on free throws. McCoughtry closed the week by converting 14-of-27 shots and 7-of-9 free throws for 36 points in a 99-92 road loss to the division rival Connecticut Sun. In between, McCoughtry put together a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in an 89-80 win over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks that also saw her contribute seven assists.
For the season, McCoughtry ranks second in the league in scoring (19.8 ppg), trailing only the Phoenix Mercury's Diana Taurasi (20.2 ppg). Her 2.4 spg rank second, trailing Chicago's Epiphanny Prince (2.9 spg). The recent All-Star selection is also contributing 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Like McCoughtry, Hammon guided San Antonio to a 2-1 record on the week and logged a season-best scoring effort in the process.
After registering 22 points, five rebounds and three steals in a 73-67 win at Washington to open the week, Hammon put up a game-high 33 points - the most by a Silver Star this season - in a 102-91 win over visiting Phoenix on July 28. In addition to her 33 points (which included a 7-for-10 stat line on three-point attempts and a 6-for-6 effort from the foul line), the 13th-year pro also contributed a season-high seven assists plus four rebounds and two steals in helping down the Mercury. She then closed out the week with 15 points (including a 4-for-5 effort from three-point range) and six assists in a 70-69 defeat at the hands of the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx.
For the Colorado State product, who has the Silver Stars in second place in the Western Conference at 11-6, this marks the first Player of the Week honor this season, and the seventh of her career.
Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Chicago's Sylvia Fowles, Connecticut's Tina Charles, Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen, Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Seattle's Sue Bird, and Washington's Crystal Langhorne.
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