Atlanta's Sancho Lyttle And Phoenix's Diana Taurasi Named Players Of The Week
August 17, 2009 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2009 - Sancho Lyttle of the Atlanta Dream and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury were named the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, August 10 through Sunday, August 16.
Sancho Lyttle wins the first Player of the Week award of her career following a week in which she averaged 15.0 points on 46.2 percent shooting (12-26), 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. She was third in the Eastern Conference in rebounding and steals and was one of three players in the conference to average a double-double. She led the Dream into sole possession of second place in the East after a perfect 2-0 week with wins over the Detroit Shock and Seattle Storm.
Against the Storm, Lyttle matched her season-high with 20 points on 52.9 percent (9-17) shooting while pulling down eight rebounds. She also had three steals with no turnovers against Atlanta's second-place counterpart from the Western Conference. Lyttle recorded a double-double earlier in the week with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Shock.
In her first season with the Dream, Lyttle was named to her first All-Star Game. She's averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season, all career highs. She currently ranks in the top five among qualified WNBA league leaders in rebounds and steals.
Taurasi wins her 10th Player of the Week award and her first in 2009. She led the league in scoring this week with 25.0 points on 53.1 percent shooting (17-32) and averaged 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds. She helped the team to a 1-1 record with a win at home against San Antonio in a home-and-home series. With her 25.0 points per game this week, she re-took the league lead in scoring (20.8 ppg) for the season over Becky Hammon (20.1 ppg).
In the Phoenix win over San Antonio, Taurasi scored 29 points on 47.4 percent (9-19) shooting while collecting six rebounds, handing out six assists and blocking two shots. She also went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. She followed up that game with 21 points, including 12 points on 80.0 percent (4-5) shooting from three-point range, in the loss.
Taurasi becomes the fourth player (Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Tamika Catchings) in league history to win 10 or more Player of the Week awards. She is a four-time WNBA All-Star, four-time All-WNBA First Team selection, two-time league scoring champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. In addition to her 20.8 points per game, Taurasi is averaging 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 2009.
Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Chicago's Sylvia Fowles, Indiana's Tamika Catchings, New York's Janel McCarville, Sacramento's Rebekkah Brunson, San Antonio's Sophia Young and Seattle's Lauren Jackson.
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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 17, 2009
- Sparks to host Fiesta Night and celebrate inspiring women - Los Angeles Sparks
- Candace Parker named to 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team - Los Angeles Sparks
- Shock acquire forward Crystal Kelly from Sacramento - Detroit Shock
- Diana Taurasi named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week - Phoenix Mercury
- Monarchs Acquire Guard Kristin Haynie From Detroit In Exchange For Forward Crystal Kelly - Sacramento Monarchs
- Dream's Sancho Lyttle Named Eastern Conference Player Of The Week - Atlanta Dream
- Atlanta's Sancho Lyttle And Phoenix's Diana Taurasi Named Players Of The Week - WNBA
- Jones To Miss Two Weeks - Connecticut Sun
- Chicago Sky To Call Allstate Arena Home Beginning In 2010 - Chicago Sky
- Fever: Radio Changes - Indiana Fever
- Catchings Named to USA Women's National Team - Indiana Fever
- Monarchs' Lawson Named to 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team - Sacramento Monarchs
- Eight Olympic Gold Medalists Named To 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team - Phoenix Mercury
- Lynx Forward Seimone Augustus Named to 2009-12 USA Basketball Women's National Team - Minnesota Lynx
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