WNBA Women's National Basketball Association

Detroit's Deanna Nolan And Los Angeles' Candace Parker Named Players Of The Week

September 14, 2009 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2009 - Deanna Nolan of the Detroit Shock and Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks were named the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, September 7 through Sunday, September 13.

Deanna Nolan wins her third consecutive Player of the Week award and the sixth of her career to become the second player in league history (Cappie Pondexter, 2009) to win three straight awards. She averaged 20.7 points on 40.8 percent (20-49) shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while leading the Shock to a 2-1 record. She boosted the Shock to wins over the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky and helped Detroit secure its seventh consecutive playoff berth.

Against the Liberty, Nolan tied her season high with 34 points. She shot 64.7 percent (11-17) from the field in the game, including six three-pointers. In the season finale against the Sky, she scored 19 points, including 13 in the third quarter, while leading Detroit back from a 19-point halftime deficit. She also pulled down eight rebounding in the win.

Nolan is a four-time All-WNBA selection and WNBA All-Star. She has won three championships with Detroit and has been a member of seven Shock playoff teams (2003-09). She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2006. Nolan averaged a career-high 16.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2009.

Parker wins her third career Player of the Week award and second of 2009 after a week in averaging 16.3 points, a league-leading 13.7 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, also a league best, and 2.3 assists. She led the team to a 3-0 week, including wins over San Antonio and Phoenix.

Parker collected 13 or more rebounds in each of her three games, including 14 rebounds in her final two games to tie her season high. Against the Mercury, she set her season high for points with 24. She posted three double-doubles this week to close out the season with six consecutive double-doubles. Parker also handed out five assists against Minnesota and blocked four shots against San Antonio.

Parker averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks in 2009. She led the WNBA in double-doubles with 15 despite missing eight games at the beginning of the season due to the birth of her first child. Parker, the top pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft, won the 2008 WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year awards and a gold medal with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were New York's Shameka Christon, Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter, Sacramento's Nicole Powell, San Antonio's Shanna Crossley, Seattle's and Washington's Lindsey Harding.

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