Jackson and Leslie named Bud Light Peak Performers
Published on September 26, 2004 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, September 26 â The WNBA announced today that Seattle's Lauren Jackson and Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie have been named the league's 2004 Bud Light Peak Performers for scoring and rebounding, respectively.
The program honors the league's leading scorer and top rebounder during the regular season. Bud Light will award $12,500 each to Jackson and Leslie, with a portion of those proceeds going to a charity of their choice.
Leslie led the WNBA in rebounding for the second time in her career (1998) averaging 9.9 rebounds per game. She set a league record for most defensive rebounds in a season (336), and is the WNBA record holder for most rebounds in a career with 2,292.
Jackson led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season with 20.5 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 84 consecutive games and is on track to break former Houston Comets star Cynthia Cooper's league record of 92 straight games early in the 2005 season. Jackson's career scoring average of 18.6 points per game is the second highest in WNBA history.
One of the founding partners of the WNBA, Bud Light is the league's official beer sponsor. The Bud Light Peak Performers program is part of Bud Light's $100,000 commitment to WNBA players.
In addition to the $25,000 awarded to the Bud Light Peak Performers, Bud Light will award cash prizes to the players on the All-WNBA First and Second Teams presented by Bud Light prior to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on October 8. Each first team player will receive $10,000 and each second team player will receive $5,000.
2004 WNBA Bud Light Peak Performers â Final Statistics
Top Five: Scoring Average
Player (Team) Gms FG FT Pts PPG
1. Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm) 31 220 142 634 20.5
2. Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) 26 180 116 520 20.0
3. Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) 34 223 146 598 17.6
4. Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) 34 209 98 578 17.0
5. Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) 34 180 152 568 16.7
Top Five: Rebounding Average
Player (Team) Gms OR ORPG DR DRPG TOT RPG
1. Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) 34 60 1.8 276 8.1 336 9.9
2. Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock) 31 104 3.4 193 6.2 297 9.6
3. Michelle Snow (Houston Comets) 31 62 2.0 177 5.7 239 7.7
4. Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) 34 79 2.3 170 5.0 249 7.3
5. Elena Baranova (New York Liberty) 34 33 1.0 213 6.3 246 7.2
5. Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento Monarchs) 34 122 3.6 124 3.6 246 7.2
Four networks will carry 2004 WNBA Playoffs action, which tips off on September 24. ABC, ESPN2, NBA TV and Oxygen provide coverage through the Conference Finals. The 2004 WNBA Finals will be televised exclusively on ESPN2. For more information, go to WNBA.com.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 26, 2004
- Lisa Leslie named 2004 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year - WNBA
- Jackson and Leslie named Bud Light Peak Performers - WNBA
- Nikki Teasley named Cascade Dish & Assist Award winner - WNBA
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