Los Angeles center Lisa Leslie named WNBA Player of the Week
Published on September 7, 2004 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
NEW YORK, September 7 â Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was named the WNBA Player of the Week for games played Wednesday, September 1 through Sunday, September 5.
Leslie led the league in scoring average (26.5), ranked third in rebounds (9.5) and averaged 3.5 assists and 2.00 blocked shots on the week, while shooting 50.0 percent (18-of-36) from the field and 85.0 percent (17-of-20) from the free-throw line. The Sparks (21-7) went 2-0 on the week, and in the process, opened up a four-game lead with six games remaining on the second-place Seattle Storm. Leslie is currently the only player in the WNBA who is averaging a double-double on the season, as she leads the league in rebounding (10.0) and ranks eighth in scoring (16.7). She also leads the league in blocked shots (2.82), while ranking eighth in minutes played (33.8) and 16th in steals per game (1.43).
Leslie began the week versus the San Antonio Silver Stars on September 1 by scoring a game-high 27 points, pulling down 13 rebounds, handing out three assists and knocking down 13-of-14 shots from the free throw line in a 77-69 win. It was Leslie's 15th double-double of the season. Two days later, on September 3, she scored a game-high 26 points against the Seattle Storm, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists, recorded three blocked shots and sunk a key free throw with 10.5 seconds remaining in the game that lifted the Sparks to an 82-81 victory over the Storm.
Other candidates for WNBA Player of the Week were Charlotte's Dawn Staley, Connecticut's Katie Douglas, Detroit's Deanna Nolan, Houston's Michelle Snow, Indiana's Natalie Williams, New York's Crystal Robinson, Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Sacramento's Yolanda Griffith and Washington's Alana Beard.
Ratings for ABC's and ESPN2's telecasts of WNBA games are up 14 and 16 percent respectively from a year ago. The season-opening telecast featuring the Phoenix Mercury at the Connecticut Sun was the highest rated WNBA game (regular season or playoffs) ever on ABC, and the July 11 telecast featuring the Mercury at the New York Liberty was the highest rated WNBA regular season game ever on ESPN2. Total visits to the league's official web site, WNBA.com, have increased 10% over last season, with more than 4.5 million visits to date. For more information on the WNBA, visit WNBA.com.
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