WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty's Kia Vaughn Named Most Improved Player

Published on September 16, 2011 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2011 - New York Liberty center Kia Vaughn was named the 2011 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year, the league announced today. Vaughn received 15 out of 40 votes from a panel of local and national sportswriters and broadcasters, beating out Washington Mystics guard Matee Ajavon (10 points), Tulsa Shock forward Tiffany Jackson (10), Seattle Storm center Ashley Robinson (3), Atlanta Dream guard-forward Armintie Price (1), and .Chicago Sky guard Epiphanny Prince (1).

In her second WNBA season, Vaughn started all 34 games for the Liberty, recording career highs in points (10.1 ppg), rebounds (6.7 rpg), steals (1.2 spg), and assists (1.1 apg). Vaughn also shot career highs from the field (.497) and the free throw line (.786). She posted four points/rebounds double-doubles, and had a 10-game streak of double-digit scoring (June 30-July30). Vaughn led the Liberty in rebounds 12 times and in scoring on three occasions.

In a 94-82 win at Tulsa June 23, Vaughn scored a career-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds for her second straight double-double. On Sept. 9, she had 15 points and nine rebounds as the Liberty beat the first-place Indiana Fever 83-75.

A product of Rutgers University, Vaughn is the second straight Liberty player to earn Most Improved Player of the Year accolades (Leilani Mitchell, 2010) and the fourth in team history to receive the award. She also is the third player to win the award under the tutelage of head coach John Whisenant. It was during Whisenant's stint as head coach of the Sacramento Monarchs that Nicole Powell (now also with the Liberty) and Erin Bueshcer earned the award in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

In honor of being named the Most Improved Player of the Year, Vaughn will receive $5,000 and a trophy specially designed by Tiffany & Co.

Below are the complete voting results for the 2011 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award and a list of past recipients:

2011 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR RESULTS

15 Kia Vaughn New York Liberty

10 Matee Ajavon Washington Mystics

10 Tiffany Jackson Tulsa Shock

3 Ashley Robinson Seattle Storm

1 Armintie Price Atlanta Dream

1 Epiphanny Prince Chicago Sky

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2011 Kia Vaughn New York Liberty

2010 Leilani Mitchell New York Liberty

2009 Crystal Langhorne Washington Mystics

2008 Ebony Hoffman Indiana Fever

2007 Janel McCarville New York Liberty

2006 Erin Buescher Sacramento Monarchs

2005 Nicole Powell Sacramento Monarchs

2004 Wendy Palmer/Kelly Miller Connecticut Sun/Indiana Fever

2003 Michelle Snow Houston Comets

2002 Coco Miller Washington Mystics

2001 Janeth Arcain Houston Comets

2000 Tari Phillips New York Liberty

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