WNBA Newsletter
Published on July 7, 2009 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
Last Day to Stuff WNBA All-Star Ballots Balloting for the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game at Mohegan Sun Arena ends at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Fans of Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings, Lauren Jackson and Candice Dupree, among others, can solidify their favorite players' spots as starters in the game, while fans of players who trail in the balloting have only a few hours to push their stars over the top. After the first returns, Taurasi led all players while Catchings was the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference. Fans can vote for their favorite players via WNBA.com through 9 p.m. ET and can vote in-arena during Tuesday's games. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by July 8.
Indiana Fever Continue Record Hot Streak In homage to summer temperatures, the Indiana Fever are red hot right now. The Eastern Conference leaders set and then extended a franchise record for consecutive wins in the past week. The Fever beat the Connecticut Sun on July 2 behind Tammy Sutton-Brown's 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. On Sunday, they survived a scare from the Atlanta Dream for their eighth-straight win. For those wondering, the Fever have a long way to go to match the longest win-steak in league history which was set by the Los Angeles Sparks when they won 18 straight games in 2001.
Opportunistic defense and ball control have been the keys for the team's stretch during this stretch. In their eight wins, the team has forced 155 turnovers compared to their 121 turnovers committed. The Fever has also produced 98 steals, 40 more than their opponents in those games. For the year, their defense is averaging a league-best 69.6 points allowed and has a point differential of +4.8, also best in the WNBA.
The team will test its mettle soon with four of its next six games coming on the road. They will travel to Chicago for a matchup Friday against the Sky, who are undefeated at home and sit in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Sun Surge in the Standings The Connecticut Sun have recovered from a slow start to the season and have been climbing the Eastern Conference Standings. After beginning 1-3, the Sun have won four of five and are now tied with Washington for third place in the conference. On Sunday, the team vanquished Eastern Conference rival Detroit behind a 23-point effort by Sandrine Gruda who had just joined the team following the 2009 European Women's Basketball Tournament.
Mercury Regain First Place A week ago, the Phoenix Mercury were looking up at the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm in the Western Conference standings. Following wins over Seattle and the Los Angeles Sparks,coupled with a Minnesota loss to Sacramento, the highest-scoring team in the WNBA leapfrogged the Lynx and Storm on the way to first place.
Rookie DeWanna Bonner continued to make her case for Rookie of the Year Sunday with her third double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) while Cappie Pondexter, Western Conference Player of the Week, recorded a double-double of her own (22 points, 11 rebounds) against the Storm.
Candace Parker Returns Against Phoenix Reigning WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year - and new mother - Candace Parker made her 2009 debut Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury. After sitting out the first eight games of the season, Parker played 20 minutes and managed to score six points and pull in four rebounds. After the game, she admitted that she has not yet regained her pre-maternity athleticism and will have to make adjustments until it returns. Parker will next take the court with the Sparks against the New York Liberty on Thursday July 9 at New York, the first game of a seven-game roadtrip.
Plank, Taylor and Harding Return to Minnesota When the Washington Mystics visit the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, three current Mystics will return to the city they once called home. General Manager Angela Taylor, Head Coach Julie Plank and guard Lindsey Harding were all members of the 2008 Minnesota Lynx. Taylor spent two and a half seasons as the vice president of business development while Plank was an assistant coach with current Minnesota Head Coach Jen Gillom for one season. Harding, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 WNBA Draft by Phoenix, spent two seasons with the Lynx after she was traded to Minnesota on Draft day. The teams tip off at the Target Center at 8 p.m. ET.
Around the WNBA
Tammy Sutton-Brown and Cappie Pondexter were named WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played June 29 through July 5. The Phoenix Mercury outrebounded the Los Angeles Sparks by a 40-31 margin. It marked only the third time (all wins) the team had outrebounded its opponent in 2009. The Sacramento Monarchs won their first road game of the season at Minnesota on July 2. The game marked the first time the Lynx lost a game in which they led after three quarters. Only three teams (Detroit, San Antonio and Los Angeles) remain winless on the road. Against Chicago, the San Antonio Silver Stars had five players in double figures for the first time this season. Becky Hammon tied a career high with 10 assists against the Sky. Cappie Pondexter (107 games) became the second-fastest player (Diana Taurasi, 104 games) to reach 2,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in her career. Rookie Briann January hit a running buzzer beater from just over half court right before halftime against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. Rookie Shavonte Zellous scored 20 points in Detroit's loss to Connecticut. It marked the third time in four games she's scored 18 or more points off the bench. Today's Quotes MICHAEL COOPER on Candace Parker not playing basketball for 10 months: "I wish Michael Jordan could give birth and come out and play. The only thing he had to do was fight a cold and then throw up against Utah [in the 1998 NBA Finals]. He's not half the woman that Candace is." Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2009 CANDACE PARKER on growing up with the WNBA: "I don't remember there not being a league. And that's a great thing." Associated Press, July 7, 2009
TAMMY SUTTON-BROWN on Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas opening up defenses for her: "With stars like them, they attract so much attention that it opens up the game for the rest of us." Indianapolis Star, July 6, 2009
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 7, 2009
- It's All About Green - Chicago Sky
- Storm to Celebrate Go Green Night on Thursday July 9th - Seattle Storm
- Seimone Augustus Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery - Minnesota Lynx
- Injury Report: Sylvia Fowles - Chicago Sky
- WNBA Newsletter - WNBA
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
