WNBA Storylines
Published on June 29, 2004 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
6/25 â Indiana (7-6, T1st in East) at Detroit (7-6, T1st in East) â 7:30 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Third of four meetings.
June 9 at Indiana Shock 83 â Fever 79
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040609/DETIND/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040609/DETIND/recap.html
June 12 at Detroit Shock 72 â Fever 68
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040612/INDDET/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040612/INDDET/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS The top rebounder in the game takes the court in Detroit's Cheryl Ford. She is tied for the league lead in rebounds per game at 10.7, and also ranks first all-time in rebounds per game (10.5).
The Indiana Fever's Tamika Catchings offensive numbers have slipped slightly when compared to last season. Her scoring average is down 2.4 points per game (19.7 to 17.3) and her rebound average is down 1.5 per game. Her field goal percentage (43.2 to 40.5) and three-point field goal percentage (38.7 to 34.2) have dropped off as well.
Detroit has four players averaging double figures in scoring â Swin Cash (17.7), Deanna Nolan (14.7), Ruth Riley (11.0) and Ford (10.1). The only other team in the WNBA with that many double-figure scorers on its roster is Connecticut.
Indiana needed a third-scoring option this year, and Kelly Miller, acquired in a trade from Charlotte in the offseason, has filled the role averaging a career-high 10.7 points per game while hitting 35.7 percent of her three-point field goals.
None of the Fever's starters is shooting better than 41.2 percent from the field â Natalie Williams (41.2), Catchings (40.5), Ebony Hoffman (37.1), Kelly Miller (36.5) and Deanna Jackson (35.3).
TEAM TRENDS After winning six of seven games, the Shock looked like they were ready to run away from the pack in the East, but they have lost their last two games and three of their last four. Their last five losses have come by 2, 4, 6, 2 and 3 points.
In Saturday's 46-37 loss to Charlotte, the Fever hit just 18.8 percent of their shots â the second lowest field goal percentage in one game in WNBA history. Their 37 points were the fourth fewest in a game in league history.
The Fever rank first in the WNBA in rebound percentage (52.9), is second in offensive rebound percentage (36.6) and sixth in defensive rebounding percentage (69.1). The Shock rank fourth in the league in rebound percentage (51.5), third in offensive rebound percentage (34.9) and seventh in defensive rebound percentage (68.1).
Detroit's Achilles Heal on offense last season was turnovers, as they averaged a league-high 17.9 per game. This season, they are tied for a more respectable seventh at 14.2 turnovers per game.
KEY STATISTICS
Indiana Offensive Efficiency â 98.4, T2nd Defensive Efficiency â 95.9, 10th
Scoring Differential â +1.2, 4th Pace â 66.0, 12th
Reb Pct. â .529, 1st Off. Reb. Pct. â .366, 2nd Def. Reb. Pct. â .691, 6th
Detroit Offensive Efficiency â 96.9, 4th Defensive Efficiency â 94.6, 7th
Scoring Differential â +1.7, 2nd Pace â 72.3, 4th
Reb Pct. â .515, 4th Off. Reb. Pct. â .349, 3rd Def. Reb. Pct. â .681, 7th
6/29 â Phoenix (6-7, 4th in West) at San Antonio (5-9, 7th in West) â 8 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of four meetings.
June 26 at Phoenix Silver Stars 80 â Mercury 72
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040626/SANPHO/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040626/SANPHO/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS San Antonio's Marie Ferdinand is putting up All-Star numbers again ranking 16th in the league in scoring (12.9) and third in steals (2.21) while connecting on a career-best 37.0 percent of her three-pointers.
The Dispersal Draft was kind to both the Silver Stars and the Mercury, San Antonio's selection, LaToya Thomas, has scored in double figures in all but one game, and ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, while Phoenix's pick, Penny Taylor, is averaging 13.4 points per game, hitting 49.6 percent of her field goal attempts and 41.9 percent of her three pointers.
Phoenix's Diana Taurasi has been every bit as good as advertised this season, and ranks fifth in the WNBA in scoring (18.1), 19th in three-point field goal percentage (37.5), 12th in assists (3.6), and third in minutes played (36.5).
The WNBA's all-time leader in blocked shots, Margo Dydek, is struggling in 2004. She is averaging 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.50 blocked shots per game while hitting 43.2 percent of her field goal attempts. Over her past four games, however, she is averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.25 blocks per game
Mercury guard Anna DeForge is proving her 2003 season was no fluke ranking 11th in the WNBA in assists (3.7) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (42.4) while averaging 12.7 points per game.
TEAM TRENDS The Mercury have the second most efficient offense in the league this season averaging 98.4 points per 100 possessions while the Silver Stars rank 12th in the league at 90.7.
The Mercury is second in the WNBA in field goal percentage (43.4) and second in three-point field goal percentage (38.9). They also rank last in opponents field goal percentage, permitting the opposition to connect at a 45.0 percent clip. San Antonio connected on 52.8 percent of its shots in an 80-72 win over Phoenix June 26.
The Silver Stars ended an eight-game losing streak on June 24 vs. Minnesota and have now won two in a row following their Saturday night win over the Mercury. They averaged just 56.9 points per game during their eight-game slide, but averaged 75 points in their wins over the Lynx and Phoenix.
The Silver Stars had the worst field goal percentage in the league for much of the season, but now rank 10th in the WNBA in that category.
KEY STATISTICS
Phoenix Offensive Efficiency â 98.4, 2nd Defensive Efficiency â 96.8, 14th
Scoring Differential â +0.9, 5th Pace â 68.1, 10th
Reb Pct. â .465, 13th Off. Reb. Pct. â .282, 10th Def. Reb. Pct. â .649, 13th
San Antonio Offensive Efficiency â 90.7, 12th Defensive Efficiency â 95.0, 9th
Scoring Differential â - 2.9, 11th Pace â 67.5, 11th
Reb Pct. â .503, 7th Off. Reb. Pct. â .334, 5th Def. Reb. Pct. â .671, 8th
6/29 â New York (7-7, 5th in East) at Los Angeles (9-6, 2nd in West) â 10:30 p.m. ET (NBATV)
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of two meetings.
June 22 at New York Sparks 65 â Liberty 49
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040622/LASNYL/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040622/LASNYL/recap.html.
A rematch of the 2002 WNBA Finals which the Sparks won 2 games to 1.
PLAYER TRENDS Two rookies are making names for themselves with New York. DeTrina White is second among rookies, and third on the Liberty, in rebounds per game with 5.1, and Shameka Christon's 5.4 points per game rank fifth among rookies.
Sparks point guard Nikki Teasley is threatening to unseat Sacramento point guard Ticha Penicheiro's stranglehold on the top spot on the league's assist-per game charts. Penicheiro has led the league in assists per game in each of her six seasons in the WNBA, but Teasley is second in the league in 2004 at 5.5 per game.
Sparks' center Lisa Leslie is averaging 11.3 rebounds over her last 12 games and now ranks second to Detroit's Cheryl Ford for the league lead in rebounds (10.1). She also is leading the W in blocked shots (2.80), threatening to end San Antonio's Margo Dydek's six-year stranglehold on that title.
New York's Elena Baranova is enjoying her second season for the Liberty. She is leading New York starters in rebounding (6.3), field goal percentage (48.7), three-point field goal percentage (46.9) and blocked shots (2.21).
TEAM TRENDS After dropping six straight games following a 6-1 start, and delaying head coach Richia Adubato's 100th win celebration, the New York Liberty finally ended its skid with a road win over West-leading Seattle. The Liberty gave up 71.2 points per game during their losing streak, but held the Storm to just 62 points in the victory.
The Sparks have split their last four games after running off four games in a row. After allowing 75.3 points per game during the first seven games of the season, Los Angeles had held the opposition to 65.8 points per game over its last eight games.
Los Angeles is the best three-point shooting team in the WNBA, hitting 38.9 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc, while New York is the third best team in the league at defending the three (32.2).
Despite the Liberty's recent losing streak, they are still second in the league in defensive field goal percentage holding the opposition to 38.9 percent shooting.
.
KEY STATISTICS
New York Offensive Efficiency â 92.1, 12th Defensive Efficiency â 94.3, 6th
Scoring Differential â - 1.0, 10th Pace â 69.4, 7th
Reb Pct. â .467, 12th Off. Reb. Pct. â .276, 11th Def. Reb. Pct. â .658, 11th
Los Angeles Offensive Efficiency â 94.6, 5th Defensive Efficiency â 93.1, T2th
Scoring Differential â +1.4, 3rd Pace â 75.7, 1st
Reb Pct. â .509, 5th Off. Reb. Pct. â .312, 7th Def. Reb. Pct. â .705, 3rd
6/30 â Washington (5-7, 6th in East) at Connecticut (8-7, 4th in East) â 7 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Third of four meetings.
June 4 at Washington Sun 72 â Mystics 63
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040604/CONWAS/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040604/CONWAS/recap.html
June 20 at Connecticut Sun 75 â Mystics 65
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040620/WASCON/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040620/WASCON/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS The Connecticut Sun are one of only two teams with four players scoring in double figures â Nykesha Sales (15.6), Katie Douglas (11.8), Taj McWilliams-Franklin (11.2) and Wendy Palmer (10.3). The other team is the Detroit Shock.
After hitting 39.5 percent of her field goal attempts and 21.7 percent of her three-pointers in 2003, Wendy Palmer is connecting on 47.5 percent of her field goal attempts and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc in 2004. She is also averaging more rebounds per game (6.3) than she has since 2001, while her turnovers per game are at an all-time low (1.00).
Washington's Chamique Holdsclaw is trying to become just the third player in WNBA history to score 20 or more points in back-to-back seasons. Cynthia Cooper accomplished the feat in 1997-99 and Katie Smith duplicated the feat in 2000-01. Holdsclaw is leading the league averaging 21.1 points per game.
Washington's Kiesha Brown ranks second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (53.3) after connecting on 9.1 percent of her shots during her rookie campaign and 30.3 percent of her shots in 2003.
Sun rookie Lindsay Whalen took over the league lead in assists per game over last week by averaging 10.0 assists in Connecticut's three games. Her 5.5 assists per game are percentage points ahead of Nikki Teasley and Elaine Powell.
Washington's Stacey Dales-Schuman is averaging 13.8 points per game and connecting on 64.7 percent of her field goal attempts over her last four contests.
TEAM TRENDS Connecticut ranks third in the league in three-point attempts per game (14.9) while the Mystics utilize the three as a weapon less than all but two teams in the league (9.8).
Washington has struggled defensively this season permitting opponents to connect on 43.8 percent of their field goal attempts (11th in the league) and 40.0 percent of their three-point field goal attempts (13th).
The Sun have won four straight games, and over their last five games, they are allowing opponents to score just 65.0 points per game.
Three of the Mystics four wins have been by three points or less, and their 3-1 mark in Close Games is second only to the Los Angeles Sparks' 4-0 mark and Charlotte's 2-0 record.
KEY STATISTICS
Washington Offensive Efficiency â 93.1, 9th Defensive Efficiency â 96.7, 12th
Scoring Differential â - 3.4, 12th Pace â 72.8, 3rd
Reb Pct. â .508, 6th Off. Reb. Pct. â .287, 9th Def. Reb. Pct. â .729, 1st
Connecticut Offensive Efficiency â 94.4, 6th Defensive Efficiency â 94.2, 5th
Scoring Differential â +0.5, 6th Pace â 72.9, 2nd
Reb Pct. â .497, 9th Off. Reb. Pct. â .269, 13th Def. Reb. Pct. â .726, 2nd
6/30 â Houston (8-7, 3rd in West) at Minnesota (5-8, 6th in West) â 10 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of four meetings.
June 19 at Minnesota Lynx 66 â Comets 58
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040604/CONWAS/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040604/CONWAS/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS Minnesota's Katie Smith recently passed the 3,000 point mark in her career, and now trails Andrea Stinson of Charlotte by 138 points for third place on the all-time scoring list. Despite reaching that plateau, Smith is struggling offensively this season. Her 16.46 points per game is her lowest scoring average since 1999 â her first season in the WNBA. Her field goal percentage is also at its lowest point (39.0) since 1999.
Houston's Tina Thompson (on the IL the last five games) and Sheryl Swoopes are second (20.6) and seventh (17.2) respectively in points per game, and second (37.3) and first (37.4) in minutes per game.
Comets' center Michelle Snow is averaging 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds over her last four games.
Lynx rookie Nicole Ohlde leads all first-year players in rebounds per game (6.1), is second among rookie in scoring (10.7), fourth in assists per game (1.8) and is first in blocked shots (1.23). Her rebound average ranks 16th in the entire league and her blocked shots average ranks 11th.
Comets point guard Sheila Lambert is enjoying her best WNBA season averaging career-highs in scoring (5.7), assists (2.5), field goal percentage (57.1) and three-point field goal percentage (60.0).
The Lynx Tamika Williams is attempting to become the second player in WNBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage in back-to-back seasons (2003 â 66.8, 2004 â 57.1). Murriel Page was the first to accomplish the feat (99-00).
TEAM TRENDS The Lynx are also struggling on the offensive end with the least efficient offense in the WNBA at 88.7 points per 100 possessions.
Houston ranks first in the league in defensive efficiency allowing just 92.0 points per 100 possessions. They ranked second in the WNBA in 2003 (94.1), first in 2002 (88.4), third in 2001 (92.4), first in 2000 (91.0), first in 1999 (92.4), first in 1998 (88.3) and third in 1997 (90.5).
The Lynx perimeter defense is leading the WNBA in opponents three-point field goal percentage permitting the opposition to connect on just 30.2 percent of their long-range attempts. Their struggles on offense are due largely to their inability to take care of the basketball â the Lynx are averaging a league-high 18.5 turnovers per game and turn the ball over on more than 26 percent of their possessions.
Losses in three of their last five games have dropped the Comets to third in the West. The team is 10th in the league in Offensive Efficiency (92.3 points scored per 100 possessions) and has cracked the 70-point barrier just twice this season.
KEY STATISTICS
Houston Offensive Efficiency â 92.3, 10th Defensive Efficiency â 92.0, 1st
Scoring Differential â 0.0, 7th Pace â 68.4, 8th
Reb Pct. â .484, 10th Off. Reb. Pct. â .275, 12th Def. Reb. Pct. â .695, 5th
Minnesota Offensive Efficiency â 88.7, 13th Defensive Efficiency â 94.8, 8th
Scoring Differential â - 4.0, 13th Pace â 70.0, 6th
Reb Pct. â .498, 8th Off. Reb. Pct. â .332, 6th Def. Reb. Pct. â .665, 9th
7/1 â Phoenix (6-7, 4th in West) at Charlotte (7-6, T1st in East) â 7 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of two meetings.
June 11 at Phoenix Sting 59 â Mercury 51
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040611/CHAPHO/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040611/CHAPHO/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS Phoenix's Penny Taylor, selected in the off-season Dispersal Draft, is averaging 13.4 points per game, hitting 49.6 percent of her field goal attempts and 41.9 percent of her three pointers.
Sting rookie Nicole Powell leads the WNBA in three-point field goal percentage connecting on 60.0 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. No rookie has finished in the top-10 in that category since Portland's Jackie Stiles finished sixth in 2001 (43.1).
Phoenix's Diana Taurasi has been every bit as good as advertised this season, and ranks fifth in the WNBA in scoring (18.1), 19th in three-point field goal percentage (37.5), 12th in assists (3.6), and third in minutes played (36.5).
Charlotte's Tammy Sutton-Brown and Charlotte Smith-Taylor rank fifth (49.5) and eighth (47.7) respectively in field goal percentage.
Mercury guard Anna DeForge is proving her 2003 season was no fluke ranking 11th in the WNBA in assists (3.7) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (42.4) while averaging 12.7 points per game.
TEAM TRENDS The Mercury have the second most efficient offense in the league this season averaging 98.4 points per 100 possessions while the Sting have the fourth most efficient defense at 93.7 points allowed per 100 possessions.
The Sting has won five of its last six games holding opposing defenses to just 55.1 points per game during that stretch including a season-low 37 points allowed to the Indiana Fever on Saturday evening.
Charlotte is third in the WNBA in field goal percentage connecting on 42.9 percent of its attempts, and first in defensive field goal percentage permitting opponents to connect on 38.9 percent of their attempts.
The Mercury is second in the WNBA in field goal percentage (43.4) and second in three-point field goal percentage (38.9). They also rank last in opponents field goal percentage, permitting the opposition to connect at a 45.0 percent clip.
.
KEY STATISTICS
Phoenix Offensive Efficiency â 98.4, 2nd Defensive Efficiency â 96.8, 14th
Scoring Differential â +0.9, 5th Pace â 68.1, 10th
Reb Pct. â .465, 13th Off. Reb. Pct. â .282, 10th Def. Reb. Pct. â .649, 13th
Charlotte Offensive Efficiency â 94.1, 7th Defensive Efficiency â 93.7, 4th
Scoring Differential â - 0.3, 8th Pace â 63.9, 13th
Reb Pct. â .476, 11th Off. Reb. Pct. â .292, 8th Def. Reb. Pct. â .661, 10th
7/1 â Indiana (7-6, T1st in East) at Washington (5-7, 6th in East) â 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of four meetings.
May 23 at Indiana Mystics 68 â Fever 67
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040523/WASIND/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040523/WASIND/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS Washington's Chamique Holdsclaw is trying to become just the third player in WNBA history to score 20 or more points in back-to-back seasons. Cynthia Cooper accomplished the feat in 1997-99 and Katie Smith duplicated the feat in 2000-01. Holdsclaw is leading the league averaging 21.1 points per game.
The Indiana Fever's Tamika Catchings offensive numbers have slipped slightly when compared to last season. Her scoring average is down 2.4 points per game (19.7 to 17.3) and her rebound average is down 1.5 per game. Her field goal percentage (43.2 to 40.5) and three-point field goal percentage (38.7 to 34.2) have dropped off as well.
Washington's Kiesha Brown ranks second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (53.3) after connecting on 9.1 percent of her shots during her rookie campaign and 30.3 percent of her shots in 2003.
Indiana needed a third-scoring option this year, and Kelly Miller, acquired in a trade from Charlotte in the offseason, has filled the role averaging a career-high 10.7 points per game while hitting 35.7 percent of her three-point field goals.
Washington's Stacey Dales-Schuman is averaging 13.8 points per game and connecting on 64.7 percent of her field goal attempts over her last four contests.
None of the Fever's starters is shooting better than 41.2 percent from the field â Natalie Williams (41.2), Catchings (40.5), Ebony Hoffman (37.1), Kelly Miller (36.5) and Deanna Jackson (35.3).
TEAM TRENDS Indiana ranks fourth in the league in three-point attempts per game (14.1) while the Mystics utilize the three as a weapon less than all but two teams (9.8).
In Saturday's 46-37 loss to Charlotte, the Fever hit just 18.8 percent of their shots â the second lowest field goal percentage in one game in WNBA history. Their 37 points were the fourth fewest in a game in league history.
The Fever rank first in the WNBA in rebound percentage (52.9), is second in offensive rebound percentage (36.6) and sixth in defensive rebounding percentage (69.1). The Mystics rank sixth in the league in rebound percentage (50.8), and first in defensive rebound percentage (62.9).
Washington has struggled defensively this season permitting opponents to connect on 43.8 percent of their field goal attempts (11th in the league) and 40.0 percent of their three-point field goal attempts (13th).
Three of the Mystics four wins have been by three points or less, and their 3-1 mark in Close Games is second only to the Sparks (4-0) and Sting (2-0).
KEY STATISTICS
Indiana Offensive Efficiency â 98.4, T2nd Defensive Efficiency â 95.9, 10th
Scoring Differential â +1.2, 4th Pace â 66.0, 12th
Reb Pct. â .529, 1st Off. Reb. Pct. â .366, 2nd Def. Reb. Pct. â .691, 6th
Washington Offensive Efficiency â 93.1, 9th Defensive Efficiency â 96.7, 12th
Scoring Differential â - 3.4, 12th Pace â 72.8, 3rd
Reb Pct. â .508, 6th Off. Reb. Pct. â .287, 9th Def. Reb. Pct. â .729, 1st
7/1 â New York (7-7, 6th in East) at Sacramento (5-7, 5th in West) â 10 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS First of two meetings.
PLAYER TRENDS Two rookies are making names for themselves with New York. DeTrina White is second among rookies, and third on the Liberty, in rebounds per game with 5.1, and Shameka Christon's 5.4 points per game rank fifth among rookies.
Sacramento's Ticha Penicheiro has led the W in assists per game in each of her six seasons on the league, but she currently ranks sixth in the league with just 4.6 assists per game.
The Monarchs 34-year-old Yolanda Griffith is 10th in the league in scoring (15.1), third in field goal percentage (49.6), fourth in rebound per game (8.4), sixth in blocks per game (1.58) and second in steals per game (2.33).
New York's Elena Baranova is enjoying her second season for the Liberty. She is leading New York starters in rebounding (6.3), field goal percentage (48.7), three-point field goal percentage (46.9) and blocked shots (2.21).
TEAM TRENDS After dropping six straight games following a 6-1 start, and delaying head coach Richia Adubato's 100th win celebration, the New York Liberty finally ended its skid with a road win over West-leading Seattle. The Liberty gave up 71.2 points per game during their losing streak, but held the Storm to just 62 points in the victory.
Sacramento is last in the WNBA in three-point field goal percentage (30.1) and 11th in field goal percentage (40.1)
The Monarchs force the most turnovers per game at 17.8 per game, and also are the best offensive rebounding team in the league in terms of offensive rebound percentage (39.9). They rank second in the league in rebound percentage (52.6) while New York is 12th in the league in that category (46.7) and offensive rebound percentage (27.6) and 11th in defensive rebound percentage (65.8)
Despite the Liberty's recent losing streak, they are still second in the league in defensive field goal percentage (38.9) and third in defensive three point field goal percentage (32.2) , while Sacramento ranks 12th in the league in defensive field goal percentage (44.6) and defensive three-point field goal percentage (38.7).
KEY STATISTICS
New York Offensive Efficiency â 92.1, 12th Defensive Efficiency â 94.3, 6th
Scoring Differential â - 1.0, 10th Pace â 69.4, 7th
Reb Pct. â .467, 12th Off. Reb. Pct. â .276, 11th Def. Reb. Pct. â .658, 11th
Sacramento Offensive Efficiency â 93.8, 8th Defensive Efficiency â 96.0, 11th
Scoring Differential â - 0.8, 9th Pace â 68.3, 9th
Reb Pct. â .526, 2nd Off. Reb. Pct. â .399, 1st Def. Reb. Pct. â .654, 12th
7/1 â San Antonio (5-9, 7th in West) at Seattle (8-4, 1st in West) â 10 p.m. ET
PRIOR MEETINGS Second of three meetings.
June 19 at San Antonio Storm 74 â Silver Stars 61
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040619/SEASAN/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20040619/SEASAN/recap.html
PLAYER TRENDS San Antonio's Marie Ferdinand is putting up All-Star numbers again ranking 16th in the league in scoring (12.9) and third in steals (2.21) while connecting on a career-best 37.0 percent of her three-pointers.
Two off-season additions to the Storm roster have made major contributions to the team in 2004 â Sheri Sam and Betty Lennox. Lennox is second on the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Sam is fourth on the team in scoring (10.3) and in rebounding (4.6), and the pair respectively ranks first (1.50) and second (1.42) on the team in steals.
The WNBA's all-time leader in blocked shots, Margo Dydek, is struggling in 2004. She is averaging 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.50 blocked shots per game while hitting 43.2 percent of her field goal attempts. Over her past four games, however, she is averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.25 blocks per game
Seattle point guard Sue Bird among the league leaders in three-point field goal percentage this year (12th at 40.8), and is also ranked 17th in the league in field goal percentage (44.6) and fourth in assists per game (5.2).
The Storm's Lauren Jackson is posting MVP-like numbers again ranking third in the W in points per game (18.6), eighth in rebounds (6.9), third in blocks (2.17) and a career-best 44.9 percent from beyond the arc (7th in the league).
TEAM TRENDS The Storm have the most efficient offense in the league this season averaging 103.2 points per 100 possessions while San Antonio ranks 12th at 90.7.
Seattle had won six straight games including a 24-point win over the top team in the East, the New York Liberty, before dropping two games in a row to Houston and the Liberty. During that streak, the Storm averaged 72.3 points per game, but during its recent two-game skid, it is averaging just 59.5 points per game.
The Silver Stars ended an eight-game losing streak on June 24 vs. Minnesota and have now won two in a row following their Saturday night win over the Mercury. They averaged just 56.9 points per game during their eight-game slide, but averaged 75 points in their wins over the Lynx and Phoenix.
The Silver Stars had the worst field goal percentage in the league for much of the season, but now rank 10th in the WNBA in that category.
KEY STATISTICS
San Antonio Offensive Efficiency â 90.7, 12th Defensive Efficiency â 95.0, 9th
Scoring Differential â - 2.9, 11th Pace â 67.5, 11th
Reb Pct. â .503, 7th Off. Reb. Pct. â .334, 5th Def. Reb. Pct. â .671, 8th
Seattle Offensive Efficiency â 103.2, 1st Defensive Efficiency â 93.1, T2nd
Scoring Differential â +7.0, 1st Pace â 71.1, 5th
Reb Pct. â .521, 3rd Off. Reb. Pct. â .346, 4th Def. Reb. Pct. â .696, 4th
7/2 â San Antonio (5-9, 7th in West) at Los Angeles (9-6, 2nd in West) â 10:30 p.m. ET (NBATV)
PRIOR MEETINGS First of four meetings.
PLAYER TRENDS San Antonio's Marie Ferdinand is putting up All-Star numbers again ranking 16th in the league in scoring (12.9) and third in steals (2.21) while connecting on a career-best 37.0 percent of her three-pointers.
Sparks point guard Nikki Teasley is threatening to unseat Sacramento point guard Ticha Penicheiro's stranglehold on the top spot on the league's assist-per game charts. Penicheiro has led the league in assists per game in each of her six seasons in the WNBA, but Teasley is second in the league in 2004 at 5.5 per game.
Sparks' center Lisa Leslie is averaging 11.3 rebounds over her last 12 games and now ranks second to Detroit's Cheryl Ford for the league lead in rebounds (10.1). She also is leading the W in blocked shots (2.80), threatening to end San Antonio's Margo Dydek's six-year stranglehold on that title.
The WNBA's all-time leader in blocked shots, Margo Dydek, is struggling in 2004. She is averaging 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.50 blocked shots per game while hitting 43.2 percent of her field goal attempts. Over her past four games, however, she is averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.25 blocks per game
TEAM TRENDS The Sparks have split their last four games after running off four games in a row. After allowing 75.3 points per game during the first seven games of the season, Los Angeles had held the opposition to 65.8 points per game over its last eight games.
The Silver Stars ended an eight-game losing streak on June 24 vs. Minnesota and have now won two in a row following their Saturday night win over the Mercury. They averaged just 56.9 points per game during their eight-game slide, but averaged 75 points in their wins over the Lynx and Phoenix.
Los Angeles is the best three-point shooting team in the WNBA, hitting 38.9 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc, while San Antonio is second in the league in defensive three-point field goal percentage (31.9).
The Silver Stars had the worst field goal percentage in the league for much of the season, but now rank 10th in the WNBA in that category.
KEY STATISTICS
San Antonio Offensive Efficiency â 90.7, 12th Defensive Efficiency â 95.0, 9th
Scoring Differential â - 2.9, 11th Pace â 67.5, 11th
Reb Pct. â .503, 7th Off. Reb. Pct. â .334, 5th Def. Reb. Pct. â .671, 8th
Los Angeles Offensive Efficiency â 94.6, 5th Defensive Efficiency â 93.1, T2th
Scoring Differential â +1.4, 3rd Pace â 75.7, 1st
Reb Pct. â .509, 5th Off. Reb. Pct. â .312, 7th Def. Reb. Pct. â .705, 3rd
EXPLANATION OF STATISTICS
OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY â Points Scored and Allowed per 100 Possessions
Points Per Game and Points Allowed Per Game can be greatly influenced by the pace at which a team plays leading to inaccurate representations of team's strengths and weaknesses. Using Points Scored Per 100 Possessions (Offensive Efficiency), or conversely, Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions (Defensive Efficiency), takes the pace at which a team plays out of the equation, illuminating which teams are the most efficient at using their offensive and defensive possessions.
Points Per 100 Possessions is used rather than Points Per Possession because it has more of a traditional Points Per Game look to it.
PACE â Possessions Per 40 Minutes
Different teams play at different paces whether it is the run-and-gun style of Bill Laimbeer's Detroit Shock, the more methodical pace that has characterized many of the recent Charlotte Sting teams, or somewhere in between.
Beginning with the 2004 WNBA Season, official Possessions Per 40 Minutes statistics are available. The per-40-minutes version of the statistic is used as opposed to the per-game version to eliminate the additional possessions that are accumulated in overtime games.
OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE REBOUND PERCENTAGE
Offensive Rebound Percentage is defined by the following formula . . .
TmOReb / ( TmOReb + OppDReb )
Defensive Rebound Percentage is defined by the following formula . . .
TmDReb / ( TmDReb + OppOReb )
Using a percentage, rather than total number of rebounds is a much more effective way to determine which teams are winning the rebound battle.
The reason for this is simple. A team can only get a rebound if somebody misses a shot. Here is an example to illustrate that point.
Team A misses 100 shots vs. Team B. They grab 35 of those possible offensive rebounds. Team B, on the other hand, not only is a great shooting team, but they grab all 25 of their missed shots vs. Team A.
Ranking Team A and Team B by total offensive rebounds would give us the following leader-board.
Team A 35 Team B 25
Team B, despite the fact that they grabbed every single available rebound, would be ranked behind Team A. If we rank the teams by Offensive Rebound Percentage, however, we get the following . . .
Team B 1.000 Team A .350
And Team B assumes its rightful place at the top of the list.
REBOUND PERCENTAGE
Rebound Percentage is determined by averaging Offensive Rebound Percentage and Defensive Rebound Percentage
WNBA Offensive Efficiency Rankings
Offensive Efficiency
Team OER (Lg Avg - 94.7)
Seattle 103.2
Phoenix 98.4
Indiana 98.4
Detroit 96.9
Los Angeles 94.6
Connecticut 94.4
Charlotte 94.1
Sacramento 93.8
Washington 93.1
Houston 92.3
New York 92.1
San Antonio 90.7
Minnesota 88.7
Defensive Efficiency
Team DER (Lg Avg - 94.7)
Houston 92.0
Seattle 93.1
Los Angeles 93.1
Charlotte 93.7
Connecticut 94.2
New York 94.3
Detroit 94.6
Minnesota 94.8
San Antonio 95.0
Indiana 95.9
Sacramento 96.0
Washington 96.7
Phoenix 96.8
WNBA Pace Rankings (Possessions Per 40 Minutes)
Team Poss/40Min (Lg Avg - 69.7)
Los Angeles 75.7
Connecticut 72.9
Washington 72.8
Detroit 72.3
Seattle 71.1
Minnesota 70.0
New York 69.4
Houston 68.4
Sacramento 68.3
Phoenix 68.1
San Antonio 67.5
Indiana 66.0
Charlotte 63.9
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 29, 2004
- Sacramento Monarchs Weekly Update - Sacramento Monarchs
- WNBA notes - WNBA
- New York Liberty Center Tari Phillips Suffers Fractured Right Hand - New York Liberty
- WNBA Storylines - WNBA
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