TalB

WNBA.com: DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors
DeWanna Bonner Named 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors

Posted Sep 18 2009 4:03PM

-- Fifth Overall Draft Pick Named Top Reserve --


DeWanna Bonner averaged 11.2 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game.

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2009 – Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner has been named the 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Bonner received 20 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to earn the award. She becomes the second consecutive rookie to receive the honor, following 2008 winner Candice Wiggins. The top three vote getters for 2009 Sixth Woman of the Year were all rookies as Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry finished second with 10 votes and Detroit Shock guard Shavonte Zellous finished third with four votes.

Bonner made an immediate impact, pushing the Mercury to a 5-1 start after the team missed the 2008 WNBA Playoffs. The Mercury finished the 2009 season with the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Bonner helped propel the Mercury to 23 wins, a seven-game improvement from 2008. She led her team in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and was third in points (11.2 ppg). Despite coming off the bench in all of her 34 games played, Bonner averaged over 20 minutes per game and led all rookies in double-doubles (five).

Her 5.8 rebounds slotted her first and her 11.2 points placed her third among all WNBA rookies. In her professional debut, Bonner posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 90-79 Mercury win against the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Silver Stars. Bonner’s season-high 21 points came in a 104-80 win over the Minnesota Lynx, during which she also collected 10 rebounds.

Bonner’s 196 total rebounds were the most ever for a Mercury player as a reserve; the previous mark was 147 by Kelly Schumacher in 2007. Bonner also set a record for the most rebounds in a single season for Mercury rookies.

Bonner was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in June. For the month, she averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 10 games.

A standout at Auburn, Bonner was drafted fifth overall by the Mercury in the 2009 WNBA Draft. As a senior, she was named the SEC Player of the Year and led the SEC in scoring, becoming the first Auburn player to do so. Bonner was a three-time All-SEC First Team member.

In honor of being named the Sixth Woman of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Bonner will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

For the first time ever, a single WNBA marketing partner will present the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Most Improved Player, and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, grouped under the banner of “The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Kia Motors.” As a Proud Partner of the WNBA and the official presenter of the awards, Kia Motors will be incorporated into the formal award presentations and will receive prominent branding in the awards coverage on WNBA.com.

Below are the results of the 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Presented by Kia Motors voting:

Copyright © 2009 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. | Turner Sports Interactive, All rights reserved. No portion of WNBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the WNBA.com Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use.

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TalB

WNBA.com: Crystal Langhorne Named 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors
Crystal Langhorne Named 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors

Posted Sep 18 2009 1:30PM

-- Langhorne Becomes Second Washington Mystic to Win Award --


Crystal Langhorne becomes the second Mystic to be named WNBA Most Improved Player.

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2009 – Washington Mystics forward/center Crystal Langhorne has been named the 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Langhorne received 19 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream forward Sancho Lyttle finished second with six votes and Dream center Erika de Souza and Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright tied for third with four votes apiece.

In her second season, Langhorne improved her scoring by over seven points a game from 4.8 ppg to 12.0 ppg while upping her rebounding average from 4.0 to 7.9. Langhorne posted higher numbers than a year ago in nearly every statistical category. She tied for third among WNBA leaders in rebounds and ranked second in offensive rebounding average (3.0 rpg) and totals (101). She worked her way into the starting lineup by the middle of the season and nearly doubled her playing time (29.8 minutes per game) from a year ago (15.6 mpg).

Selected with the sixth pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft, Langhorne was the third leading scorer on Washington this season after placing sixth on the team in 2008. She led Washington in rebounding this season after ranking third on the team for the full 2008 season. She also posted nine double-doubles this season, which tied for third among WNBA leaders.

Against Chicago on Sept. 4, she totaled a career-high 23 points on seven field goals and seven free throws. She made 10 field goals and pulled in 11 defensive rebounds and 16 total rebounds against Connecticut on Aug. 14 to set career highs in those categories as well.

She helped Washington to its first WNBA Playoffs appearance since 2006 by leading the Mystics in rebounding 20 times and scoring six times. Langhorne scored in double figures 24 times, including two 20-or-more-point performances, and collected double figures in rebounds on 11 occasions.

A native of Willingboro, N.J., Langhorne played her college basketball at Maryland where she was a three-time Associated Press All-America selection and the 2008 ACC Player of the Year. She led Maryland to the NCAA Championship in 2006.

As the WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, Langhorne will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

For the first time ever, a single WNBA marketing partner will present the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Most Improved Player, and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, grouped under the banner of “The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Kia Motors.” As a Proud Partner of the WNBA and the official presenter of the awards, Kia Motors will be incorporated into the formal award presentations and will receive prominent branding in the awards coverage on WNBA.com.

Below are the complete results of the 2009 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Kia Motors voting and past recipients.

Copyright © 2009 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. | Turner Sports Interactive, All rights reserved. No portion of WNBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the WNBA.com Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use.

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I have respected your views, so I expect you to do the same for me.

TalB

WNBA.com: Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Sue Bird Capture 2009 WNBA Peak Performer Honors
Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Sue Bird Capture 2009 WNBA Peak Performer Honors

Posted Sep 17 2009 2:17PM

-- Taurasi and Parker Earn Second Consecutive Honors for Scoring and Rebounding; Sue Bird Wins Assist Crown --


Diana Taurasi (scoring) and Candace Parker (rebounding) each captured Peak Performer honors for the second straight season.

Barry Gossage/Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2009 – Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm won the 2009 WNBA Peak Performer Awards for scoring, rebounding and assists, respectively, the WNBA announced today.

The WNBA Peak Performer awards are given annually to the players who lead the league in scoring, rebounding and assists during the regular season. Each player will receive a Tiffany trophy in honor of their accomplishments.

Taurasi earns her second consecutive and third overall Peak Performer award for scoring after averaging 20.4 points per game in 2009. She also won the scoring title in 2006 (25.3 ppg) and 2008 (24.1 ppg). The sixth-year veteran outpaced San Antonio guard Becky Hammon (19.5 ppg), Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson (19.2) and Phoenix guard Cappie Pondexter (19.1 ppg).

With 9.8 rebounds per game, Parker bested Erika de Souza (9.1 rpg), Candice Dupree (7.9 rpg) and Crystal Langhorne (7.9 rpg) to earn her second consecutive rebounding award. She won the Peak Performer award for rebounding last year as a rookie with 9.5 rpg.

Bird recorded 5.8 assists per game to edge out Sacramento guard Ticha Penicheiro (5.2 apg), the league’s all-time assists leader, Hammon (5.0 apg) and Pondexter (5.0 apg) for the assists crown. She previously won the top assist award in 2005 with 5.9 assists.

Taurasi averaged over 20 points for the third time in her career (2006, 2008) and shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field. She scored 20 or more points in 20 games this season, including a season-high 34 at New York on July 26. She boosted her league-record for 30 point games to 23 with two 30-point performances. On Sept. 5, Taurasi became the fastest player to 4,000 career points doing so in 197 games to break Jackson’s record (209). She led the league in three pointers made with 79 and ranked seventh in the league in three-point shooting percentage (40.7). Taurasi ranks 13th in league history for points scored (4,029) and third in all-time points per game (20.3).

Parker, a two-time Player of the Week in 2009, totaled 15 double-doubles in 25 games this season. The second-year player closed her season with six straight games of double figures in rebounds. In her final 21 games, she recorded 10 or more rebounds 17 times and corralled a season-high 14 rebounds twice. In her final game of the season, she tied the 2009 WNBA single-game high with eight offensive rebounds. She narrowly missed averaging a double-double (13.1 ppg) for the second year in a row, while leading the league in blocks (2.1).

Bird, who similarly won two Player of the Week awards in 2009, is second all-time among WNBA leaders both in total assists (1,425) and assists per game (5.5). She is one of four players in league history to record over 3,000 career points and 1,000 career assists. Bird, an eight-year veteran, twice posted double figures in assists this year, setting her season high (12) on Aug. 15. She handed out five or more assists in a game 22 times and led the Storm in assists in 23 games. Bird was voted as a starter to the WNBA All-Star Game for the sixth time in her career and she was named to the Storm’s All-Decade Team. She averaged 12.8 points while leading the league in minutes per game (35.5).

Copyright © 2009 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. | Turner Sports Interactive, All rights reserved. No portion of WNBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the WNBA.com Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use.

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TalB

Here are some FAQ some keep asking about the WNBA that were found in the search engines and even on WNBA.com.

This is now its 13th season and its first season was in 1997.

Actually, it won't b/c the rest tend to be still be there despite what happened to them. However, the Comets aren't the first team to fold in the WNBA, there was also the Portland Fire (2003), Miami Sol (2003), Cleveland Rockers (2004), and Charlotte Sting (2005), so they aren't the first to fold and they probably won't be the last either. When a team folds, a dispersal draft is held. Then again, the NBA has lost a lot of teams in the past with some not even surviving past the first season, which folded in 1947, with only three teams still existing from there that include the NY Knickerbockers (Knicks), Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors. Even other professional sports leages had teams that came and gone, but didn't mean the end for the league. The only difference about the Comets folding is that they are only ones to have won championships being the first four in the WNBA. The reason these teams folded was b/c there was no financial support to keep them running. Let's hope that other teams will stay. When a team does fold a dispersal draft occurs, and the players (except for restricted free agents) can go to other teams.

From the 13 seasons, only two teams have moved from where they were originally. In 2003 both the Orlando Miracle and Utah Starz moved to become the Connecticut Sun and SA Silver Stars. There haven't been any other relocations lately, but who knows what the future holds. The reason why those teams moved was mainly b/c they had very little support where they were, so they moved to where they could get respected more.

Unfortunately, there has been no talk about any teams comming right now. However, that doesn't stop them from getting more later on. Sometimes leagues can be stringet and not allow any others to form, while others will just let it happen. There have been rumors about some cities like Philly, KC, Baltimore, or even Jackson getting teams, but they are still rumors for now. If one does come, there will be an expansion draft where they can acquire two players from each of the existing teams as well as get some draft picks.

Unfortunately, the WNBA is still young and many of these leagues at this age have to face decades of this before getting accepted. The same was for the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and NFL when they were still considered new. However, many of them are all talk and no show. Some of them even say how much they can beat a WNBA player easily, but I am sure that many of them are out of shape men who wouldn't even stand a chance against them. If they did challenge a WNBA to a one on one, even the worst player on the worst team would school them. They would probably be crying foul everytime a player steals the ball from them, blocks their shot, or even just comes near them. Unless they are former NBA players that have kept in shape or some recent NCAA Divison I team, they will be no match for them. The WNBA isn't going anywhere anytime soon. My suggestion is for those who don't like the WNBA can simply choose not to watch it b/c it's not like anyone is forcing them to do so as they keep claiming that. BTW, if the WNBA is so bad, then why does it keep going up in ratings, attendance, and even viewership?

I don't call everyone who hates the WNBA a sexist per say. I have nothing against those who don't like the WNBA, it's those that have made attacks on the players and fans that I am against. I have seen many websites that have done just that. If someone just says that they don't find the WNBA interesting, that's fine with me, but it's another thing to attack the fans. If anyone actually read what Jay Mohr said back in 2005, he mentioned that all men who enjoy it are perverts while women who enjoy it are lesbians. Just read Vick's Dog and see how many sexist remarks he made by even saying how much he doesn't want to live in a country where women have equal rights. The Young Turks even made a segment on their show claiming that the WNBA doesn't even deserve the coverage and made numurous hate remarks on it. There are a bunch of other places where people have made sexist remarks against the WNBA and the list can go on from here, but I will it where it is, b/c it's too long.

As much as I would like to see them win a championship, it is sometimes not an easy task. The Liberty does hold the record for the most times making the WNBA Finals but never winning it. They do work out durring the off season to be ready for the next season, but other teams are doing the same thing. It all comes down to who wants it more. This doesn't rule out that they will never win it, but their day will come eventually if not right now as it will for other teams.

I don't see a reason why they can't. The last time I checked there was no rule against it. If women can wear NBA apparel, then I don't see why men can't wear WNBA apparel. If others have issues with that, then it's their problems, not the one who is wearing it. Everytime I see a WNBA on TV or go to one, I see many men wearing WNBA jerseys, and I see nothing wrong about that. I myself have a Liberty t-shirt that I got from last year reading "Liberty Fan Ten Times Over" on it.

There is no saying that there won't be. However, there is more to basketball than just dunking. When some can dunk, it's interesting, but then there are those that almost show off when they do it. The first WNBA player to dunk was Lisa Leslie. After her, came Candance Parker, and just this year was Slyvia Fowels. The NBA didn't originally have dunkers until Wilt Chamberlin and even not publicized greatly until Julius Erving. Players such as Geroge Mikan, George Yardley, Max Zalzofsky, Joe Fulks, and Paul Arizin never dunked yet they are known despite that. Eventually, there will be more players that can dunk, but not right now.

The WNBA will continue to have others even after she retires. There were similar people who thought the same when Cythia Cooper retired after leading the now defunct Comets to the first four championships. Others can include players such as Candance Parker, Diana Taurausi, Janel McCarville, Ruth Riley, Sue Bird, etc. Even in other sports leagues they ask these questions when a known player retires such as if the NBA will still do good after Michael Jordan retired. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA doesn't just market itself around just one player (the NBA does this with Lebron James and Kobe Bryant), they do it around whole teams instead. There will be other greats in the near future as the WNBA progresses.

Many of them play where NBA teams are. There is an exception for some of them. For example, the Chicago Sky do not play at the United Center with the Chicago Bulls, they play at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavillion instead. The Connecticut Sun play their home games at Mohegan Sun Arena over in Ucansville. Ticket prices aren't that much at least for now, but as the league gets better, they will be going up just like all other leagues are doing. As a matter of fact, most teams you can pretty much still get tickets on the day of the games, but the postseason is another story.

Probably the only to ever have that was Van Chancellor. Before he coached the Comets, he was the head coach of the women's team over at Ole Miss. Most of the other male head coachs in the WNBA were originally NBA players and coaches. Chancellor has no experience with the NBA in any way or form in neither being a player or a coach prior to comming to the WNBA.

There are several teams that don't have NBA owners. The Washingtong Mystics are owned by Shelia Johnson, who was the co-founder of BET. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Indian tribe who owns Mohegan Sun Casino. Just recently, the Seattle Storm got a new owner known as Force 10 Hoops, LLC to keep them in Seattle rather than moving to OKC with the Seattle Supersonics, who became the OKC Thunder. The rest still have NBA owners.

I know many make the claim that the reason the WNBA still exists is b/c the NBA funds it. However, that hasn't been the case and the league has managed to survive on its own. The WNBA does have its own sponsors that the NBA doesn't have. As a matter of fact the WNBA was even on ESPN years before the NBA wound up there. Just this season the LA Sparks and Phoenix Mercury are wearing jerseys of major insurance companies of Famers Insurance and Lifelock. Basically, the WNBA has cut some ties with the NBA lately.

__________________
I have respected your views, so I expect you to do the same for me.

TalB

WNBA.com: Diana Taurasi Named 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors
Diana Taurasi Named 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors

Posted Sep 29 2009 7:13PM

--Six-Year Phoenix Mercury Veteran Wins MVP for the First Time --


Diana Taurasi wins the first WNBA MVP award of her career.

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2009 – Phoenix Mercury guard/forward Diana Taurasi has been named the 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors, the league announced today. Taurasi received 323 total points and 27 first place votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, earning her first career MVP award. Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings ranked second with 163 points (three first place votes) while her teammate Katie Douglas finished third with 128 points (five). Taurasi’s teammate, Cappie Pondexter, finished fourth with 99 points (one).

Rounding out the top eight vote getters were San Antonio Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon with 77 points (three), Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson with 73 points, Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker with 39 points and Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan with 27 points. In all, five different players received first place votes this year. Jackson is a two-time WNBA MVP (2003, 2007) and Parker won the award last year as a rookie (2008).

Taurasi caps a season in which she led the WNBA with 20.4 points per game and captured her third-career Peak Performer Award for scoring (2006, 2008, 2009). She shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field and tallied 20 or more points in 20 games this season, including a season-high 34 at New York on July 26. She boosted her league-record for 30 point games to 23 with two 30-point performances. On Sept. 5, Taurasi became the fastest player to 4,000 career points doing so in 197 games to break Lauren Jackson’s record (209). She led the league in three pointers made with 79 and ranked seventh in the league in three-point shooting percentage (40.7). Taurasi ranks 13th in league history for points scored (4,029) and third in all-time points per game (20.3).

In 2009, Taurasi ranked among the WNBA’s top ten leaders in nearly every category, including points per game (first), three point field goals made (first), three-point field goals attempted (fourth), three-point field goal percentage (seventh), free throws made (third), free throws attempted (fifth), free throw percentage (sixth), field goals made (fifth), field goals attempted (10th), blocks per game (eighth) and defensive rebounds per game (sixth).

Taurasi was also named an All-Star, her fourth such appearance, and earned the Player of the Week Award on one occasion (Aug. 17). Her efforts helped propel the Mercury to the best record in the WNBA at 23-11, which also tied a franchise record, and the top overall seed in the 2009 WNBA Playoffs.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Kia Motors, Taurasi will receive $15,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

For the first time ever, a single WNBA marketing partner will present the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Most Improved Player, and WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, grouped under the banner of “The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Kia Motors.” As a Proud Partner of the WNBA and the official presenter of the awards, Kia Motors will be incorporated into the formal award presentations and will receive prominent branding in the awards coverage on WNBA.com.

Copyright © 2009 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. | Turner Sports Interactive, All rights reserved. No portion of WNBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the WNBA.com Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use.

__________________
I have respected your views, so I expect you to do the same for me.