The 2007 All-WNBA First and Second Teams (voted by a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters) were announced by the WNBA today.
Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson, who led all players with 243 points, was selected to the First Team for the fifth consecutive season. With her selection, she ties Sheryl Swoopes for the second-most All-WNBA First Team selections. Only lisa leslie has been voted to the First Team more often (nine times).
The San Antonio Silver Stars' Becky Hammon, who joins the First Team for the first time in her career, finished second with 217 points.
Rounding out the First Team are Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi ( third time selection with 204 points), Detroit Shock forward Deanna Nolan (second time selection with 179 points) and Phoenix Mercury forward Penny Taylor (first time selection with 167 points). The 2007 All-WNBA Second Team is led by Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings (146 points). She is joined by the Connecticut Sun guard Katie Douglas (120 points), Houston Comets forward Tina Thompson (116 points), Minnesota Lynx guard Seimone Augustus (113 points) and San Antonio Silver Stars forward Sophia Young.
In honor of being named to the All-WNBA First and Second Teams, each player will receive a Tiffany-designed trophy. In addition, $10,000 will be awarded to each member of the First Team, while each member of the Second Team will receive $5,000. Five grand is five grand... or 3566.85 Euros!
In an excitement filled nail biter, the Mercury defeated the (Jekyll and Hyde) Comets 76-74 tonight, making it a clean sweep for the season.
It was a tight game, with the exception of the Comets jumping out to a 12-0 lead. The Mercury answered, however, with 14 straight points. There were 9 lead changes, and the score was tied 10 times. It truly wasn't over until the buzzer sounded.
Turnovers: Comets 21, Mercury 22
Fast Break Points: Comets 2, Mercury 22 (OUCH!)
Biggest Lead: Comets 12, Mercury 6
Points in the Paint: Comets 36, Mercury 34
FG%: Comets 37.3%, Mercury 45.9%
3FG%: Comets 26.7%, Mercury 31.6%
FT%: Comets 73.7%, Mercury 87.5% (*See the difference it makes!)
Total Rebounds: Comets 44, Mercury 27
The "on again" Michelle Snow showed up to play tonight, and lead scoring with 21 points, but there was a nice distribution of points:
Michelle Snow 21
Sancho Lyttle 15
Tamecka Dixon 14
Tina Thompson 12
Crystal Smith 8
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 2
Barbara Turner 2
Lead scorers for the Mercury: Diana Taurasi led the Mercury with 19 (awesome) points, and Cappie Pondexter had 14.
It was a tough loss, but for those of us who suffered through watching Sunday's pitiful performance... it was also a relief!
*Game Side Show Side Note: Sheryl Swoopes was on the bench, looking very fresh and attractive, in a brief but simple and beautiful buttery yellow dress.
Reserve power forward Tina Thompson selected by Western Conference Coach Jenny Boucek, of the Monarchs, to replace the injured Sue Bird.
“I believe in giving honor where honor is due and she definitely deserves that, so that’s why she’ll be starting,” Boucek said. “She has been not only a very consistent performer on the court, but she’s been on the top of the league as far as her impact on the players around her. She’s not very bold or outspoken about it, but within the league in inner circles you’ll hear many players speak to the impact that she has had on their lives.”
Boucek said she was impressed by Thompson’s play for the Comets this season, despite the team struggling out of the gate to a 0-10 start.
“I don’t think you have to look any further than this season to know her character as a woman,” Boucek said. “She could have easily bowed out on this season, easily rested or not play hard. She has competed for 40 minutes every game of this season when they were not doing too hot and that impacts people for life. To see her modeling what a professional is and that character, it impacts not only the people on her team, it impacts all of us in the league to see her professionalism and her character.”
Thompson, who has not played in the All-Star Game since 2002 due to injuries, was honored to take to the spot in the starting lineup and appreciated Boucek’s comments.
“I think it’s great. I don’t truly believe there’s a big difference between a starter and a reserve, but the fact that I get an opportunity to start the game says a lot,” Thompson said. “Coach Boucek talked to me about why she chose to put me in that position. I think the reasoning why she decided to do that is probably a lot more important than actually starting in the game itself.
“She talked about what I brought to the game and how she appreciated how I’ve been kind of in the fire this year. Right now we’re five and whatever (***hello, Tina... we're SIX and whatever!), I don’t even know, or I don’t want to know probably. And just that I’ve maintained the same personality that I had when we were winning. She said that’s very hard and it shows a lot about my character and who I am as a person and a player. Those are very kind words, especially coming from someone that I’m competing with on a regular basis and it was sincere.”
Thompson’s All-Star teammates completely agreed with having the WNBA legend get the starting nod.
“There couldn’t have been a better replacement. Not one person could have filled the shoes that Tina fills,” said Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi. “Tina, I don’t want to say she’s our mentor, but she has done a lot for me in the last two or three years playing with her in USA Basketball and over in Russia. I’ve just learned so much from her that it will be nice to be on the court as an All-Star starter with her.”
Thompson is the only player in the All-Star Game who was on a WNBA roster in the league's inaugural season in 1997.
Awesome photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images.
It's going to be a tough game in Phoenix tonight, but hopefully we've got the confidence and skill to make it three in a row against the 7-7 Mercury.
They're on a 2 game losing streak, and Diana Taurasi won't be in the building. Of course, Sheryl Swoopes won't be there either!
The Mercury's Diana Taurasi was suspended for two games for what the league called "inappropriate conduct toward game officials", in response to a late call in their game Friday night against Detroit.
Taurasi was whistled for an offensive foul while trying to get open for an inbounds pass. She immediately began screaming and headed toward referee Michael Price after the buzzer."He’s terrible,” Taurasi said of Price after the game. “We played so hard for 40 minutes and not even to get a chance at the end to make a play. They just took it away from us. That’s complete (bull).”
While grateful that she's serving her suspension in two games against my Houston Comets, and though I didn't witness the "foul" or her behavior, I will say this:
This season's officiating has been horrendous. Between bad calls, late calls and petty calls, the game has grown to be almost excrutiating to watch. Our home games have been played so slow due to all the stops and starts, that it's nearly impossible, as a fan, to get emotionally connected.
So, having witnessed what I have, I'm inclined to side with Taurasi. As a stretch, I could understand a 'T' called on her, as they called on Tina Thompson last week when she protested a call... but a two game suspension from mere words and no contact??? That's over the line.
The 2007 All-WNBA First and Second Teams (voted by a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters) were announced by the WNBA today.
