Dream's McCoughtry and Mercury's Taurasi Named WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week

NEW YORK, June 17, 2013 -- Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury were named the WNBA�s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played June 10 through June 16.

McCoughtry averaged 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, four steals and 2.5 blocks in the Dream�s two wins last week to earn her second Player of the Week honor of the season, and the ninth overall of her career. The Dream�s two victories, a 68-59 win over Seattle on Friday and an 88-74 triumph over Chicago on Sunday, improved Atlanta�s record to 6-1 overall and 4-0 at home.

Against Seattle, McCoughtry led Atlanta in four categories, recording 23 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Two days later, she scored 23 points and added six rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists in the defeat of Chicago. Her four blocked shots also were a career high.

Behind Taurasi�s league-leading 31.5 points per game last week, Phoenix earned two victories to extend its winning streak to three games, the team�s longest since July 2011. For the season, Taurasi leads the WNBA in scoring at 23 points per game, while McCoughtry ranks fifth in the league (19.4).

Taurasi�s 34 points in a 97-81 victory over Los Angeles on Friday marked her 35th career 30-point game; she also added seven assists and six rebounds. In Sunday�s road win over Tulsa, Taurasi was one point shy of her sixth career back-to-back 30-point effort, scoring 29 in addition to grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists. The Player of the Week honor is the 15th of Taurasi�s career.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Chicago�s Elena Delle Donne, New York�s Cappie Pondexter and Washington�s Crystal Langhorne in the East, as well as Los Angeles� Kristi Toliver and Nneka Ogwumike, Minnesota�s Lindsay Whalen and Seattle�s Tina Thompson in the West.

McCoughtry, Parker Week 1 Players of the Week | Latta, Brunson Week 2 Players of the Week