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August 13, 2007 - The 2007 WNBA regular season will be one for the history books in less than a week. There are only five days of games remaining in the Pick One Challenge, so get ready to make your final picks for the season. Lauren Jackson is far in front of the competition with the league's highest PRA average, as her PRA of 34.5 leads Minnesota's Seimone Augustus and her 29.0 average. Houston's Tina Thompson is currently in third with a 27.6 mark as the season winds down.
Last Week's MVP: Penny Taylor, Phoenix Mercury
Penny Taylor is the second consecutive Mercury player to have an outstanding week, as the 2007 All-Star averaged 27.3 points in Phoenix's three games this week. Taylor is averaging 17.3 points this season for the Mercury, who have won nine of their last ten games.
Rookie Watch
A pair of rookies who are beginning to received extended playing time have caught my eye over the past week. Minnesota's Shay Murphy has scored 11 points in apiece in her last two games, and is also averaging 4.0 rebounds during that stretch. She played a career-high 25 minutes for the Lynx in Tuesday's loss to Seattle.Katie Gearlds of the Seattle Storm is averaging 9.3 points over her last four games.
2217 Last Week's Picks
Houston's Sancho Lyttle had the best game for me last week, scoring 14 points and pulling down nine rebounds on Friday night against Sacramento. My entry is still ranked in the 83rd percentile but hopefully I can move up a few slots over the last few days of the season.
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WNBA.com Daily Expert Pick |
 Tuesday, August 14Chasity Melvin Chicago vs. New York |
 Wednesday, August 15Shanna Crossley San Antonio at Sacramento |
 Thursday, August 16Shay Murphy Minnesota vs. Detroit |
 Friday, August 17Katie Gearlds Seattle vs. Los Angeles |
 Sunday, August 19Evanthia Maltsi Connecticut vs. Washington |
Chasity Melvin is the highest ranked player that I haven't picked this season. Melvin, who ranks fourth in the WNBA with 6.9 rebounds, scored a career high 26 points on Tuesday against the Fever. Melvin's 26 points and ten rebounds followed up a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in her previous game.
Wednesday: Shanna Crossley, San Antonio at Sacramento
Shanna Crossley has established herself as one of the WNBA's best long-range shooters, and she has been on fire lately. Crossley is averaging 20.5 points over her past four games and has connected on 18 of 39 three-point attempts during that stretch. Wednesday's game for San Antonio against the Monarchs will air on NBA TV at 10 p.m. ET.
Thursday: Shay Murphy, Houston vs. Sacramento
I am going choose three consecutive rookies to close out the season. As mentioned above, Shay Murphy has been making the most of her playing time with the Lynx, so I will take a shot with her here against a Detroit team that will likely be playing its reserves.
Friday: Katie Gearlds, Seattle vs. Los Angeles
Katie Gearlds should see some extended playing time with the Storm already locked into the playoffs. Gearlds has already knocked down more three-pointers (20) in her rookie season than fellow Purdue alum Katie Douglas (18).
Sunday: Evanthia Maltsi, Connecticut vs. Washington
Evanthia Maltsi will close out her first WNBA regular season when the Sun meet the Mystics on ABC. This game could have some serious playoff implications, as the the Mystics are battling New York and Chicago for the final playoff spot and the Sun still have a shot to overtake Indiana for home-court advantage in the first round.