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August 21, 2007 - The 2007 WNBA regular season came to a close on Sunday night, and that means the conclusion of the first year of the Pick One Challenge. Our winning entry was Selahi, who finished with a total of 1677 points, edging out ctdiesel, who finished nine points behind with 1668. Check out the overall Pick One Leaderboard to see if you cracked the top 50 finishers. My supposed expert picks finished with 1,285 points on the season. With no more picks to make until next year, let's take a look back the best and brightest of the season that was with the 2007 Fantasy Guru Awards.
Season MVP: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
Like it would be anyone else? Lauren Jackson ran away with this award after posting the best season of her illustrious career. Jackson posted career highs in scoring (23.8 points) and rebounding (9.7). She was far ahead of the rest of the league with a 34.8 PRA, nearly four points/rebounds/assists ahead of Tamika Catchings in second place. With her outstanding regular season behind her, Jackson will now lead the Storm into the playoffs where they will meet the Phoenix Mercury in the first round.
Rookie of the Year: Lindsey Harding, Minnesota Lynx
Lindsey Harding missed the final quarter of the year due to a knee injury, but she was the best rookie to select in the Pick One Challenge before she was sidelined. The number one overall pick from Duke was the only rookie to reach double figures in scoring, posting 11.6 points per contest in 20 games. Harding's PRA of 19.9 placed her 25th among WNBA players, a far cry from last year when two rookies (Augustus and Pondexter) hovered in the top five all season.
Statline of the Year: Lauren Jackson, July 24
Jackson enjoyed the best game of her career on July 24, lighting up the scoreboard by tying a WNBA single-game record of 47 points with 14 rebounds and one assist. Jackson topped forty in the PRA total in six games this season, but whoever was luck enough to pick her on July 24 against the Mystics added 62 points to their Pick One total.
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2007 Pick One Top Five |
 Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm.34.8 PRA |
 Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever30.2 PRA |
 Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx28.9 PRA |
 Tina Thompson, Houston Comets28.3 PRA |
 Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury27.7 PRA |
The Sparks' Sidney Spencer was one of the best rookies in the league all season, and compiled an outstanding Pick One game by a rookie back in July. In an 87-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury, the second round pick from Tennessee scored a then career-high 24 points with 12 rebounds, which would have added 72 points to your Pick One total.
Super Sub Award: Plenette Pierson, Detroit Shock
Detroit's Plenette Pierson was the WNBA's best Pick One Player who came off the bench in the majority of their games. In fact, Pierson did not make one start this season for the Shock, but managed to rank 29th in the league with a 19.2 PRA while playing in all 34 games. Pierson, a main contributor to the Shock's league best 24-10 record, posted career highs in scoring (11.6 points), rebounding (5.8), and assists (1.7). The Shock will meet the Liberty in the first round of the playoffs.
The Long-Distance Award: Shanna Crossley, San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio's Shanna Crossley was the WNBA player who used the three-point shot to make up the most of her PRA total. Crossley posted a total of 387 in PRA this season, with 222 (57% of her total) coming from successful three-point shots. Crossley tied for second in the league with 74 three-pointers this season while helping the Silver Stars earn a playoff berth and homecourt advantage in the first round.
The Doubling Your Numbers Award: Rebekkah Brunson, Sacramento Monarchs
Sacramento's Rebekkah Brunson enjoyed a breakout season for the Monarchs in 2007, emerging as a full-time member of the starting lineup and earning her first nod to the Western All-Star Team. Brunson was a valuable selection in the Pick One Challange this year, as she increased her PRA to 21.1, up from 12.9 during the 2006 season. A few other WNBA players who saw their numbers make a big increase were Detroit's Plenette Pierson (19.1, up from 11.1) and New York's Janell McCarville (16.3, up from 8.8).