July 20, 2006 - With the All-Star game in the rear-view mirror, Triple Threat Fantasy Challenge continues into the second half of the season. With teams and players gearing up for the second half of the season and battling for playoff seeding, let's take a look at the Triple Threat Leaderboard.

Fresh off of her seventh All-Star appearance, Lisa Leslie of the Sparks has increased her lead in the Triple Threat rankings with an outstanding start to the second half of the season. Leslie has increased her PRA average to 34.2 on the heels of a dominant performance last Friday against the Mercury, finishing with a line of 30 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. I hate to repeat myself, but make sure you don't let a week pass by without having Leslie in your lineup.

One of two other players with PRA averages above thirty, Phoenix's Diana Taurasi has moved up to second place with a 30.7 PRA average. Taurasi has been edged out for first place in WNBA scoring by Seimone Augustus, 23.3 ppg to 23.2 ppg, but don't be surprised if she reclaims the top spot before the end of the week. Her seven points against Indiana on Tuesday marked the first time that Tuarasi has been held to single-digit points this season.

Seattle's Lauren Jackson ranks third with a PRA average of 30.2. Jackson also came out of the All-Star break on a high note with two excellent games over the weekend, but sat out Tuesday's game against Sacramento with plantar fasciatis. She is expected to play in the Storm's upcoming four game road trip, but keep an eye on the situation. Even with limited minutes, Jackson is one of the league's top Triple Threat options.

Seimone Augustus is in fourth with a PRA of 28.8. The rookie from LSU has continued to impress, as she is currently leading the league in scoring with 23.3 ppg. She has scored 24 points or better in seven of her last eight games.

Detroit's Cheryl Ford returns to the top five, ranking fifth with a PRA of 27.8. Ford suffered through some subpar outings prior to the All-Star break but rebounded (literally) with 20 points and 17 boards in the Shock's win against San Antonio on Sunday.

Ford just edged out Cappie Pondexter, who checks in with a PRA of 27.7. Pondexter missed the first two games after All-Star with a knee injury, but returned to action on Wednesday against Washington, scoring eight points

WNBA.com Daily Expert Pick

Thursday, July 20th Taj McWilliams-Franklin Connecticut vs. Chicago

Friday, July 21st Cheryl Ford Detroit vs. Los Angeles

Saturday, July 22nd Diana Taurasi Phoenix at Charlotte

Sunday, July 23rd Lauren Jackson Seattle at Washington

Monday, July 24th Katie Douglas Connecticut at New York

Tuesday, July 25th Diana Taurasi Phoenix vs. Seattle

Wednesday, July 26th Lisa Leslie Los Angeles at San Antonio

Last week’s expert picks:
I have jumped from 171st to 141st in the last week, ranking in the 97th percentile. Not bad, but there's always room for improvement. I got off to a great start last Friday with Lisa Leslie's big game against Phoenix, and I also predicted Saturday's top option, Tamika Whitmore, who posted an identical stat line as her teammate, Tamika Catchings, 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. I closed out the week with a big scoring performance from Diana Taurasi, who poured in 29 points on Sunday night against the Liberty.

Matchups Update
With half of the season in the books, it seems like a good time to take another look at how certain teams are faring on defense. You should already know that you want to select someone such as Seimone Augustus, but what if she has three different games that week? With half a season of data to look at, let's see what matchups can be favorable and which should be avoided. Remember, if you want to see how your favorite team is faring in basically any category, check out the WNBA's extensive team stats page.

Perimeter D
Who are the league's best teams at defending the outside shot? The Indiana Fever are currently giving up the least points per game in the league, 68.83. The Fever are especially tough on outside shooters, as opponents are connecting on a paltry .305 of their three-point attempts. Their main compeition as the WNBA's stingiest team comes from the Houston Comets, who are giving up 69.96 ppg, with opponents shooting only .282 from downtown. Avoid using players who rely on the three for most of their offense against the Comets and the Fever. On the other hand, teams that are currently struggling at stopping the three-pointer include the New York Liberty, with opponents hitting on a league - high .378 of their attempts, and the Washington Mystics with a .361 opponents shooting percentage on three-pointers.

Interior D
We can also check some team stats to help determine what teams are adept at stopping teams from scoring in the paint. Some benchmarks to look for include opponents field goal percentage, rebounding differential as good rebounding teams limit easy putbacks on offensive rebounds, and blocked shots. One team that stands out in all of these categories is the Detroit Shock. The Shock are the best team in the league at limiting shooting percentage, with opponents connecting on only .392 of their field goal attempts. The Shock also lead the WNBA in rebounding differential, outrebounding their opponents by six boards a game, and rank fourth in blocks with 4.1 a game. In other words, a frontcourt player is likely to have a tough time against Bill Laimbeer's squad. On the other side of the coin, the Liberty are struggling on the boards and with stopping their opponents' shots, as they are being outrebounded by 5.52 boards and are allowing teams to shoot .456 from the field.

Last weeks picks:
7/14: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles (30 pts., 12 reb., 6 ast.)
7/15: Tamika Whitmore, Indiana (17 pts, 7 reb., 3 ast.)
7/16: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix (29 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast)
7/18: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles (20 pts., 11 reb., 3 ast.)
7/19: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota (18 pts., 4 reb., 2 ast.)