August 10, 2006 - That's right people, we are in the final week of the Triple Threat Fantasy Challenge, as the regular season ends on Sunday. Now is your last chance to move up in the rankings, although there are only a select few remaining with a shot at the Grand Prize of a trip to a WNBA Finals game. As an added bonus (well maybe), I will also be at the Finals and will be interviewing the Grand Prize winner for WNBA.com. For this final edition of the Threat Assessment, we'll check out the rankings on the Triple Threat Leaderboard and examine this season's top five Triple Threat performers.

Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks, 32.7 PRA
The favorite to earn WNBA MVP honors, Lisa Leslie has been at the very top of the Triple Threat rankings for the entire season. She leads the WNBA with 16 double-doubles, and has scored in double digits in all but three games this season. For good measure, her current averages of 19.9 ppg and 3.3 apg are career highs.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury, 31.9 PRA
Phoenix's Diana Taurasi is a close second, as she has set a new WNBA record for points scored in a season. She also has a good chance of breaking the record for scoring average in a season. Given that she is only in her third WNBA season and is thriving in Paul Westhead's offensive system, I expect Taurasi to be breaking her own record a few more times before her career is over.

Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm, 28.7 PRA
Seattle's Lauren Jackson ranks third with a PRA average of 28.7. Despite struggling with injuries all season that have limited her playing and practice time, Jackson has still put up numbers that rank among the WNBA's elite. Therefore it can be argued that she has been the league's most efficient player, as she has compiled better numbers in less time than most WNBA players.

Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever, 27.7 PRA
Indiana's Tamika Catchings ranks in fourth with a 27.7 PRA average, about one point behind Jackson. The Triple Threat game doesn't really account for all of Catchings' abilities, as she ranks among the leaders in nearly every statistical category imaginable. In a true WNBA fantasy game, which may be available next year on NBA.com, Catchings would be a likely No. 1 overall pick in a draft.

Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock, 27.6 PRA
Catchings is just edging out Cheryl Ford, who ranks fifth with a PRA of 27.6. Ford is on her way to another WNBA rebounding title, averaging 11.7 rpg. She is also posting career highs in scoring (14.4 ppg) and assists (1.5 apg). In only her fourth season, Ford should be one of the WNBA's elite frontcourt players for years to come.

The Next Five
Seimone Augustus, 27.1 PRA
Alana Beard, 26.5 PRA
Cappie Pondexter, 26.1 PRA
Taj McWilliams-Franklin, 25.0 PRA
Sheryl Swoopes, 24.4 PRA

WNBA.com Daily Expert Pick

Thursday, August 10th Sheryl Swoopes Houston vs. Phoenix

Friday, August 11th Tangela Smith Charlotte at New York

Saturday, August 12th Diana Taurasi Phoenix at San Antonio

Sunday, August 13th Cappie Pondexter Phoenix vs. Sacramento

Last week’s expert picks:
I am staggering toward the finish, ranking in 218th in the 96th percentile. I suffered through some tough outings from Katie Douglas and Lisa Leslie, neither of whom could reach double figures in points. This week I will try to go all out on Phoenix Mercury players as they fight to stay alive and earn a playoff berth. I am anticipating that some star players on teams such as the Sparks and the Sun who have already clinched playoff spots will be playing limited minutes this week.

Last week's picks:
8/3: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix (25 pts., 3 reb., 4 ast.)
8/4: Cheryl Ford, Detroit (15 pts, 8 reb., 3 ast.)
8/5: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles (8 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast)
8/6: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota (26 pts., 4 reb., 2 ast.)
8/8: Tamika Catchings, Indiana (12 pts, 1 reb., 0 ast.)
8/9: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles (18 pts, 10 reb., 3 ast.)