Awards Polling '03: Most Valuable Player

Sophomore slump? No chance. Swin Cash is having an All-Star season. Literally. The second-year forward from the University of Connecticut was selected to her first All-Star team in 2003, scoring six points to go with two rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes of All-Star play.

Cash is in the top 20 in the league in scoring, rebounding and assists, ranking seventh in the WNBA in scoring (16.4 ppg), 12th in assists (3.5 apg) and 19th in rebounding (5.7 rpg).

Through the Shock's first 28 games, she has scored in double figures in all but two and has twice been named WNBA Player of the Week.

Cash has also provided leadership for the playoff-bound Shock, leading the team in scoring 16 times.

Tamika Catchings • Indiana

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
28	28	35.7	.439	.403	.842	7.9	3.4	2.14	1.00	19.5

Tamika Catchings Bill Baptist WNBAE/Getty Images

How do you build on a Rookie of the Year season that also included a third-place finish in MVP voting and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year? Well, if you're Indiana's Tamika Catchings, you pretty much pick up where you left off.

Catchings ranks third in the WNBA in scoring (19.5 ppg), seventh in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and 13 in assists (3.7 apg). She also ranks second in steals (2.14 spg) and 10th in blocks (1.0 bpg).

Catchings earned her second consecutive All-Star appearance in 2003 as a starting forward for the East.

She has scored in double figures in every game but one and has led the Fever in scoring 21 times and in rebounding 17 times.

Chamique Holdsclaw • Washington

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
21	21	34.8	.418	.231	.902	11.5	3.0	1.38	0.52	20.6

Chamique Holdsclaw Mitchell Layton WNBAE/Getty Images

Although the Washington Mystics have already been eliminated from playoff contention, Chamique Holdsclaw continues to put up numbers that warrant her inclusion in any MVP discussion.

Holdsclaw is one of only three players (along with rookie star Cheryl Ford and Los Angeles All-Star Lisa Leslie) who is averaging a double-double for the season.

She ranks first in the WNBA in rebounding (11.5 rpg) and second in scoring (20.6 ppg). She is also in the top 20 in the league in steals (16, 1.38 spg) and assists (17, 3.0 apg).

Despite missing seven games due to injuries, Holdsclaw leads the league in double-doubles with 12 in only 21 games.

Lauren Jackson • Seattle

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
26	26	32.7	.487	.337	.831	8.5	2.0	1.15	1.81	21.2

Lauren Jackson Rocky Widner WNBAE/Getty Images

2003 has been a year of milestones for Seattle's Lauren Jackson.

On July 31, she became only the fourth player in WNBA history to score 20 or more points and grab 20 or more rebounds in the same game.

On June 7, she became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career points at 22 years, 27 days old.

Jackson currently leads the WNBA in scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game. She also ranks fourth in blocks (1.81 bpg), fifth in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and seventh in field-goal percentage (.487).

The three-time All-Star from Australia has led the Storm in scoring in 21 of the team's first 27 games, and has been their top rebounder 16 times.

Lisa Leslie • Los Angeles

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
18	18	35.2	.449	.300	.604	10.10	1.8	1.39	3.00	18.9

Lisa Leslie Mitchell Layton WNBAE/Getty Images

After injuring her right knee during the second half of the 2003 WNBA All-Star Game, Sparks center Lisa Leslie has missed 11 straight games.

As if there was any doubt to Leslie's "value" to the Sparks, Los Angeles has gone 4-7 during her absence, with the team's only wins coming against Phoenix (6-22) and Washington (7-21).

Leslie ranks third in the WNBA in rebounding (10.1 rpg) and fifth in scoring (18.9 ppg).

She earned Player of the Week honors during two of the season's first three weeks as the Sparks started off the year a perfect 9-0, tying the WNBA mark for most consecutive wins to start the season, originally established by the 2001 version of the Sparks.

Katie Smith • Minnesota

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
29	29	35.1	.472	.407	.893	4.2	2.2	0.72	0.21	19.1

Katie Smith David Sherman WNBAE/Getty Images

Four-time All-Star Katie Smith has raised her game up a level even from her own All-WNBA Second Team numbers from 2002.

Minnesota's 5-11 guard ranks fourth in the WNBA in scoring (19.1 ppg), seventh in free-throw percentage (.893) and 11th in three-point field-goal percentage (0.407) and field-goal percentage (0.472).

Smith, the WNBA's all-time leader in three-point field goals, reached the 2,500-point mark for her WNBA career on July 1, becoming the second-fastest player in league history (139 games) to reach the mark.

Smith has led the Lynx in scoring 19 times over Minnesota's first 29 games, helping lead the team to a franchise-record 16 wins.

Sheryl Swoopes • Houston

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
25	24	34.5	.407	.292	.875	4.7	4.0	2.48	0.76	15.7

Sheryl Swoopes Rocky Widner WNBAE/Getty Images

The 2002 Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Sheryl Swoopes remains one of the top players in the WNBA.

Swoopes ranks ninth in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and free-throw percentage (0.875). She also ranks first in the WNBA in steals (2.48).

A four-time top vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star Game, Swoopes has led the Comets in scoring 10 times during the first 28 games.

Swoopes passed the 2,500-point milestone for her career on July 1. She was named the WNBA Player of the Week for games played Monday, June 30 through Sunday, July 6, after averaging 21.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.00 steals on the week to lead the Comets to a 2-0 week.

Tina Thompson • Houston

G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
22	22	33.9	.406	.359	.775	5.8	1.9	0.55	0.95	17.0

Tina Thompson David Sherman WNBAE/Getty Images

Houston Comets forward Tina Thompson is a five-time WNBA All-Star. And with good reason.

She ranks sixth in the league in scoring (17.0 ppg), 12th in blocks (0.95 bpg) and 18th in rebounding (5.8 rpg).

She tied a franchise record at the free-throw line on June 17, connecting on 13-of-13 attempts as the Comets defeated the Lynx 77-68 in Minnesota.

Thompson has led the Comets in scoring 12 times, reaching double figures in all but one game.