Coretta Brown • Indiana G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 25 2 18.9 .395 .391 .871 1.4 1.2 0.80 0.16 7.3 Coretta Brown David Sherman WNBAE/Getty Images Drafted by San Antonio with the 11th overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Coretta Brown was traded to Indiana along with Natalie Williams in exchange for Sylvia Crawley and Gwen Jackson before the season started. Brown, a 5-9 guard from the University of North Carolina, has proven to be an effective back-up for the Fever. Although she has started in just two games and is averaging 18.9 minutes per game on the year, she ranks fifth among rookie scoring leaders with 7.5 points per game. She also ranks third among rookies in steals per game (.83) and is tied with New York's K.B. Sharp for fourth in assists per game (1.2). She scored a career-high 26 points against the Connecticut Sun back on June 26, helping the Fever to a 94-90 overtime win. Teresa Edwards • Minnesota G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 25 25 25.5 .388 .323 .733 2.9 4.6 1.36 0.40 5.7 Teresa Edwards Jeff Reinking WNBAE/Getty Images Drafted by Minnesota in the second round of the 2003 WNBA Draft (14th overall pick), Teresa Edwards is not your typical rookie. With four gold medals to her name, the 39-year-old Edwards entered the WNBA as the most decorated women's player in the history of USA Basketball. Edwards has proven to be an effective draft choice for the Lynx, who are in contention for the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance. Not only is Edwards tops among all rookies in assists at 4.6 per game, but she also ranks sixth in the entire league. The 5-11 guard from the University of Georgia also ranks first among rookies in steals per game (1.36), sixth in rebounding (2.9 rpg) and seventh in scoring (5.7 ppg). Cheryl Ford • Detroit G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 24 24 29.7 .443 .000 .720 10.8 0.8 1.04 1.04 10.4 Cheryl Ford Allen Einstein WNBAE/Getty Images Drafted by Detroit with the third overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Cheryl Ford was the only member of this year's rookie class to be selected to the All-Star team. The 6-3 forward from Louisiana Tech ranks first among rookies in scoring (10.4 ppg), rebounding (10.8 rpg) and blocked shots (1.04 bpg). She also ranks second in the league in rebounding and first in double-doubles with 11 through her first 24 games. Ford scored a career-high 20 points against Charlotte on July 10 and pulled down a career-high 21 rebounds against Connecticut on June 22. She is one of only three WNBA players averaging a double-double on the season. The others are perennial All-Stars Chamique Holdsclaw and Lisa Leslie. Gwen Jackson • San Antonio G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 25 18 29.4 .413 .179 .650 6.6 0.5 0.36 0.52 9.1 Gwen Jackson Garrett Ellwood WNBAE/Getty Images Drafted by the Indiana Fever in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2003 WNBA Draft, Gwen Jackson was traded along with Sylvia Crawley to San Antonio in exchange for Natalie Williams and Coretta Brown before the start of the season. The 6-2 forward from the University of Tennessee ranks third among rookies in scoring (9.1 ppg) and second to Cheryl Ford in rebounding (6.6 rpg). Starting in 18 of the Silver Stars' first 25 games, Jackson has already posted three double-doubles on the year, ranking her 13th in the WNBA. She scored a career-high 16 points against Detroit on July 1 and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, also against the Shock, on June 7. Kara Lawson • Sacramento G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 26 0 21.6 .408 .422 .724 3.1 1.6 0.42 0.08 7.9 Kara Lawson Rocky Widner WNBAE/Getty Images Selected by the Detroit Shock with the fifth overall pick of the 2003 WNBA Draft, Kara Lawson was traded to the Sacramento Monarchs for Kedra Holland-Corn before the start of the season. Serving as a back-up to four-time All-Star point guard Ticha Penicheiro, Lawson ranks second among rookies in assists behind Teresa Edwards with 1.6 per game and fourth in scoring with 7.9 points per game. The 5-8 guard from the University of Tennessee has proven to be an effective long-distance threat for the Monarchs, ranking 10th in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.422). Not too surprising, considering that Lawson holds the Tennessee career mark for three-pointers made with 256. Lawson played a key role in Sacramento's 83-75 win over Los Angeles on July 31, scoring 24 points in 26 minutes, while connecting on seven of 10 shots from the field, including six of eight from downtown. She was also a perfect four for four from the free-throw line. Plenette Pierson • Phoenix G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 24 5 18.5 .419 .000 .625 2.7 0.8 0.58 0.46 5.8 Plenette Pierson Barry Gossage WNBAE/Getty Images With the fourth overall pick of the 2003 WNBA Draft, the Phoenix Mercury selected Plenette Pierson from Texas Tech. So far, the 6-2 Pierson is having a solid rookie season. She ranks sixth among rookies in scoring (5.8 ppg) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.419). Serving primarily as a reserve, Pierson has shown flashes of what may lie ahead. On July 15, as the Mercury narrowly missed defeating the first-place Sparks (80-77), Pierson scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds in 34 minutes, while shooting 11-17 from the field. LaToya Thomas • Cleveland G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 24 17 24.8 .468 .000 .737 4.5 1.1 0.71 0.50 10.2 LaToya Thomas Barry Gossage WNBAE/Getty Images After winning the 2003 WNBA Draft Lottery, the Cleveland Rockers selected LaToya Thomas with the first overall pick in this year's draft. In WNBA.com's preseason survey of WNBA General Managers, 57.1% predicted that Thomas would be the 2003 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Through the first 24 games of her rookie season, Thomas ranks second among rookies in scoring behind All-Star Cheryl Ford (10.2 ppg) and third among rookies in rebounding (4.5 rpg). The 6-2 forward from Mississippi State also ranks second among rookies behind Charlotte's Teana McKiver, and 14th in the WNBA, in field-goal percentage (.468).

The fans speak Sometimes just casting a vote isn't enough, so we asked you to make a case for why the player you picked should indeed be the 2003 Rookie of the Year. Here are a few of your comments: (Read more.) "Cheryl Ford is the second best rebounder in the league. She can defend and post up. She also has an outside shot. She has been a true contributor to the turn around in Detroit. She is our Ben Wallace in the WBNA." - Donna (Detroit, Mich.) "I voted for Kara Lawson of the Sacramento Monarchs for rookie of the year because of her unbridled enthusiasm for the game of basketball. So endearing is her proud, broad smile when she hits one of her magnificent treys..." - Barbara (Sacramento, Calif.) "My pick for Rookie of the Year is LaToya Thomas of the Cleveland Rockers! She has improved throughout the whole year and put up very impressive numbers. Whether coming off the bench or starting for the Rockers, she has contributed in some way every single game..." - Steph (Cleveland, Ohio) Read more fan comments on their pick for 2003 WNBA Rookie of the Year.