From rookies making an immediate (and profound) impact on the league to gold medals in China, from disappointing defending champs to a definitive dynasty in Detroit, this has been a year for the ages. In honor of the WNBA's 12th year, follow along as we run through WNBA.com's Top 12 Contributors of 2008.
But, of course, you have thoughts of your own, so tell us who we missed. Who deserves to be on this list? Log into the WNBA Fan Voice and make your opinions known.
12.
Diana Taurasi/Cappie Pondexter
After helping lead the Phoenix Mercury to their first WNBA title in 2007, there were serious questions about how these two superstars would bounce back in 2008 with a new coach and without fellow star Penny Taylor.
The Mercury struggled to a 16-18 record and missed out on the playoffs, but Taurasi and Pondexter finished 1 and 2 in the league in scoring and were members of the USA's gold-medal-winning squad at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
11.
Candice Wiggins
The third overall pick in April's draft, Wiggins went from potential trade bait on Draft Day to a legitimate star in Minnesota. Though she only started one game for the Lynx, her 15.7 ppg scoring average was good for second on the team and landed her both the Sixth Woman of the Year award and a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.
10.
Sophia Young
This quiet forward from St. Vincent had been an All-Star in each of her two previous professional seasons, but she really stepped up her game in 2008, becoming a viable MVP candidate and helping the Silver Stars reach the WNBA Finals for the first time. Young's heroics also accounted for one of the most exciting endings in WNBA history when her improbable, last-second heave against the Sparks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals kept the Silver Stars' Finals hopes alive. Watch it here:
Yes, Fowles missed 17 games due to injury -- an injury sustained while athletically blocking a shot and earning the WNBA's first ever goaltending violation (watch it below) -- but she made her presence felt when she was on the court. Big Syl averaged 10.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg for the Chicago Sky and was third in the league in blocks per game. But the rookie out of LSU played an even larger role for the USA in Beijing, leading the star-laden squad in both scoring and rebounding while playing under 18 minutes a game.
8.
Atlanta Dream
The expansion team from the ATL may have struggled on the court in 2008, but it would wrong to call the year anything but a roaring success. From owner Ron Terwilliger to president and COO Bill Bolen to coach and general manager Marynell Meadors, the entire Dream franchise has much to be proud of, both in creating an exciting, fun-to-watch group on the court and in playing a large role in the Atlanta sports community. And with the recent trade for Chamique Holdsclaw, the addition of Sancho Lyttle and the first pick in the 2009 Draft, the on-court product is sure to improve in the coming years.
7.
Lindsay Whalen/Mike Thibault
After longtime star Katie Douglas was traded to Indiana last winter and when it became clear that neither Nykesha Sales nor Margo Dydek were returning to Connecticut in 2008, many suggested that the Sun would likely be setting come playoff time. But with point guard Lindsay Whalen coming into her own and the unflappable leadership of 2008 Coach of the Year Mike Thibault, the Sun led the way for most of the regular season and were among the title favorites until their upset loss to the Liberty in the Eastern Conference semis.
Thompson certainly had more successful seasons and her recollection of 2008 will undoubtedly be marred by the Comets' demise on December 2. But in reality, 2008 may have been Thompson's most valuable as a player. She almost single-handedly (literally… she broke her finger midway through the season) helped the Comets into playoff contention in the rough-and-tumble West, became just the second player to reach the 5,000-point barrier in the WNBA and was a major contributor to the USA's gold-medal team in Beijing.
5.
Becky Hammon
The gritty, overachieving, undrafted South Dakota native continued to defy the odds, posting comparable numbers to her 2007 career year and guiding the Silver Stars to the WNBA Finals. But Hammon raised even more eyebrows with her decision to play for Russia in the Olympics, where she averaged a team-best 13.0 ppg in helping the Russians to a bronze medal.
4.
Lisa Leslie
Not only did the legendary center return after taking the entire 2007 season off to have her first child, but it looked like she never missed a beat. And though she may have sacrificed some of her offensive touches -- not to mention some of the spotlight -- to a certain rookie teammate, Leslie was the league's best defender down low, earning her second Defensive Player of the Year award.
3.
Sue Bird
Bird played a vital role as the starting point guard and floor general for the USA's gold-medal Olympic team. But her late-season contributions to the Seattle Storm are what put her so high on this list. She was perhaps the league's Most Valuable Player the second half of the year and took on most of the team's scoring responsibilities after Lauren Jackson announced she would undergo ankle surgery and wouldn't return to Seattle following the Olympics.
2.
Katie Smith/Bill Laimbeer
In a normal season, you'd be hard pressed to find a bigger story than the WNBA Champions. (Especially when that franchise won its third crown in six years. Especially when the Finals MVP, the third all-time leading scorer in the league, had also earned her third Olympic gold medal just six weeks earlier. Especially when the team's coach and GM, a beloved -- and, in other arenas, hated -- former NBA star, had made a huge late-season trade to solidify his roster, enabling his blue-collar team to win twice on the road and sweep the team with the WNBA's best record in the Finals.)
But 2008 was no normal season. And that was because of Candace Parker. Let's take a quick look at her accomplishments: 2008 NCAA Champion with Tennessee and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, slamming home the WNBA's second and third dunks in successive games, Olympic gold medalist in Beijing, the first player in league history to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, AP Female Athlete of the Year. And we're glossing over quite a bit. Quite simply, she had one of the greatest seasons in women's sports history.
Here's hoping that Parker and all of the abovementioned contributors strive for bigger and better in 2009 and beyond.
Happy new year to all and we hope to see you back in 2009!
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