Ticha Penicheiro may have been left out of the WNBA All-Star game for the first time in her six–year career, but one wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at the Sacramento Monarchs starting point guard’s statistics.

Penicheiro leads the WNBA with 47 steals, including the 10 she tallied against the San Antonio Silver Stars in an 89-76 win on July 10. Her enduring effort broke the old Monarchs record set by Yolanda Griffith against the Mystics in 1999, when she totaled eight.

“I really don’t think about (records),” Penicheiro said. “The most important thing to me is to win basketball games. Every time I break a record it may be an individual record, but everything is a tribute to my teammates.”

Since Assistant General Manager John Whisenant took over head coaching duties, the Monarchs effort has produced a 5-1 record. Sacramento is currently at the .517 mark with a record of 15-14, (as of August 9) a feat that has eluded the team since the fourth game of the season when the Monarchs were 2-2.

“It has been a totally different philosophy,” Penicheiro says of her new coach. “But I think we have been doing a good job. Our record speaks for itself.”

Although in fifth place in the Western Conference (the top four teams in the conference advance to the playoffs), only 2 ½ games separate second place from fifth, and with five games left on the schedule, three at ARCO Arena, Sacramento still has a chance of unseeding some of their Western foes.

“We’re definitely trying to make the playoffs,” Penicheiro said. “Our main concern is to take one game at a time. We know it is a hard test because every team in this league is trying to make the playoffs, but we’re very capable of doing it.”

Coach Whisenant’s new philosophy has the team pressuring the ball defensively, subsequently leading to many fast breaks and a fast-paced offense that has been able to excel in the open court.

“The whole team is more comfortable with the offense,” Penicheiro said. “We are very athletic and we can run the floor very well. Everything starts with our defense. When we pick up rebounds, steals and turnovers we’re able to run and create fastbreak opportunities.”

Penicheiro often navigates those fastbreak opportunities and that is evident by the fact that she is leading the league with 173 assists (7.2 per game). Her assist to turnover ratio of 3.20 also leads the league.

“I have never been on a team that has been as talented as this one,” Penicheiro said. I really like our depth. And we get along off the court as well as on the court. We have great chemistry. It is just a blessing when you have great teammates to come to work with everyday.”