Archives: Today in the WNBA | The WNBA Weekly Recap

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Candace Parker erupted for 31 points and added 10 rebounds as the Sparks snapped a three-game losing skid with Sunday's triumph over the Mercury. Lisa Leslie nearly posted a triple-double with 25 points, 15 boards and eight assists. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

Atlanta Celebrates Franchise's First-Ever Win Dream Turn Dream Into Reality: There are many achievements in sports that are celebrated and remembered forever. Individual scoring accomplishments and championship victories, for example, are two of the more renowned triumphs that are honored. One of the more underrated feats, however, is a franchise’s first-ever win. Some, in fact, do not realize how difficult it can be for an expansion team to notch their initial win, especially when the squad consists of all young inexperienced players. Eventually, nonetheless, with determination and defiance, a team, like this season’s Atlanta Dream, will come out on top. It happened on Saturday for the Dream, when they edged the Sky to earn their elusive first-ever victory. Atlanta also managed to snap the longest losing skid in WNBA history (17) and did it by overcoming an early 13-point deficit. Watching this hardworking group celebrate when the final buzzer sounded was absolutely a special moment that will be cherished for a long time in franchise history. ALSO MAKING HEADLINES ... Silver Stars Shining Bright in San Antonio: Game-changing performers are those who rarely succumb to inevitable pressures. Championship-caliber teams, similarly, are squads that overcome every obstacle whipped at them throughout a season. These noteworthy characteristics, furthermore, are why we admire certain players and teams in all sports. The San Antonio Silver Stars, for example, are a perfect candidate to venerate. During this season, they have shown spirit and defiance. In fact, Week 7 surely demonstrated that. In the closing seconds of regulation against the Shock on Tuesday, Ann Wauters connected on a game-tying layup to force overtime and an eventual Silver Stars victory. Two days later against Sacramento, Sophia Young, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, converted on a game-winning three-point play with 5.5 seconds remaining to catapult San Antonio once again. To top it all off, the Silver Stars coasted past the Mystics on Sunday to remain atop the Western Conference standings. Young QUOTE OF THE WEEK "We finally got some smiles. We can actually walk with our heads up high and shoulders back. I think now we'll be OK.'' -- Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors, on her team capturing their first franchise victory on Saturday. The Dream, in addition, acquired Alison Bales from the Fever on Friday in exchange for Kristen Mann. Meadors

WHO WAS HOT Becky Hammon, Silver Stars Three Games: 18-40 FG, 7-19 3-pt FG, 20-20 FT Candace Parker, Sparks Three Games: 25-45 FG, 11-15 FT Lauren Jackson, Storm Two Games: 27-42 FG, 4-13 3-pt FG, 9-10 FT Sue Bird, Storm Two Games: 15-23 FG, 2-7 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT

Hammon

WHO WAS NOT Coco Miller, Mystics Two Games: 3-13 FG Tamera Young, Dream Three Games: 8-30 FG, 0-5 3-pt FG, 11-19 FT Chelsea Newton, Monarchs Three Games: 3-13 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG, 7-10 FT Tan White, Fever Two Games: 2-12 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG

Miller

UPCOMING NATIONAL TV GAMES Tues. Comets-Mercury, 3:30 ET (NBA TV) Tues. Liberty-Silver Stars, 8 ET (NBA TV) Wed. Dream-Lynx, 8 ET (NBA TV) Thurs. Sparks-Monarchs, 7 ET (ESPN2) Sat. Liberty-Shock, 7:30 ET (NBA TV) Sat. Mercury-Monarchs, 10 ET (NBA TV) Sun. Sun-Mystics, 3:30 ET (ABC) Sun. Dream-Sky, 6 ET (NBA TV)

Leslie

Thompson

COMETS LAUNCHING A SURPRISE ATTACK You have to love it when the underdog exceeds expectations and proves logic wrong. You can’t help but cheer for the team that everyone anticipates to be a failure throughout the season. These are the squads, moreover, that generally create the most entertaining storylines. We are seeing it in Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays and we are certainly noticing it in the WNBA with the Houston Comets. After losing Sheryl Swoopes to free agency during the offseason and after a disappointing 2007 campaign, nobody really expected the Comets, who won the first four championships in league history, to contend in the very deep Western Conference. But Houston has defied the critics with six wins in its last seven games, including a triumph over Sacramento in the return of Tina Thompson, who missed four games with a broken left finger. The four-time All-Star registered 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor.

WATCH OUT! LJ IS ON FIRE There are plenty of reasons why she is a two-time league MVP, a former WNBA champion and tied for the single-game all-time scoring record. Lauren Jackson, arguably the world’s most dominant female basketball player, can dictate the game with her power in the paint, dependable long-distance shooting and governing presence on the glass. In fact, if you have LJ on your team, you always have a chance to win no matter the competition. Furthermore, Week 7 was definitely a week to remember for the reigning MVP. After racking up 33 points in Seattle’s triumph over New York on Thursday, Loz erupted for a season-best 34 points in a victory over Minnesota on Saturday. In the two wins, she shot an outstanding 27-of-42 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. You can expect a rise for Jackson when the player rankings are released this week.

Jackson