Sacramento�s John Whisenant Named 2005 WNBA Coach Of The Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 � Monarchs head coach John Whisenant was named the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year, receiving 25 of a possible 50 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, the WNBA announced today.

Whisenant coached the Monarchs to the second-best record in the WNBA and posted a franchise-best 25 victories, along with posting Sacramento�s best overall record (25-9). He helped the Monarchs capture their first-ever regular season conference title, earning them the top seed in the West. The Monarchs have posted a 55-29 (.654) record since Whisenant took over as head coach in the middle of the 2003 season. Whisenant has guided Sacramento to back-to-back Western Conference Finals.

Sacramento posted the best home record in the league (15-2) and won a franchise record eight consecutive home games during the season. The team finished the year winning 12 of its last 14 games.

Below are the complete results of the 2005 WNBA Coach of the Year voting and past recipients:

COACH OF THE YEAR RESULTS

Coach Team Votes
John Whisenant Sacramento Monarchs 25
Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun 19
Van Chancellor Houston Comets 3
Brian Winters Indiana Fever 1
Carrie Graf Phoenix Mercury 1
Pat Coyle New York Liberty 1

COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2005 John Whisenant Sacramento Monarchs
2004 Suzie McConnell Serio Minnesota Lynx
2003 Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock
2002 Marianne Stanley Washington Mystics
2001 Dan Hughes Cleveland Rockers
2000 Michael Cooper Los Angeles Sparks
1999 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1998 Van Chancellor Houston Comets
1997 Van Chancellor Houston Comets

Four networks will carry 2005 WNBA Playoffs action. ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NBA TV will provide coverage through the conference finals. The 2005 WNBA Finals will be televised on ABC and ESPN2.