Catchings, Brunson Earn Eastern, Western
Conference Player of the Week Honors

NEW YORK, June 11, 2007 -- Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever and Rebekkah Brunson of the Sacramento Monarchs were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, June 4 through Sunday, June 10.

Catchings averaged 17.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.5 steals, 1.8 blocks and shot 41.5 percent from the field (22-for-53) and 91.3 percent from the free-throw line (21-for-23) as the Fever posted a 3-1 record on the week, marking the team's best-ever start to a season at 7-1.

A 10-time Player of the Week honoree, Catchings grabbed seven steals on June 6 against the Houston Comets, the most by any player this season, and tied WNBA records for steals in a quarter (5) and half (7). She also added 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block to secure the 84-59 Fever victory. Two days later, on June 8, she recorded her 44th career double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds, pairing that with three blocks, two steals, an assist and 50 percent shooting from the floor (7-for-14), 50 percent from beyond the arc (3-for-6) and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line (7-for-8). Ten of her game-high 24 points were scored in the final four minutes as she led her squad to a 74-69 win over the Washington Mystics.

With Rebekkah Brunson earning the weekly honor for the first time in her four-year career, it marked the third consecutive week in which a player won the award for the first time in her career. Erin Thorn of the New York Liberty garnered her first such award following week one and the Connecticut Sun's Asjha Jones did so in week two.

Brunson stepped in for an injured DeMya Walker and led the Monarchs to a 2-1 record on the week by averaging a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds, while shooting 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the field.

On June 5 against San Antonio, Brunson scored a career-high 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, two steals, a block and made 9-of-12 field-goals and was 3-for-3 on free throws as the Monarchs won 74-57. On June 9 against the Phoenix Mercury, she recorded another career-high with 17 rebounds, and scored 17 points, while going 7-for-13 from the field in a 70-74 Monarchs loss.

Other candidates for WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Detroit's Cheryl Ford, New York's Cathrine Kraayeveld, Seattle's Lauren Jackson and Washington's Alana Beard.

The WNBA tipped off its second decade of play on May 19, 2007, featuring comprehensive national television coverage. ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise up to 36 games nationally during the regular season and playoffs. The second straight year of "WNBA Tuesdays" on ESPN2 includes five doubleheaders and WNBA action on 11 of 14 Tuesday nights in-season. NBA TV will complement ABC and ESPN2's coverage by televising 70 regular-season and up to nine playoff games. The WNBA All-Star Game will be played at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on July 15 at 3:30 pm ET with live coverage on ABC.