Connecticut�s Katie Douglas and Seattle�s Lauren Jackson Named WNBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK, July 30, 2007 – Katie Douglas of the Connecticut Sun and Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, July 23 through Sunday, July 29.

Douglas averaged 21.3 points, five rebounds, two assists, 2.3 steals and shot 52 percent from the field (24-for-46) as the Sun posted a 2-1 record on the week. She posted her ninth and 10th games with 20 or more points for the season.

On July 24, Douglas tallied 27 points, four rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist, while converting 11-of-15 field goals, 2-of-4 three-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws, in an 92-88 loss to the Detroit Shock.

On July 29 against the New York Liberty, the 2007 WNBA All-Star scored a game-high 26 points, grabbed five rebounds, four steals and hit 9-for-19 from the floor, 2-for-8 from behind the arc and 6-for-7 from the free throw line in a 67-61 Sun victory.

Douglas currently ranks third league-wide in points (465), fourth in steals (52) and three-point field goals (49) and fifth in field goals (164).

Jackson earns her second consecutive Player of the Week award, her fourth this season and the 11th of her career, after averaging 34.3 points, 10 rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal and shooting 64 percent from the field (38-for-59), 56 percent from three-point range (5-for-9) and 92 percent from the free-throw line (22-for-24) as the Storm posted a 1-2 record on the week.

On July 24, Jackson matched the WNBA record for most points in a game when she scored 47 points, and established a new record for field goals in a game with 18. She also added 14 rebounds, two three-pointers and converted 9-of-11 free throws in a 97-96 loss to the Washington Mystics.

Three days later, on July 27, Jackson became the fastest (209 games) and youngest (26 years old) player in league history to reach the 4,000-point mark for her career. She recorded an overall 27 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and made 10-of-14 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in an 89-75 victory over the Indiana Fever.

Jackson has posted double-doubles in eight of her last 10 games and a league-leading 15 times overall. She leads the league in scoring (24.2 per game) and rebounding (10 per game) and is the only player currently averaging a double-double.

Other candidates for WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Houston’s Tamecka Dixon, Indiana’s Tan White, Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus, New York’s Janel McCarville, Sacramento’s Nicole Powell and San Antonio’s Sophia Young.

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.