Washington�s Alana Beard, Seattle�s Lauren Jackson Named WNBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK, August 20, 2007 � Alana Beard of the Washington Mystics and Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, August 13 through Sunday, August 19.

Beard earns her second Player of the Week award this season after averaging 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and shooting 46 percent on field goals (27-for-59), 36 percent on three-pointers (4-for-11) and a perfect 10-for-10 on free throws, as the Mystics posted a 2-1 record on the week.

On August 14, Beard led the Mystics to a needed win by recording 28 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, while shooting 10-for-22 from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free throw line. She hit a jumper at the start of the fourth quarter to take the turnaround lead, then went on to hit 5-for-8, including one three-pointer and seven free throws as she tallied 18 points in the fourth to take the 65-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun.

The Mystics defeated the Sun again on August 19 in the final regular season game, with Beard�s 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and 9-of-17 field goals. With 0.1 seconds left, Beard�s assist to Monique Currie resulted in a three-pointer that secured the Mystics win, 76-74.

Jackson receives her fifth weekly award of the season and the 12th of her career, after averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 2.0 steals, 1.5 assists and shooting 43 percent (12-for-28) on field goals, 36 percent (4-for-11) on three-pointers and 92 percent (22-for-24) on free throws, as the Storm finished the week 2-0, while clinching a playoff berth in the process.

On August 17, Jackson recorded 32 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, two assists, two blocks and converted 7-for-14 from the floor, 3-for-6 from behind the arc and 15-for-16 from the free throw line to lead the Storm to a 97-77 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, clinching the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The game marked Jackson�s ninth 30+ point game this season, breaking Diana Taurasi�s season record, and the 17th of her career, breaking Cynthia Cooper�s all-time record. The MVP candidate also set franchise records and career highs for both free-throws made and attempted (15-for-16).

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Phoenix�s Diana Taurasi.

About the WNBA
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 2007 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. On July 15, the WNBA reached a major milestone, announcing a new, eight-year agreement with ESPN to have ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 televise games through the 2016 season. The agreement extends the WNBA�s relationship with ESPN, which began with the league�s inaugural season in 1997, to 20 seasons.