Lindsay Whalen and Becky Hammon
Named WNBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK, July 14, 2008 – Lindsay Whalen of the Connecticut Sun and Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars were named the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, July 7, through Sunday, July 13.

Whalen receives her fourth-career Player of the Week award and her second such accolade this season. In the Sun’s two games this week, she averaged 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.5 steals while shooting 58.6 percent (17-29) from the field. Her scoring average led the league while she ranked second among all players in both steals and assists per game. Despite Whalen’s efforts, the Sun were winless for the week, losing to both Detroit and Washington on the road.

In a nationally-televised game at Washington, Whalen tied her career-high in points (vs. Detroit, July 24, 2007) with 33 points in 35 minutes, accounting for more than half of the team’s output in the 69-64 loss. She also tied the franchise record for both free throws made and free throw attempts (13-16, Nykesha Sales at Charlotte, Aug. 9, 2003). Additionally, Whalen led the Sun in points, rebounds, assists and steals in the contest after pacing the team in rebounds, assists and steals five days earlier at Detroit.

On the season, Whalen is second behind Seattle’s Sue Bird (6.1 apg) with 5.7 assists per game. Scoring 15.6 points per game, she places among the WNBA’s top 20 scorers. She is currently on pace to set new career highs in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, field-goal shooting and three-point shooting percentage. Fueled by Whalen’s career-year, Connecticut sits in second place in the Eastern Conference and trails Detroit by only one game.

Hammon earns her first Player of the Week award this season – her fourth career honor – after a week in which she averaged 21.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds. The Silver Star point guard also shot 46.7 percent (7-15) from behind the three-point arc. With her performance, the Silver Stars increased their record to 15-6 after three wins in four days. In the team’s three games, she led the Silver Stars in scoring twice with 27 and 26 points against New York and Atlanta, respectively.

While hosting the Liberty on Tuesday, July 8, Hammon set the San Antonio franchise record for free-throws made in a game when she went 14-15 from the line en route to an 83-79 Silver Stars victory. On Friday, July 11, she registered 26 points against Atlanta in the second game of a back-to-back for the Silver Stars. In the game, she rallied San Antonio from down 16 points early in the second half and led the team to an 82-74 win.

Overall, Hammon ranks 13th in the WNBA with 16.7 points per game sixth in the league with 4.9 assists per game. A four-time All-Star, she is currently leading the Silver Stars on a seven-game win streak, one shy of the club record (8, July 24-Aug. 7, 2001). Earlier this month, Hammon became the seventh player in league history to record 3,000 points and 800 assists.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Betty Lennox, Los Angeles’ Candace Parker, New York’s Shameka Christon, Phoenix’s Cappie Pondexter, Sacramento’s Nicole Powell and Seattle’s Lauren Jackson.

About the WNBA
Comprised of 14 teams and entering its 12th season, the WNBA is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world. The 2008 season tipped off May 17 with ESPN2 again providing appointment viewing in the form of its “WNBA Tuesdays” telecasts. During the 2008 season, combined coverage on ABC and ESPN2 will include 21 national telecasts, while NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour television network, will offer 70 regular-season contests.

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education. For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.