Sun's Tina Charles and Silver Stars' Becky Hammon Named WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile

NEW YORK, July 9, 2012 � Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun and Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars were named the WNBA�s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile, respectively, for games played July 2- July 8.

This marks the first season that Boost Mobile � the leaguewide marquee partner of the WNBA � has presented the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week awards.

For Charles, who ranks in the top three in double-doubles (11) and rebounds (11.6 rpg) in the league, the Player of the Week award presented by Boost Mobile is the seventh such honor of her career and her second of the season.

The third-year pro led the Sun to a 2-0 record for the week, including wins over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx, and the Tulsa Shock. In the process, Charles posted 12.5 rebounds per game, tying for the lead in the conference, and placed third in points (21.5 ppg). Charles has scored in double digits in all but one game thus far this season.

Charles opened the week with 24 points and 10 rebounds in an 86-75 win over the Shock. On the back end of a back-to-back, Charles poured in 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds recording her fourth double-double in a row in an 86-80 win over the Lynx. In handing Minnesota its first home loss of the season, Charles scored eight points and six rebounds on 4-for-6 shooting in the third quarter, when the Sun outscored the Lynx 29-16.

Hammon helped lead the Silver Stars to a 4-0 record on the week as San Antonio improved to 11-5 overall, second best in the Western Conference, and are riding a seven-game winning streak. For the week, the 13-year pro ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (20.3 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg), and in the top 10 in three-point field goal percentage (.448 on 13-of-29 shooting) and free throw percentage (.824 on 14-of-17 shooting).

Hammon opened the week by scoring 22 points and dishing out four assists in 82-81 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury. She then tallied19 points, making all three of her three-point field goal attempts, in an 88-72 win over the Indiana Fever, which tipped off a four game road trip. Hammon finished out the week with a 23 point and six assist performance in a 94-81 win over her former team the New York Liberty.

For Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star, the Player of the Week award presented by Boost Mobile is the eighth of her career and her first of the season.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile were Atlanta�s Sancho Lyttle and Chicago�s Sylvia Fowles in the East, and, in the West, Los Angeles� Candace Parker, Phoenix�s DeWanna Bonner, Seattle�s Sue Bird and Tulsa�s Ivory Latta.

The WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile are part of a series of on-court performance awards called the WNBA Performance Awards presented by Boost Mobile. The series, currently in its first season, also includes the WNBA Players of the Month presented by Boost Mobile and four of the WNBA's most prestigious year-end honors: WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Boost Mobile, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Boost Mobile, WNBA Sixth Woman presented by Boost Mobile, and WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Boost Mobile.

For more information on this week's Players of the Week presented by Boost Mobile winners, visit www.wnba.com/awards.