NEW YORK, July 5, 2006 � Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm was named WNBA Player of the Week for games played Monday, June 26 through Sunday, July 2. The 2003 MVP earns her seventh Player of the Week honor.
Through two games, Jackson averaged 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and shot 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range (2-of-5) and 91.7 percent (11-of-12) from the free throw line.
Despite stress fractures in her left shin that caused her to sit out a game against Los Angeles on June 28, Jackson recorded her 40th and 41st career double-doubles on the week. On June 27, Jackson posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks while shooting 5-for-8 field goals and 5-for-6 free throws in a 68-53 win over the Sacramento Monarchs. Five days later, Jackson led the Storm to their third consecutive victory in a 92-75 win over the Minnesota Lynx while tallying 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and shooting 90.0 percent (9-of-10) from the field and a perfect 100 percent (6-of-6) from the free throw line.
She currently ranks fifth in the league in scoring (19.9 ppg), fourth in rebounding (8.1 ppg), first in field-goal percentage (57.0), fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (46.8), seventh in free-throw percentage, is tied for third in blocks (1.76 bpg) and first in efficiency (25.4).
Other candidates for WNBA Player of the Week were Charlotte�s Monique Currie, Chicago�s Candice Dupree, Connecticut�s Katie Douglas, Detroit�s Cheryl Ford, Indiana�s Tamika Catchings, Los Angeles� Chamique Holdsclaw, Sacramento�s Erin Buescher, San Antonio�s Shannon Johnson and Agnieszka Bibrzycka and Seattle�s Sue Bird.
About the WNBA
Featuring 14 teams and the greatest female basketball players from around the world, the WNBA is the longest-running and most successful women�s professional team sports league in U.S. history. The league�s historic 10th Anniversary season, which tipped off on Saturday, May 20, features significant interactivity with fans who will play a key role in selecting the league�s All-Decade Team, the WNBA�s Greatest Moments and the starters for the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game set to take place on July 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City (live on ESPN at 7:30 ET). The WNBA�s 10th Anniversary season includes appointment viewing on Tuesday nights as ESPN2 will televise 14 WNBA games � including five doubleheaders � on Tuesdays this spring/summer. WNBA games and programming also will be shown in 198 countries via 79 telecasters in 34 languages this season.