Taj McWilliams-Franklin Named WNBA Player of the Week
McWilliams-Franklin averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and shot 81.3 percent from field-goal range (13-for-16) as the Sun posted a perfect 2-0 record on the week. The team maintains the best record in the Eastern Conference (17-6) and trials only Los Angeles (20-6) for the best record in the league.
On July 22, McWilliams-Franklin recorded her team-leading seventh double-double of the season in a 79-61 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars, collecting 10 rebounds and 12 points. She also grabbed 7 assists, matching her career high set on July 16 at Seattle, while shooting 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from the field.
Two days earlier, she grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds in a 86-72 win against the Chicago Sky, while posting 17 points, 3 steals, an assist and shooting 8-for-10 field-goals (80 percent).
McWilliams-Franklin currently ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (12.3) and third in both total rebounds (199) and double-doubles (7). Far and away the Sun�s leading rebounder on the year (9.5 per game), she also ranks third in the club in scoring (12.1 points per game).
Other candidates for WNBA Player of the Week were Charlotte�s Tammy Sutton-Brown, Indiana�s Tamika Catchings, San Antonio�s Sophia Young and Washington�s Alana Beard.
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 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. The 2006 WNBA All-Star Game took place on July 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.