Lauren Jackson MVP Watch


Jackson hits the game-winning shot with just seconds remaining at Connecticut.
Ray Amati/WNBAE/Getty
ARTICLES

Seattle Times
Jackson tries to get past MVP hype

Seattle P-I
In a life of great expectations, Jackson has found her comfort zone

Tacoma News-Tribune
Storm idle, but Jackson may gather postseason hardware

ESPN.com
Seattle�s Jackson soaring to new heights

More Articles

JACKSON NAMED MVP!
Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson was named MVP prior to Game 2 of the WNBA Finals in Detroit on Sep. 14. Jackson received 23 first-place votes and finished with 406 points, well ahead of Indiana forward Tamika Catchings, who finished second with 242 votes.

During her third WNBA season, Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson came into her own. An All-Star the last two seasons, Jackson nonetheless managed to take her game to a higher level with increased maturity and a broader repertoire of moves in the post. Jackson led the WNBA in scoring at 21.2 points per game and was fourth in rebounding with 9.3 rpg. She was also a force at the defensive end of the court and finished third in the league in blocked shots. Jackson emerged as the clear go-to player for the Storm. Her clutch ability revealed itself in her second-half performance and twice this season Jackson won games for the Storm by scoring inside the final 30 seconds. Jackson is clearly amongst the top candidates for the WNBA�s MVP award this season. Wrote ESPN.com�s Nancy Lieberman, �Heading into the All-Star game earlier this month, we said that Lauren Jackson would be the MVP of this league someday. But it could happen sooner rather than later.� STORM.WNBA.COM compares Jackson to other leading candidates and makes the case for her to walk away with the WNBA�s foremost individual honor.

  • View Lauren's MVP Highlight Video 56k | 300k

    STATISTICS COMPARISON

    div align = "center"
    JACKSON CATCHINGS HOLDSCLAW SMITH CASH
    PPG 21.2 (1) 19.7 (3) 20.5 (2) 18.2 (5) 16.6 (7)
    RPG 9.3 (4) 8.0 (6) 10.9 (1) 4.1 (NR) 5.8 (NR)
    APG 1.9 (NR) 3.4 (13) 3.3 (15) 2.5 (NR) 3.6 (12)
    SPG 1.2 (NR) 2.1 (2) 1.3 (NR) 0.7 (NR) 1.3 (19)
    BPG 1.9 (3) 1.0 (10) 0.6 (NR) 0.2 (NR) 0.7 (NR)
    TOPG 2.1 (NR) 3.0 (5) 2.7 (10) 2.0 (NR) 3.3 (1)
    FG% .483 (6) .432 (NR) .425 (NR) .457 (17) .453 (19)
    3PT% .317 (NR) .387 (16) .171 (NR) .390 (14) .300 (NR)
    FT% .825 (16) .847 (11) .903 (3) .881 (7) .682 (NR)
    EFF/G 24.1 (1) 21.9 (3) 23.1 (2) 15.9 (7) 15.6 (11)
    EFF/40 28.7 (1) 24.6 (3) 26.3 (2) 18.3 (15) 18.8 (12)
    EFF PTS 796 (1) 743 (2) 623 (3) 542 (5) 515 (9)

    AN MVP IS � EFFICIENT
    Jackson dominates the WNBA�s new Efficiency Ratings. Whether on a per-game basis (24.12), a per-40 minutes basis (28.71) or overall (796), Jackson leads the WNBA in efficiency.


    Jackson celebrates a 20-20 game and, more importantly, a Storm win.
    Jeff Reinking/WNBAE/Getty
    AN MVP IS � CONSISTENT
    Jackson has been the league�s most consistent scorer this season, scoring at least 15 points in every game the Storm has played but one. Her streak ended at 27 games, the second-longest in WNBA history behind Cynthia Cooper's 29-game streak. Jackson finished the season with a streak of 53 straight games in double-figures, dating all the way back to the middle of last season and the third-longest in league history. Jackson recently had strings of seven games with 20 or more points broken and seven straight double-doubles, tying Lisa Leslie's all-time record and the longest streak ever in a single season.

    AN MVP IS � SPECTACULAR
    While consistent, Jackson has also had her share of big nights. Earlier this season on 7/31 vs. Charlotte, she recorded the WNBA�s fifth-ever 20-20 game, becoming just the sixth player in league history to grab at least 20 rebounds in a game. In addition to setting her career high and the Storm�s record for rebounds, Jackson has also set her career high in points this season, scoring 34 points on a WNBA-record 17 field goals (out of 23 attempts) 8/6 vs. Los Angeles. On 8/12 against San Antonio, she scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while setting Storm record for free throws made (14) and attempted (16). Jackson has recorded no less than seven of the league�s top twenty-five individual games this season by the WNBA�s Efficiency Rating and has the season's best game by that measure, posting a +46 rating on 8/12.

    AN MVP IS � CLUTCH
    Jackson has won a pair of games this season for the Storm, both of them on the road � and exactly one month apart. On 6/17 at Phoenix, Jackson hit a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left to give Seattle a 61-60 lead. They held up in a one-point Storm win. At Connecticut on 7/17, the Storm trailed by one with seven seconds left when Jackson took the inbounds pass three-quarters of the court and finished off glass to take the lead. It held up again for a 67-65 Storm victory. Jackson has been dominant in the second half of the Storm�s games this season, averaging 11.4 ppg (as opposed to 9.8 ppg in the first half of games). She has scored more in the second half than in the first half in 21 of her 33 games this year.

    WHERE LAUREN RANKS

    First in the league in ...
  • Points Per Game (21.3)
  • Points (698)
  • Points Per 40 Minutes (25.2)
  • Efficiency Ranking (24.1)
  • Efficiency Points (796)
  • Efficiency Points Per 40 Minutes (28.7)
  • Field Goals Made (254)
  • Field Goals Made per 40 Minutes (9.16)

    Second in the league in ...

  • Total Rebounds (307)
  • Defensive Rebounds (225)
  • Blocks (64)

    Third in the league in �

  • Blocks Per Game (1.94)
  • Defensive Rebounds Per Game (6.8)
  • Double-Doubles (13)
  • Free Throws Made (151)
    		• Top five in the league in �
  • Rebounds Per Game (9.3, 4th)
  • Defensive Rebounds Per 40 Minutes (8.1, 4th)
  • Free Throws Attempted (183, 4th)
  • Rebounds Per 40 Minutes (11.1, 5th)

    Top ten in the league in �

  • Field-Goal Percentage (.483, 6th)
  • Free Throws Made Per 40 Minutes (5.45, 6th)
  • Offensive Rebounds (82, 7th)
  • Blocks Per 40 Minutes (2.31, 7th)
  • Minutes Played (1109, 9th)
  • Offensive Rebounds Per Game (2.5, 9th)
  • Minutes per Game (33.6, 10th)

    Top twenty in the league in ...

  • Free Throw Attempts Per 40 Minutes (6.6, 12th)
  • Three-Point Field Goals Made (39, 15th)
  • Free-Throw Percentage (.825, 16th)

    • 2003 SEASON RECAP

  • Became youngest WNBA player to score 1,000 career points on 6/7 vs. Phoenix, scoring then-career-high-tying 27 points and grabbing then-career-high 14 rebounds.
  • Named Player of the Week for the week of 6/2-6/8.
  • Selected as a reserve for the Western Conference All-Star team for the third straight season; later named replacement in starting lineup for injured Tina Thompson.
  • Named Player of the Week for week of 7/21-7/27.
  • Scored 23 points and grabbed career-high and franchise-record 20 rebounds on 7/31 vs. Charlotte.
  • Scored career-high and franchise-record 34 points on WNBA-record 17 field goals 8/6 vs. Los Angeles.
  • Scored 20 points or more in seven consecutive games from 7/17 to 7/31 and has done so 19 times this season.
  • Named Player of the Week for week of 8/4-8/10, joining Los Angeles center Lisa Leslie as the only two players to win the award three times in one season.
  • Scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds 8/12 vs. San Antonio, the WNBA's best individual game this season, becoming youngest player to score 1,500 career points during the game.
  • 13 double-doubles, tied for second in the WNBA.
  • STORM.WNBA.COM Player of the Week five times (6/2-6/8; 6/16-6/22; 7/14-7/20; 7/21-7/27; 8/4-8/10).

    LOCKE: WHY I'M VOTING FOR LJ
    Storm play-by-play announcer David Locke shares the reasoning behind his decision to vote Lauren Jackson for MVP on his ballot.

    WOODWARD: WHY I'M VOTING FOR LJ
    Storm color commentator Elise Woodward joins her on-air partner to give her argument for Lauren Jackson.

    DEFINING MVP
    A look at the semantics and the precedent of what the term "Most Valuable Player" means.

    15 REASONS TO VOTE FOR #15
    The best 15 reasons why this page exists.

    WNBA.COM AWARDS POLLING '03: MVP
    The WNBA's breakdown of the top candidates for MVP, plus your chance to vote for LJ, the current leader at 50%.

    LJ FOR MVP FLYER (.pdf)
    The same flyer sent by the Storm to MVP voters - get the PR department's argument for Lauren.

    QUOTABLE ...
    �People will say she's not deserving because her team didn't make the playoffs. But if you look at her numbers and her defensive play this season, she deserves it. She's definitely got my vote. ... It's unfortunate (the Storm) didn't make the playoffs because then it would have been easy."
    - Comets Forward (and 2000 and 2002 MVP) Sheryl Swoopes (read more quotes)