Emma Meesseman of the Washington Mystics has been named Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Finals 2019.
Meesseman scored a team-high 22 points and added three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 27 minutes off the Mystics bench as Washington defeated Connecticut in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Thursday night.
The @WashMystics needed a big game from @EmmaMeesseman… and she delivered! π pic.twitter.com/kBTw3d6z5V
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2019
For the series, Meesseman averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. She becomes the first reserve player to win Finals MVP in WNBA history; Golden State’s Andre Iguodala (2015) is the only NBA player to ever accomplish that feat.
Washington trailed by seven points when Meesseman made her first appearance of the second half with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter. She scored 15 points in the final 16 minutes of the game as the Mystics outscored the Sun 43-25 the rest of the way to finish with an 11-point win and the first title in franchise history.
This was the first WNBA Finals appearance for Meesseman, who missed all of 2018 as she fulfilled her commitments with the Belgium National Team. After the Mystics were swept by the Seattle Storm in 2018 they made a promise to run it back, and this time they would have the “missing piece” in Meesseman to help put them over the top. The rest is history.
π @EmmaMeesseman wins MVP π
Hear the @WashMystics forward talk with @sportsiren about her stellar 18 PPG, 4.6 RPG during the #WNBAFinals! pic.twitter.com/r2lQGjQJYE
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2019
MVP! MVP! MVP! π
Congrats to @EmmaMeesseman who earns #WNBAFinals 2019 Most Valuable Player! pic.twitter.com/6824EFZvwb
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2019
The @WashMystics win their first championship in franchise history.
Emma Meesseman was named Finals MVP. Her 6 regular season starts are the fewest by any player to win Finals MVP in WNBA history.
Elena Delle Donne becomes the 4th consecutive regular season MVP to win a title. pic.twitter.com/TxDDJ9Hjss
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 11, 2019
The #WNBAFinals MVP @EmmaMeesseman with her MVP… mom β€οΈ pic.twitter.com/aZDe4kfa1K
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2019
No one deserves this MVP more than @EmmaMeesseman. I watched her grow as a player since she was 20 years old. Sheβs been a killa and now everyone really knows it !!
— Bria Hartley (@Breezyyy14) October 11, 2019
Can I just say @EmmaMeesseman has played out of her mind! When moms is in the house it's a must to leave everything out on the floor! πͺπ½
— Tamika Catchings (@Catchin24) October 11, 2019
Emma Meesseman putting the Mystics on her back π₯
John Wall and Beal are HYPED
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/Tj8OpI3WbE
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) October 11, 2019
Emmmmmmaaaa!!!! #FinalsMVP off the bench! Great example for young hoopers!!! #WNBAFinals
— Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) October 11, 2019
.@EmmaMeesseman's jumper looks even smoother in #PhantomCam π₯
Watch Game 5 of the #WNBAFinals now on ESPN2! pic.twitter.com/2Vr2i8XZdW
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2019
Nothing but praise for the #WNBAFinals MVP from the WNBA MVP! @De11eDonne talks about how teammate Emma Meesseman helped lead the @WashMystics to their first @WNBA title! pic.twitter.com/zEgxZyiPU7
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 11, 2019
YOUR WNBA FINALS MVP…EMMA MEESSEMAN! pic.twitter.com/1ulkiQ6Mvq
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) October 11, 2019
Emma Meesseman gets mobbed by her teammates after being named #WNBAFinal MVP pic.twitter.com/PnABnOdyPB
— Hoop District (@HoopDistrictDC) October 11, 2019