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League Champion: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/video/into-the-action-2012-wnba-finals-game-4/">Indiana Fever (First title in franchise history)</a>
<a href="https://www.wnba.com/draft2012/">Top Draft Pick</a>: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/ogwumike-stricklen-peters-top-three-picks-2012-wnba-draft/">Nneka Ogwumike (LAS, Stanford University)</a>
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Awards
<ul>
<li>Most Valuable Player: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/tina-charles-named-2012-wnba-most-valuable-player-of-the-year-presented-by-boost-mobile/">Tina Charles (CON)</a></li>
<li>Rookie of the Year: Nneka Ogwumike (LAS)</li>
<li>Defensive Player of the Year: Tamika Catchings (IND) 5th DPOY</li>
<li>Sixth Woman of the Year: Renee Montgomery (CON)</li>
<li>Most Improved Player: Kristi Toliver (LAS)</li>
<li>Coach of the Year: Carol Ross (LAS)</li>
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Top Players
<ul>
<li>All-WNBA First Team: Seimone Augustus (MIN), Tamika Catchings (IND), Tina Charles (CON), Candace Parker (LAS), Cappie Pondexter (NYL)</li>
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<li>All-WNBA Second Team: Sylvia Fowles (CHI), Maya Moore (MIN), Kristi Toliver (LAS), Lindsay Whalen (MIN), Sophia Young-Malcolm (SAS)</li>
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<li>All-Rookie Team: Tiffany Hayes (ATL), Glory Johnson (TUL), Nneka Ogwumike (LAS), Samantha Prahalis (PHX), Riquna Williams (TUL)</li>
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<li>All-Defense First Team: Alana Beard (LAS), Tamika Catchings (IND), Sylvia Fowles (CHI), Briann January (IND), Sancho Lyttle (ATL)</li>
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<li>All-Defense Second Team: Tina Charles (CON), Armintie Price Herrington (ATL), Candace Parker (LAS), Danielle Robinson (SAS), Sophia Young-Malcolm (SAS)</li>
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Stats Leaders
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<li>Points Per Game: Angel McCoughtry (ATL): 21.4</li>
<li>Rebounds Per Game: Tina Charles (CON): 10.5</li>
<li>Assists Per Game: Lindsay Whalen (MIN): 5.4</li>
<li>Steals Per Game: Angel McCoughtry (ATL): 2.5</li>
<li>Blocks Per Game: Candace Parker (LAS): 2.3</li>
</ul>
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Regular Season
Before the end of 2011, the Draft Lottery was held to determine which team would receive the top pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. Despite having the lowest odds (104 chances of 1000), the Los Angeles Sparks won the lottery and the first overall selection.
On April 16, 2012, the Sparks used that pick to select forward Nneka Ogwumike from Stanford to pair with 2008 No. 1 pick Candace Parker on the L.A. frontline. The remaining top five picks were: Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen (Storm), Notre Dame’s Devereaux Peters (Lynx), Tennessee’s Glory Johnson (Shock), and Miami’s Shenise Johnson (Silver Stars).
After winning their final six playoff games to earn the 2011 WNBA title, the Minnesota Lynx picked up where they left off when the 2012 season tipped off. The Lynx set a WNBA record for the best start to a season by winning their first 10 games before taking their first loss of the season to Seattle.
The Lynx once again finished at the top of the standings as they matched their 2011 record at 27-7. They were one of five teams to finish with at least 21 wins, something that’s only happened one other time in league history (2006).
The Connecticut Sun finished atop the Eastern Conference at 25-9 thanks in large part to the play of Tina Charles, who would win MVP honors after winning her third straight rebounding title (10.5 per game), finishing fifth in scoring (18.0 per game) and second in blocks (1.4 per game). Charles also became the first player in WNBA history to log three 20-20 games in a career after finishing with 23 points and 22 boards in a win over Atlanta on June 17.
Atlanta’s Angel McCoughty won her first scoring title after coming up just short in 2011. In the tightest scoring race in league history, Taurasi edged Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry by less than one-tenth of a point &#8212; 21.63 compared to 21.56 points per game. In 2012, McCoughtry averaged 21.4 points per game to lead the Dream back to the postseason.
Tina Thompson – the first pick in the inaugural WNBA Draft in 1997 – hit two major milestones in 2012. Already the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, she became the first player to surpass 7,000 career points. She also became the first player in league history to log 15,000 career minutes (a mark only two other players have hit in 2019 – Sue Bird and Katie Smith).
Tulsa’s Temeka Johnson finished the regular season with the league’s top single-season mark in history for 3-point shooting percentage. Her 53.1% (34-64) record still stands at the end of the decade. On the same day, Chicago’s Ticha Penicheiro played in her final WNBA games as she added two assists to extend her WNBA record to 2,599 (a mark that would eventually be topped by Bird).
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All-Star
There was no All-Star Game due to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The WNBA took a one-month hiatus from July 14 to Aug. 16 so players could compete for their respective countries in the Olympics.
The U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team – comprised of 12 WNBA players – defeated France in the gold medal game. The win gave the United States women their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and, dating back to the bronze medal game in 1992, stretched the team’s winning streak to 41 games.
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Playoffs
<ul>
<li>West Semifinals: Los Angeles Sparks def. San Antonio Silver Stars, 2-0</li>
<li>West Semifinals: Minnesota Lynx def. Seattle Storm, 2-0</li>
<li>East Semifinals: Connecticut Sun def. New York Liberty, 2-0</li>
<li>East Semifinals: Indiana Fever def. Atlanta Dream, 2-1</li>
<li>West Finals: Minnesota Lynx def. Los Angeles Sparks, 2-0</li>
<li>East Finals: Indiana Fever def. Connecticut Sun, 2-1</li>
<li>Finals: Indiana Fever def. Minnesota Lynx, 3-1</li>
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In her 12th WNBA season, there was not much that Tamika Catchings had failed to accomplish on a basketball court. She won a title in college, she had three Olympic gold medals, she won league MVP and set the record with five Defensive Player of the Year honors. The only hole in her incredible resume was the WNBA championship. She had her first shot in 2009 when her Indiana Fever lost in five games to the Phoenix Mercury. In 2012, she got her next shot, but would have to dethrone the mighty Minnesota Lynx as they looked to defend their 2011 title.
It wasn’t an easy road to the Finals for Indiana as they were pushed to winner-take-all Game 3 in both the East Semis and East Finals. Their season was on the line in Game 2 of the East Finals against Connecticut.
With the game tied with 12 seconds to play, Connecticut’s Allison Hightower missed a free throw that could have given the Sun the lead. Tamika Catchings corralled the rebound and found a streaking Briann January for what appeared to be an easy transition layup to give the Fever the lead. January missed the layup, but made a great hustle play to save the rebound from going out of bounds and got it to Shavonte Zellous, who drilled a game-winning buzzer-beater to tie the series. The Fever would win Game 3 decisively to advance to the Finals.
In the Finals, the Fever won Game 1 in Minnesota to steal home-court advantage away from the Lynx. Minnesota responded to win Game 2 behind a 27-point night from Seimone Augustus to tie the series as it shifted to Indiana for the next two games. Determined not to go back to Minnesota for a winner-take-all Game 5, the Fever protected their home court with a 76-59 win in Game 3 behind 30 points from Shavonte Zellous.
With a shot to win the title at home in Game 4, it was Catchings who delivered with a game-high 25 points to go with eight assists, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in the Fever’s 87-78 win to capture that elusive WNBA title. Catchings added WNBA champion and Finals MVP to her incredible resume.

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WNBA Decade In Review: 2012

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington Mystics general manager and head coach Mike Thibault announced that Asjha Jones has been promoted to assistant coach. Jones has served as a player development assistant working with post players while assisting with video and game preparations over the last two seasons.
“Asjha has been a big contributor to our success the past two seasons as a player development assistant. She is more than ready for this position as a full-time assistant coach,” said Thibault. “Her basketball accomplishments are unmatched in that she is the only person to have won an NCAA championship as a player, a WNBA championship as a player and coach, and an Olympic gold medal as a player. I know how professional she was and how hard she worked when she played for me in Connecticut and I am excited that she will be a part of the future growth of the Washington Mystics.”
Jones was selected in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2002 WNBA draft by the Mystics before spending the majority of her career with the Connecticut Sun. She also spent the 2015 season with the Minnesota Lynx where she won a WNBA Championship. Jones is a two-time All-Star (2007 and 2009) and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2008. She is also one of 11 women to have earned an NCAA championship (UCONN), a WNBA championship (Minnesota) and an Olympic Gold Medal and the only woman to do so while also winning a WNBA championship as a coach (Washington). Jones also brings extensive international experience, having played in Israel, Russia and Spain.
“I am honored to continue to grow with this amazing team,” stated Jones. “Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment has shown how much they value the Mystics and continues to be a leading example in the WNBA. I also would like to thank Coach Thibault for having faith in me. I can’t wait for the season to begin!”

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Mystics Elevate Asjha Jones To Assistant Coach

Maya Moore scored 32 points and added ten rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Tulsa Shock, 79-72, in Tulsa.

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Lynx Top Shock 79-72, Win Fourth Straight

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Asjha Jones

Asjha Jones #15
Connecticut &#8211; Forward &#8211; 6-1 &#8211; 187 &#8211; 11 years
NOTABLE
<ul>
<li>Olympic gold medalist (2012)</li>
<li>FIBA World Champion (2010)</li>
<li>WNBA All-Star (2009, 2007)</li>
<li>FIBA World Championship Gold Medalist (2010)</li>
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CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Selected by Washington in first round (4th overall) in the WNBA Draft on April 19, 2002… Washington signed and traded Jones to the Connecticut in a three-team deal that sent Tamicha Jackson from the Phoenix Mercury to the Washington Mystics and the Sun sent the 8th pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft to the Mercury. Signed with Minnesota on May 14, 2015.
2014 SEASON
Missed the entirety of the 2014 season due to injury.
WNBA CAREER CAPSULE
2013: Missed the entirety of the 2013 season due to injury. 2012:  Started 19 of 20 games played, averaging 12.2 points per game, 1.9 assists per game and 7.0 rebounds per game. 2011: Enjoyed a comeback season after being slowed the past two years by injuries…Posted a single-season career best 217 rebounds….Also had a new career high for defensive rebounds (153)…Was third on the team in scoring average (13.3)…Scored 453 points, her best single-season point total since 561 in 2008… Started 34 games in a season for the first time in her career…Had a single-season career-high seven double-doubles…Scored in double figures 25 times with four games of at least 20 points…Tied a franchise record with 13 made field goals at Phoenix (8/7)…Surpassed 3,500 career points against Atlanta (8/21)…Played her 300th career WNBA game against Atlanta (7/31)…Reached 500 career assists at Indiana (7/13)…Played a career-high 971 minutes…Scored a season-high 27 points at Phoenix (8/7)…Had second highest single-season totals for made field goals (198) and field goal attempts (446) in career. 2010: Appeared in 30 games with 29 starts…Averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game…Missed the first four games of the regular season while recuperating from surgery to remove debris from her left Achilles…Surgery took place on Feb. 22nd at Backus Hospital in Norwich…Averaged just 5.9 points in first 11 games back…Averaged 13.6 points in last 19 games of the season…Reached double figures 14 times, all in the last 19 games…Surpassed 3,000 career points against Atlanta (7/30)…Scored season-high 23 points against Washington (7/27)…Had season-high nine rebounds against Los Angeles (7/24)…Averaged 15.7 points over a stretch of 11 games late in the season. 2009: Promising season was cut short by strained left Achilles…Played just 23 games…Named to WNBA Eastern Conference All Star team for the second time in her career…Led the team in scoring (16.7 ppg)…Set new team record for consecutive double-figure scoring games with 18 (6/16-8/9)…Reached double figures 21 times in 23 games overall…Led the Sun in scoring 12 times, and in rebounding seven times…Had eight games of 20 or more points…Reached 2,500 career points during victory over Chicago (6/19)…Tied her career high with 12 rebounds against Atlanta (6/27)…Had three double-doubles…Had a career-high 13 made field goals against Sacramento (7/22)…Made 10 or more shots from the field four times. 2008: Put together MVP-caliber season…Named to All-WNBA Second Team…Finished ninth in MVP vote…Set a new single-season franchise record for made field goals (223)…Tied the franchise single-season record for scoring average (17 ppg.)…Established single-season career highs for total rebounds (201), defensive rebounds (128), offensive rebounds (73), assists (81), blocks (26) and free throws (110)…Led the Sun in scoring for 10 straight games from June 16th at Seattle until July 8th at Detroit, the longest such streak in franchise history and one of the longest in league history…Led the Sun in scoring 20 times overall…Reached double figures in 28 games, surpassing her previous single-season best of 25…Had 12 games with 20 or more points, three more than her previous single-season best…Scored 30 points for the second time in her career against Atlanta (6/27), tying the single-game franchise record for made field goals (13) that same night…Had seven games with 10 or more made field goals…Had two double-doubles…Led or tied for the lead in rebounding 10 times…Scored her 2,000th career point at Minnesota (6/10)…Became the sixth player to reach 1,500 points in a Sun uniform the same night…Started 33 games before sitting out the season finale against Washington (9/13). 2007: Veteran forward had a breakout season in first year as a full-time starter…Named to the WNBA Eastern Conference All Star team for the first time…Set new single-season career highs in numerous categories, including scoring average (15.5 ppg), points (434), offensive rebounds (65), field goals (193), assists (75) and minutes (942)…Scored in double figures 25 times…Scored 20 or more points nine times, five more times than in her previous three seasons combined…Had a career-high 31 points in a win at Chicago (5/31)…Led the Sun in rebounding 10 times…Led the Sun in scoring eight times…Missed final three games of regular season with ankle injury. 2006: Among the top sixth women in the league again this year, she had the best season of her career…One of three Sun players to appear in all 34 games…Established then career highs for scoring average (11.1 ppg.), total rebounds (183), defensive rebounds (124), offensive rebounds (59), assists (46), made free throws (62), free throw attempts (79), made field goals (155), field goal attempts (334) and minutes (777)…Became one of just six players in franchise history to score 20 or more points in consecutive games (7/30 and 8/1)…Tied a franchise record for rebounds in a half with 11 against Phoenix (7/8)…Reached double figures in 20 games. 2005: One of the premier sixth women in the WNBA…Averaged a career-high 9.1 points per game…Closed out regular season with a then career-high 22 points at Charlotte…Had a nine made field goals in that same game…Scored in double figures 17 times, including five of the last six games she played…Surpassed 1,000 points and 400 rebounds for her career…Averaged 12 points per game in three starts while Margo Dydek competed for the national team in her native Poland…Had 40 assists, the most since joining Connecticut. 2004: Was productive as the first player off the bench in 33 of the 34 games during regular season…Had career-high seven assists and nine rebounds in only start of year vs. San Antonio (7/24)…Scored season-high 16 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw line in season finale vs. Indiana (9/19) to help Sun clinch Eastern Conference regular season title…Led or tied for the team-high in rebounds four times, including a season-high 10 rebounds vs. Washington (6/30)…Set a then career high with seven defensive rebounds vs. Washington (6/30)…Shot a team-high 85.4 percent (41-48) from the free throw line…Did not miss a free throw until second half of 16th game of the season (Washington, 6/30), making 16 of 16 to start the year. 2003: Scored a then career-high 21 points vs. Indiana (7/29)&#8230;Had first career double-double with a then career-high 12 rebounds and a team-high 14 points at Connecticut (8/1)…Played a then career-high 42 minutes vs. Phoenix (8/3)&#8230;Finished in the top 20 in the WNBA in field goals per 40 minutes (16th at 6.5), blocks (18th with 25), field goal attempts per 40 minutes (18th at 14.9) and offensive rebounds (19th with 62).  2002: Scored 12 points and three rebounds at Phoenix (6/3)&#8230;Scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and two blocks vs. Indiana (8/6)&#8230;Finished the season ranked sixth among rookies in rebounding per game and seventh in scoring average.
PLAYOFFS
2012: Averaged 13.6 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game. 2011: Averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two playoff games with Atlanta, making 15 of 41 shots from the field…Led the Sun with 15 points and seven rebounds and also had four assists in Game 2 at Atlanta (9/18)…Moved into second place in franchise history with 29 career playoff games…Played a total of 64 minutes in the series. 2008: Led the Sun in scoring and rebounding during first round series with New York…Averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per game…Had 18 points and a playoff career-high 11 rebounds in Game 3 loss to Liberty (9/22)…Made 11 of 12 free throw attempts in the series. 2007: Averaged 15.7 points and eight rebounds per game in the playoffs…Notched first career playoff double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in triple-overtime victory over Indiana in Game 1 (8/23)…Tied her playoff career-high with 21 points in Game 3 loss at Indiana (8/27)…Established a career-best for the playoffs with six assists in Game 3. 2006: Averaged two assists per game in the playoffs…Had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in Game 1 win at Washington (8/18)…Grabbed a postseason career-high eight rebounds and five defensive rebounds in Game 2 victory over Detroit (8/26). 2005: Scored a postseason high 21 points at Sacramento (9/21)…Played a postseason-high 29 minutes against Detroit (8/31) totaling 13 points and three rebounds in the victory. 2004: Scored in double figures three times, including 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Game 1 loss at Washington (9/25)…Averaged 7.4 points per game…Averaged 27 minutes…Scored 12 points in Game 3 of WNBA Finals on 6-of-11 shooting.
INTERNATIONAL
2012: Earned Gold at the 2012 London Games alongside Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus, averaging 3.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 0.9 apg in seven games played… 2011: Helped Team USA finish with a 3-2 record during its 2011 European Tour, sat out the first two games due to a sore knee. 2010: Earned gold at the 2010 World Championship, averaging 5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 0.7 apg. 2009: Aided the U.S. National Team to a 3-0 mark and the gold medal at the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational, played the first two games for the U.S. and the final game for UMMC Ekaterinburg due to contractual obligations, averaged 12.0 ppg. and 4.5 rpg. for the U.S. in its first two games. 2008: Named to the 2007-08 USA Basketball Women&#8217;s National Team on Sept. 7, 2007.
OVERSEAS
2014-15: Played 6 Euroleague games for Good Angles Kosice (Slovakia-Extraliga), tallying 7.0 ppg and 1.0 apg… Averaged 14.5 ppg and 1.9 apg in 10 games of Slovakian League play. 2013-14: Played only seven games in Russian League play with Sparta&amp;K Vidnoe Moscow Region (Russia PBL), averaging 9.6 ppg and 0.7 apg… Averaged 13.8 ppg and 2.8 apg in 5 games of Euroleague play. 2012-13: Played a team-high 29.9 minutes in 27 games with Abdullah Gul University (Turkey TKBL), averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game and 2.3 assists per game… Averaged 13.3 ppg and 1.7 apg of 10 Eurocup games. 2011-12: Was named MVP of the 2012 EuroLeague Final Eight after propelling her squad to the championship game; closed out the season averaging a EuroLeague career-high 17.9 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. for Rivas in EuroLeague games… Averaged 14.5 points per game and 1.2 assists in 27 games of Spanish League play. 2009-10: Saw time in six Russian League contests that year with averages of 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game… Averaged 7.0 ppg. and 4.5 rpg. as UMMC again finished in third place at the 2010 EuroLeague Final Four. 2008-09: Played with UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia… 2007-08: Competed part of the season with CSKA Moscow… Transferred to UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she helped her squad to the 2008 EuroLeague Final Four, where UMMC finished third, averaged 8.3 ppg. and 4.0 rpg. 2006-07: Played with Dynamo Energiya in Russia. 2005-06: Played with Dynamo Energiya in Russia. 2004-05: Played in China. 2003-04: Played for Delta Basket Allessandria in Italy… 2002-03: Played in Russia during the 2002-03 offseason.
COLLEGE
Graduated from UConn as an all-time Top 10 leader in games played and blocks… Was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star 2002: Helped lead UConn to 39-0 season culminating with the 2002 NCAA Championship&#8230; Named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team in 2002 and 2000…Named to the 2002 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team…Named to the 2002 Associated Press Third Team All-America&#8230; Named 2002 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player&#8230; Led the Big East Conference by shooting 55 percent from the floor (247-445) in 2002&#8230;Named to the 2002 All-Big East First Team…Named to the CoSIDA District I All-Academic First Team in 2002…Named UConn Club Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete in 2002…Named to the Big East Championship All-Tournament Team 2001: Named to the Big East Championship All-Tournament Team 1999: Named to the Big East Championship All-Tournament Team… Named to the 1999 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team&#8230;Scored 28 points in two Final Four games&#8230;Named to the 1999 Big East All Tournament Team and the All-Big East Rookie Team…Was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star
PERSONAL
Born Asjha Takera Jones on August 1, 1980…Majored in Business…A Parade, USA Today and Street &amp; Smith First Team All-American at Piscataway High School, averaging 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.9 steals…Scored a school career-record 2,266 points and had 1,256 rebounds.