Chicago's Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota's Rebekkah Brunson Named WNBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK, July 18, 2011  Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky and Rebekkah Brunson of the Minnesota Lynx were named the WNBAs Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, July 11 through Sunday, July 17.

Fowles ranked first in the league in rebounds (12.0 rpg) and blocks (5.0 bpg), in addition to being tied for first in scoring (20.5 ppg), while leading the Sky to a 1-1 record. Among Eastern Conference players, she was tied for fifth in field goal percentage (.500 on 16-for-32 shooting) and ranked seventh in free-throw percentage (.818 on 9-for-11 shooting). This marks her first Player of the Week award in 2011 and the third in her four seasons.

On July 13, Fowles recorded a double-double while scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with two steals and two blocks in a 72-54 victory over the Tulsa Shock. Three days later, in a 76-68 road-loss against the Atlanta Dream, Fowles notched another double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, in addition to establishing a new personal and team record with eight blocks.

This season, Fowles is averaging 20.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.6 steals.

For the week, Brunson led the Lynx to a 2-1 record and finished third in the league in rebounds (10.0 rpg), and among Western Conference players, she ranked third in blocks (1.33 bpg), fourth in field goal percentage (.611 on 22-for-36 shooting) and fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg).

In a 112-105 loss to conference rival Phoenix on July 13, Brunson scored 16 points, grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds and blocked two shots. It was her eighth double-double of the season, and 20th in a Lynx uniform, extending her own franchise career record. She then posted 20 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while securing eight rebounds in an 80-70 victory over Eastern Conference leader Indiana Fever on July 15. The next day, Brunson followed up that performance by totaling 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks to complete Minnesotas sweep of its lone set of back-to-back outings this season in a 69-62 home-victory over the defending WNBA Champion Seattle Storm.

This marks the second time Brunson has won the honor this season, previously for the week of June 12.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Los Angeless Kristi Toliver, New Yorks Kia Vaughn, Phoenixs Diana Taurasi and Washingtons Matee Ajavon.