Elena Delle Donne is at it again. Her performance last week earned her yet another Eastern Conference Player of the Week nod — her fifth time earning the honor this season. She continues to impress while guiding a Chicago Sky team that is just two games out of first place in the Eastern Conference.
Much like in weeks past, the biggest contender for EDD’s throne is reigning MVP Maya Moore. She’s got the Lynx positioned atop the Western Conference standings and has continued to display an all-around game that has earned her a reputation as one of the best — if not the best — players in basketball.
But in order for her to catch Delle Donne, she’ll have to keep pace with the incredible numbers EDD is posting. Moore was no slouch over the past week, averaging 15 points and five rebounds, but the Lynx were just 1-2, falling to Phoenix and Washington. On the contrary, Delle Donne helped the Sky to two enormous wins over Washington.
It’s Delle Donne’s title to lose as the playoff races in each conference continue to heat up.
Chicago earned two big wins against a Washington Mystics team that they may end up facing in the postseason when it’s all said and done. Delle Donne was huge for the Sky, dropping 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in the first game. She followed that up with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks on Sunday. It seems crazy to say “all EDD has to do is continue to put up these types of numbers” given how incredible the actual stats are, but it just seems like it’s not that much to expect from her at this point.
At this point in the season it’s evident that the MVP race is most likely a two-person competition. Maya Moore continues to be the closest challenger to Elena Delle Donne. Despite the Lynx’s recent struggles, Moore has been solid. She may not be putting up the same efficient, 20-point games over her last four games, but she’s still impacting the game in a number of ways. Whether it’s defensively or on the glass, Moore is still dominant even when she’s not dropping 20+ points. If she wants to take home a second MVP award in a row, though, she’s going to have to dazzle through the final stretch of the season.
The Phoenix Mercury continue be the biggest threat to Minnesota’s spot as the No. 1 team in the Western Conference as the season draws on. Brittney Griner is likely on her way to another WNBA Defensive Player of the Year recognition if she keeps up her incredible play on that end of the floor. Through 20 games she’s blocked 87 shots. Elena Delle Donne has played 27 games and is second with 58. Griner is averaging 15 points and 8.5 rebounds on the season.
Tina Charles and the Liberty continue to top the Eastern Conference and they would not be where they are without the play of Tina Charles. The 2012 WNBA MVP is the heartbeat of head coach Bill Laimbeer’s team. She has improved her jump shot this year and is hitting those mid-range shots with regularity, as well as continuing to be a force in the post. She has nine double-doubles this season and is third in the league in rebounding with an average of 8.7 per game.
The Indiana Fever have surged to within a game of first place in the Eastern Conference, and right there pacing their hot play is WNBA great Tamika Catchings. Rarely have the Fever featured massive scoring outburts from their roster this season. They’re a well-rounded group, and Catchings plays a huge part in everything they do. In fact, head coach Stephanie White attributes their on-court efforts during this 9-1 stretch to Catchings. She is averaging 13 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists this year.
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