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Former UConn star Moore named WNBA MVP
To the surprise of just about nobody former UConn star Maya Moore was named the WNBA's most valuable player.
Moore received 35 of the 38 first-place votes to easily beat out fellow former Husky Diana Taurasi to win the award for the first time finishing second in the voting last year and fourth in 2012.
Moore led the league by averaging 23.9 points per game, the third highest total in league history. Moore opened the 2014 season by scoring 135 points over her first four outings, marking the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history. Moore also became the first player in league history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points after pouring in 34 points at Washington; 33 vs. Connecticut; a then-career-high 38 at Tulsa; and 30 vs. New York. She went on to finish the regular season with a league-record 12 games of 30-plus points, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Taurasi in 2008.
Moore also finished the season ranked atop the WNBA in made field goals (295) and was second in minutes (34.7 mpg) and free throws made (160). Moore placed eighth in rebounding (8.1 rpg), tied for third in three-point field goals made (62), fourth in free throw percentage (.884, 160-of-181), tied for fourth in steals (1.88 spg), sixth in double-doubles (10), and 20th in assists (3.4 apg). In addition to leading her club in scoring, Moore placed second on the Lynx in rebounding and assists, and third in blocks (0.82 bpg).
She will now try to buck a trend as no regular-season MVP has led her team to the title since Lauren Jackson powered Seattle to the 2010 title. Diana Taurasi (2009), Lisa Leslie (2001), Sheryl Swoopes (2000) and Cynthia Cooper (1997 and 1998) are the only other players to win the WNBA title the same year they were named the league's MVP.
DRAFT LOTTERY IS TONIGHT
The lottery to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2015 WNBA Draft will be held during halftime of tonight's Indiana/Washington playoff game (approximately at 8 p.m.).
The Connecticut Sun has two of the four lottery picks thanks to finishing with the third-worst record in the league and also holding the New York Liberty's No. 1 pick but by winning the final game of the regular season the Sun's chances to earn the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row dropped dramatically. Tulsa and Seattle each have a 35.9 percent chance of picking first while the Sun's probability to earning the top pick is 28.2 percent.
UConn sweet-shooting wing Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is among the top prospects available in next year's draft.
Moore received 35 of the 38 first-place votes to easily beat out fellow former Husky Diana Taurasi to win the award for the first time finishing second in the voting last year and fourth in 2012.
Moore led the league by averaging 23.9 points per game, the third highest total in league history. Moore opened the 2014 season by scoring 135 points over her first four outings, marking the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history. Moore also became the first player in league history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points after pouring in 34 points at Washington; 33 vs. Connecticut; a then-career-high 38 at Tulsa; and 30 vs. New York. She went on to finish the regular season with a league-record 12 games of 30-plus points, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Taurasi in 2008.
Moore also finished the season ranked atop the WNBA in made field goals (295) and was second in minutes (34.7 mpg) and free throws made (160). Moore placed eighth in rebounding (8.1 rpg), tied for third in three-point field goals made (62), fourth in free throw percentage (.884, 160-of-181), tied for fourth in steals (1.88 spg), sixth in double-doubles (10), and 20th in assists (3.4 apg). In addition to leading her club in scoring, Moore placed second on the Lynx in rebounding and assists, and third in blocks (0.82 bpg).
She will now try to buck a trend as no regular-season MVP has led her team to the title since Lauren Jackson powered Seattle to the 2010 title. Diana Taurasi (2009), Lisa Leslie (2001), Sheryl Swoopes (2000) and Cynthia Cooper (1997 and 1998) are the only other players to win the WNBA title the same year they were named the league's MVP.
DRAFT LOTTERY IS TONIGHT
The lottery to determine the order of the top four picks in the 2015 WNBA Draft will be held during halftime of tonight's Indiana/Washington playoff game (approximately at 8 p.m.).
The Connecticut Sun has two of the four lottery picks thanks to finishing with the third-worst record in the league and also holding the New York Liberty's No. 1 pick but by winning the final game of the regular season the Sun's chances to earn the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row dropped dramatically. Tulsa and Seattle each have a 35.9 percent chance of picking first while the Sun's probability to earning the top pick is 28.2 percent.
UConn sweet-shooting wing Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is among the top prospects available in next year's draft.
posted by Jim Fuller at
9:51 AM
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