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1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

http://oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3224691
2005 All-WNBA 1st Team

Position, Player, Team, Total Points
Forward Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) 233
Forward Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm) 223
Guard Deanna Nolan (Detroit Shock) 169
Guard Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) 142
Center Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento Monarchs) 164

2005 All-WNBA 2nd Team

Position, Player, Team, Total Points
Forward Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) 205
Forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin (Connecticut Sun) 127
Guard Becky Hammon (New York Liberty) 126
Guard Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) 124
Center Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) 106

Other players receiving votes: Forwards - Chamique Holdsclaw, Los Angeles Sparks (104), Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock (15), DeMya Walker, Sacramento Monarchs (9), Nicole Powell, Sacramento Monarchs (3). Guards - Lindsay Whalen, Connecticut Sun (118), Nykesha Sales, Connecticut Sun (91), Alana Beard, Washington Mystics (15), Ticha Penicheiro, Sacramento Monarchs (8}, Janeth Arcain, Houston Comets (3). Center - Michelle Snow, Houston Comets (9), Ann Wauters, New York Liberty (6).

I'm hoping Diana's coming in 4th for guard will inspire her playing next season. Perhaps give her back the spark that IMO she was missing many times. I prefer dynamite over firecrackers. I hope everyone knows how much I admire Diana. I just want to see the spirit we saw in her rookie year more consistently. It's that spirit that brings the rest of the team's performance up

kitkat310 · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 303

IMO, the guards were hard this year...

Statistically Taurasi and Nolan were the best

Winning wise..Whalen and Bird

Most important to their team..Hammon

Assist leader...Bird

Lindsay got shafted again...but who would you take off...me, I'd take off Nolan or Bird...but how can you take off the point guard who was the assist leader, or the second best guard, statistically...

The guards were hard...too bad Lindsay ended up getting the short end of the stick..well, hopefully she'll get a championship instead..

Although, I agree..Taurasi's spirit just wasn't the same this year..I think the losing so much in the beginging hurt..and then actually getting hurt...when the Mercury was winning, Taurasi was normal Taurasi..who knows, maybe spending some time in Russia with Susie will help.. :D

caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1562 Location: Phoenix

Quote: Although, I agree..Taurasi's spirit just wasn't the same this year..I think the losing so much in the beginging hurt..

I think she came into the season "spiritless" and she wasn't as competitive as I'd have like to have seen. I'm hoping time in Russia makes her more juiced when she shows up here for the WNBA season.

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

At least with DT playing in Russia, she won't show up out of shape next season. Our season is too short to start out that way. A player has to be in shape, ready to compete, and in camp. Even with Maria, it took a couple games for the whole team to gel.

AAEmotion · Joined: 19 Aug 2005 Posts: 39 Location: Australia

Playing in Russia will definitely help D. When Birdy returned to Seattle after a season in Russia, she was in the best shape of her life. I can't imagine Bird will let D slack off at all while they're over there :lol:

RAZGIRL33 · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 39

I think Dee's spiritlessness, wow thats a big word, can be attributed to her always winning her whole life. She has been spoiled in that sense and she knows that. She just needs to accept the fact that you cant always win.I think this year kind of hammered it in a little more. I also think it hurt a little more because there was so much preseason hype for the Mercury and then with players coming in late and leaving it kind of set them up for failure. This season will make her grow as a person if anything.
As for her not being in as good shape as her rookie year, well she spent the offseason at college. Although she practiced with the Huskies, it wasnt the same as her rookie season where she was actually playing with UCONN and then training for the olympics.
Russia should definitely do her some good.
No matter what the reasons, we still love Dee anyway. :wink:

SuziQ · Joined: 17 Apr 2004 Posts: 288 Location: Phoenix

If Diana came in out of shape and "spiritless", my opinion is that it has more to do with boredom than not being used to winning. She went non-stop in 2004, and previous to that was very focused on either playing or on school. Many very successful people can have problems with their performance when there is too much time on their hands. Being way too busy is actually better than having too much free time. D needs to be challenged, and a trip to Russia sounds like just the ticket.

I congratulate her for making the 2nd Team - I thought it should have been 1st team, but you're right about the depth at guard.

caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1562 Location: Phoenix

I agree Suze, it was the lack of competition during her time between WNBA seasons that made her, IMO, seem a lIttle less "Diana like" :?
I don't believe she was as physically out of shape as she was mentally out of shape.
Lets hope she plays lots of "mind games" with the Russians :roll:

dimples684 · Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Mililani, Hawaii

Well congrats to Diana Taurasi. We should be good next year and if

everyone is staying in shape during the off season we will be okay. I

really do want to see the Mercury make it to the playoffs for next year

and make it all the way to the top, that would be awesome. The Ladies got

alot of stuffs to work on and we all know this. Diana will be in awesome

shape when she does come back from Russia. Congrats to all the Ladies

that made the Two Teams. I agree with what everyone is saying . No

doubt about that . Y'all have a wonderful day? How are you doing Carol

and just saying wuddup . Take Care

dimples

RAZGIRL33 · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 39

SuziQ wrote: Many very successful people can have problems with their performance when there is too much time on their hands. Being way too busy is actually better than having too much free time. D needs to be challenged.

I totally agree! Dee does need to be challenged. Gino challenged her. I honestly dont think Carrie did.
I think we all know that she is in great shape. I was just saying that she didnt seem as sharp as she did last year. I do think that the losing did play some part though. But we can sit here an debate about it all day long(which we are quite good at), Dee is the only one that knows exactly what she needs and if that is going to play in Russia then God bless her!

SuziQ wrote: I congratulate her for making the 2nd Team - I thought it should have been 1st team, but you're right about the depth at guard.

I wish she would have too, but atleast she made it! She really did deserve it.You go girl! :D

kitkat310 · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 303

PENNY DIDN'T EVEN GET A MENTION!! :evil: :evil:

How did she not get 1 vote...that makes me sad..

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

In situations like this, Penny's preference to stay in the background & out of the limelight hurts her as far as awards and the media go. IMO if we had made the Western Division playoffs, the Mercury team would have gotten a lot of exposure. With that exposure, Penny would have been publicly recognized as the great player she is.

SuziQ · Joined: 17 Apr 2004 Posts: 288 Location: Phoenix

And if Penny had been here a full year, I wonder if that would have made any difference. Still, she's on our first team, and that's the one I care about most. Penny's a ledge!

While I'm thinking about it - did Kamilla get any votes for Most Improved? I agree that Powell did really come alive (which any PAC-10 fan knew she was easily capable of), but I really thought KV did a terrific job helping the Mercury. And for both, it was a matter of increased minutes and making the most of the opportunities given.