(Guru's note: Some copy is from AP in San Antonio, including quotes)
By Mel Greenberg
The fans who made Candace Parker's jersey the best-seller in the WNBA were given proof Friday why the replica is worth every penny they spent.
Concluding an unprecedented year for a women's hoops star, the former Tennessee sensation who was the overall No. 1 pick in April's draft by the Los Angeles Sparks was named both the rookie of the year -- an unanmous choice -- and the Most Valuable Player.
It is the first time in the WNBA's 12-year history that a newcomer was also named Most Valuable player, although if the calendar and history were different, the milestone might have been achieved by the likes of Cheryl Miller, Nancy Lieberman, and even Seattle's Sue Bird, who was a finalist in the MVP voting.
In her redshirt junior season before declaring for the draft, Parker won every collegiate player of the year award except the Margaret Wade honor, while leading Tennessee to a second-straight NCAA title.
The Chicago-area native was also a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in Beijing.
And had not Sophia Young rescued San Antonio at the last second in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Parker would be vying to become to pull a women's basketball hat trick in the championship series, trying to become to win all titles in the same calendar year.
Parker edged Connecticut’s Lindsay Whalen and Seattle’s Bird in
the MVP race.
“You know, Coach (Michael) Cooper set this goal for me early on,
and I looked at him like he was crazy,” Parker said. “He’s like,
’We’re going to win the rookie of the year, and you’re going to win
a championship and you’re going to win the MVP.’ I just looked at
him like, ’That’s what you expect of me already?”’
Parker averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds She had a high of 40 points and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 17 games. She led the league in double-doubles with 17, led the league
in rebounding and led rookies in scoring, blocks (2.3 bpg) and minutes (33.6 mpg).
The all-rookie team, selected by league coaches, included Parker, Minnesota’s Candice Wiggins and Nicky Anosike, Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles, Houston’s Matee Ajavon, the former Rutgers star; and Connecticut’s Amber Holt. Ajavon and Holt tied for the fifth spot on the team.
Parker received 276.79 points, while Whalen finished second with 242.08 points and Bird came in third with 218.51 points.
Rounding out the top six vote getters in one of the closest MVP races in WNBA history were San Antonio’s Sophia Young (169.62), Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi (148.98) and San Antonio’s Becky Hammon (131.75).
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