NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2009 – Deanna Nolan of the Detroit Shock and Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm were named the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, August 24 through Sunday, August 31.
Deanna Nolan wins the fourth Player of the Week award of her career and first this season after averaging a league-leading 26.7 points on 41.8 percent (28-67) shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in three games. She led the Shock to a 2-1 record including wins over Eastern Conference rivals Connecticut and Atlanta.
Against the Dream, Nolan set a then-season high with 29 points in Detroit’s four-point win. With the game tied at 79 and 53.6 seconds remaining, Nolan made a jumper off the glass to give the Shock the final lead. She sealed the win with 20.3 seconds left when she sank two free throws to put Detroit ahead by four. One game later, Nolan surpassed her season high with 34 points in Detroit’s road loss to San Antonio. She shot 56.3 percent (9-16) from behind the three-point line in the three games after shooting 23.0 percent (16-71) heading into the week.
Nolan is a four-time All-WNBA selection, a four-time WNBA All-Star and the 2006 WNBA Finals MVP. She’s averaging 16.1 points, which places her in the top 15 among league leaders, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season.
In Play! Magazine
