My All Decade Team

I will spend this week detailing my selections for the All Decade Team. I will do two each day starting with my top two.

Cynthia Cooper
She was the most dominant player in the game. When the league started it heavily hyped college star Rebecca Lobo, the pregnant Sheryl Swoopes and the Diva, Lisa Leslie. Lobo's game didn't translate to the pros, Leslie was good but not dominant, and Swoopes, as good as she is, was outshone in every game by her team mate. From Dean Oliver's book Basketball on Paper, She averaged a 52% floor percentage, 118 offensive rating, 20.7 points produced per game, a 50% stop percentage and a 96% win/loss percentage in 119 games from 1997-2000.

All Time Records
#1 Points per game
#7 Assists per game
#16 3pt FG%
#4 FT%
#13 Steals per game

2 League MVP Awards (97 & 98)
4 Finals MVP Awards
4 WNBA Championships

Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl may have played in Coopers shadow, but she still shined, and seems to get even better as she ages. She plays plays the game with grace and determination. Her passion and skill wins games for her team, and her grace and charisma wins points for the league. She is a role model for any child in her pursuit of success, her willingness to blaze trails on and off the court and the graciousness she displays in winning and in losing. Last year was her 9th year in the league, and she had a floor percentage of 52%, a stop percentage of 52%, an offensive rating of 111.13, 18.33 points produced per game and a win percentage of 78%.

All Time Records
#6 Points per game
#2 Total points
#28 Rebounds per game
#17 Total rebounds
#18 Assists per game
#7 Total assists
#44 3pt FG%
#21 Total 3 point baskets
#15 FT%
#5 Total free throws
#40 FG%
#2 Total field foals
#3 Steals per game
#12 Total steals
#24 Blocks per game
#4 Minutes per game
#5 Total minutes

3 League MVP Awards (2000, 02 & 05)
3 Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2000, 02 & 03)
5 All WNBA First Team (1998-2000, 02 & 05)
1 All WNBA Second Team (2003)
4 WNBA Championships (though she only played 14 minutes in 1997's playoffs)
3 WNBA All Star Starter Selections (leaving out 2004 Team USA spot)
1 All Star Game MVP (2005)
1 All-Defensive First Team (2005)
1 of 4 league players to earn a triple double (1999 vs. Detroit)
Only player to earn a triple double in the playoffs (2005 vs. Seattle)

Tomorrow I will get the last Comet out of the way (yes, I have three on my list) and move on to the rest of the league.