Some Good Stuff

Jayda Evans and the Seattle Times continue to lead when it comes to Seattle print media coverage of the Storm and the WNBA. Her Daily Blog is just one way for her to provide the more in depth coverage she wants for the team without having to compete for space like in their print version. Right now she is bringing you day to day coverage of camp (though Wednesday WAS a day off, remember) and discussing issues like why Erin Grant was cut, what the backup point guard situation looks like, and how Betty got her B-Money nickname. She continues to stay true to her print roots, though, with articles like the one on newcomer Barbara Turner. Over at the Storm site, Kevin Pelton finds time during his busy season (he has been churning out articles for 82games and SI during the playoffs) to provide great stories, and he and David Locke stretch broadcast media coverage of the Storm and the WNBA via their Storm Cast podcasts. This week they introduce us to Barbara Turner and bring up more interesting tidbits from camp.

All Decade Part 3

Time for the last two easy selections for me.

Yolanda Griffith
Yo didn't come into the WNBA until 1999 as part of the shut down of the American Basketball League (ABL) where she had played for three years. She was selected #2 overall in the 1999 draft behind the height of the W's only seven footer, Margo Dydek. Yo's WNBA performance has proved Margo must live in the #2's shadow behind the sustained, superior play of the other candidate for best center in WNBA history. Yo's interior toughness and rebounding prowess come from the same place inside that allowed her to put herself, as a single mother, through college by repossessing cars in Iowa. Her stats for 2005...54% floor percentage, 67.5% stop percentage, 108.55 offensive rating, 94% win percentage, 13.15 points produced per game.

All Time Records
#9 Points per game
#8 Points total
#3 Rebounds per game
#2 Rebounds total
#2 Free throws total
#6 Field goal percentage
#9 Field goal total
#5 Steals per game
#7 Steals total
#11 Blocks per game
#19 Minutes per game
#21 Minutes total

1 Defensive Player of the Year (1999)
1 League MVP (1999)
2 All WNBA First Team selections (1999, 2005)
3 All WNBA Second Team selections (2000-01 & 2004)
1 All WNBA Defensive First Team selection (2005)
1 Newcomer of the Year (1999)
1 WNBA Championship (2005)
1 WNBA Finals MVP (2005)
2 WNBA All-Star Starts (2001, 2005)
3 WNBA All-Star Reserves (1999, 2000, 2003)
1 WNBA All-Star MVP (2004)*

* No true ASG in 2004, Yo played for team USA against a squad of WNBA All-Stars

Dawn Staley

Dawn Staley is a leader. She has shown this for Team USA, for the Charlotte Sting and for the Houston Comets. She led a Sting team from a 1 and 10 start straight to the WNBA finals where they lost to the Sparks. In the playoffs last season she set the tone in Seattle after a stunning home loss in the first round of the playoffs. Houston beat the defending champions in back to back games in Key Arena. Staley made big play after big play in the deciding game, though it was Swoopes who scored the points. Staley is everything a coach wants in a point guard. She knows the game, looks for her team mates, defends and is vocal on the floor. Her current coach calls her his coach on the floor. She is the first of my candidates never to win a WNBA title. Dawn's numbers for 2005...46% floor percentage, 45% stop percentage, 100.99 offensive rating, 13% win percentage (for Houston), 6.8 pts produced per game (for Houston).

All Time Records
#36 Points total
#3 Assists per game
#3 Assists total
#23 3 pt %
#21 3 pt baskets total
#16 Free throw %
#34 Free throw total
#35 FG total
#10 Minutes per game
#9 Minutes total

1 Sportsmanship Award (1999)
3 WNBA All Star Starter selections (02, 03, 05)
1 WNBA All Star Reserve selcection (01)