April 27, 2006
New York, N.Y. - With the WNBA's 10th Anniversary season set totip off on May 20, 2006, the league today announced the names of 30nominees for the 10 coveted spots on the WNBA All-Decade Team. Among the list of nominees is recent Old Dominion Hall of Fame inductee Ticha Penicheiro.
Voting for the WNBA All-Decade Team will begin this Friday, and will beconducted among fans, select national and WNBA-market media, and currentWNBA players and coaches. Fans are encouraged to vote by logging ontoWNBA.com. The All-Decade Team will be announced in June and honored at the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game set to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 12.
The league's official Web site will feature a special section dedicated tothe All-Decade Team, complete with player histories, statistics and videohighlights of each nominee. The new WNBA.com History section, in which thevoting will take place, may also serve as a resource for fans and mediaalike, providing career statistical leaders, award winners, season recapsand more. Fans will be able to vote for their All-Decade Team players onceper day (daily).
"We view the celebration of our 10th anniversary as a way to mark theaccomplishments of our past and embrace our vision for the future," saidWNBA President Donna Orender. "The selection of the WNBA All-Decade Teamwill enable our fans and the league to honor the players who havecontributed so much to the growth of the WNBA and of women's basketball."
Members of the All-Decade team will be selected on the basis of theiroverall contribution to the WNBA, with consideration given to on-courtperformance and ability, leadership, sportsmanship and community service,as well as contribution to team success and the growth of women'sbasketball.
In addition to selecting an All-Decade Team, the WNBA will celebrate its10th Anniversary season by providing fans an opportunity to determine theGreatest Moments in league history and through a season-long initiative,"10 Years of Caring," where all teams will demonstrate their continuedcommitment to their communities.
A native of Portugal, Penicheiro first made her mark in the U.S. as aflashy point guard for Old Dominion University. An inductee into the Old Dominion Hall of Fame earlier this week, she led the Lady Monarchs to the 1997 NCAA championship game. During her career at ODU, she collected 1,304 points, finished her career as ODU's all-time steal leader with 591, and second all-time assist leader with 939. The two-time Kodak All-American became ODU's second winner of the prestigious Lifetime/Wade Trophy and the first international player to win this honor. A four-time All-CAA honoree, Penicheiro was named the CAA's Player of the Year twice as well as the Rookie of the Year.
Since being chosen by the Sacramento Monarchs as the second overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft, she has gone on to lead the league in assists in six different seasons and enters 2006 as the all-time WNBA career assist leader. In 2004, Penicheiro helped lead the Monarchs to the Western Conference Finals and finished the season ranked second in the league in assists per turnover (2.26). Just one year later, she led the Monarchs to their first ever WNBA championship. A four-time WNBA All-Star, Penicheiro was awarded the prestigious WNBA Cascade Dish & Assist Award in 2003. She was also named to the All-WNBA First Team in 1999 and 2000 and earned Second Team honors in 2001.
Below is a list of the 30 nominees for the WNBA All-Decade Team.
Name-WNBA Team:
Janeth Arcain Houston Comets (1997-Current)
Sue Bird Seattle Storm (2002-Current)
Ruthie Bolton* Sacramento Monarchs (1997-2004)
Swin Cash Detroit Shock (2002-Current)
Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever (2001-Current)
Cynthia Cooper* Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2003)
Tamecka Dixon Houston Comets (Current) Los Angeles Sparks(1997-2005)
Jennifer Gillom* Los Angeles Sparks (2003) Phoenix Mercury (1997-2002)
Yolanda Griffith Sacramento Monarchs (1999-Current)
Becky Hammon New York Liberty (1999-Current)
Chamique Holdsclaw Los Angeles Sparks(2005-Current) Washington Mystics (1999-2004)
Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm (2001-Current)
Shannon Johnson San Antonio Silver Stars (2004-Current) Connecticut Sun(2003), Orlando Miracle (1999-2002)
Vickie Johnson San Antonio Silver Stars (Current) New York Liberty(1997-2005)
Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks (1997-Current)
Rebecca Lobo* Connecticut Sun (2003) Houston Comets (2002), NewYork Liberty (1997-2001)
Mwadi Mabika Los Angeles Sparks (1997-Current)
Taj McWilliams-Franklin Connecticut Sun(2003-Current) Orlando Miracle (1999-2002)
DeLisha Milton-Jones Washington Mystics(2005-Current) Los Angeles Sparks (1999-2004)
Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock (2001-Current)
Ticha Penicheiro Sacramento Monarchs (1998-Current)
Nykesha Sales Connecticut Sun (2003-Current) Orlando Miracle(1999-2002)
Katie Smith Detroit Shock (2005-Current) Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005)
Dawn Staley Houston Comets (2005-Current) Charlotte Sting (1999-2005)
Andrea Stinson Detroit Shock (2005) Charlotte Sting (1997-2004)
Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets (1997-Current)
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury (2004-Current)
Tina Thompson Houston Comets (1997-Current)
Teresa Weatherspoon* Los Angeles Sparks (2004) NewYork Liberty (1997-2003)
Natalie Williams* Indiana Fever (2003-2005) Utah Starzz (1999-2002)