NEW YORK – Connecticut Sun center/forward Kelsey Bone is the winner of the 2015 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Samsung, the WNBA announced today.  Bone received 14 of 39 votes from a panel of national and local sportswriters and broadcasters.

Indiana Fever guard Shenise Johnson finished second with nine votes.  Los Angeles Sparks center Jantel Lavender and Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot tied for third with five votes apiece. Washington Mystics center Stefanie Dolson received three votes, followed by fellow teammate and center Emma Meesseman with two votes. Tulsa Shock guard Riquna Williams received one vote.

Bone raised her scoring average from 9.3 points in 2014 to 15.4 in 2015. She showed improvement as a rebounder, averaging 6.3 rebounds in 2015 as compared to 5.3 in 2014. Bone also averaged 2.0 assists, up from 1.4 a season ago. Bone lifted her field goal percentage from 45.1 last season to 50.8, and her defensive rebound average went from 3.6 to 4.8.

Bone, the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2013, started every game she appeared in for the Sun (33-of-33) and led Connecticut in scoring and rebounding. Among all WNBA players, Bone placed seventh in scoring and fifth in field goals made (6.8 per game).

This year marks the second season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, is serving as the presenting partner of the WNBA’s highest individual honors.  The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program includes the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the WNBA Players of the Month and Rookie of the Month awards.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Samsung, Bone will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy.

Below are the voting results of the 2015 WNBA Most Improved Player presented by Samsung, and a list of past recipients:

2015 WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG VOTING RESULTS

Points             Player                                     Team

14                   Kelsey Bone                          Connecticut Sun
9                    Shenise Johnson                    Indiana Fever
5                    Jantel Lavender                      Los Angeles Sparks
5                    Courtney Vandersloot           Chicago Sky
3                    Stefanie Dolson                      Washington Mystics
2                    Emma Meesseman                Washington Mystics
1                    Riquna Williams                      Tulsa Shock

ALL-TIME WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG WINNERS

Points             Player                                     Team

2015                Kelsey Bone                          Connecticut Sun
2014                Skylar Diggins                         Tulsa Shock
2013                Shavonte Zellous                    Indiana Fever
2012                Kristi Toliver                            Los Angeles Sparks
2011                Kia Vaughn                             New York Liberty
2010                Leilani Mitchell                        New York Liberty
2009                Crystal Langhorne                  Washington Mystics
2008                Ebony Hoffman                      Indiana Fever
2007                Janel McCarville                     New York Liberty
2006                Erin Buescher                         Sacramento Monarchs
2005                Nicole Powell                          Sacramento Monarchs
2004                Wendy Palmer/Kelly Miller   Connecticut Sun/Indiana Fever
2003                Michelle Snow                        Houston Comets
2002                Coco Miller                              Washington Mystics
2001                Janeth Arcain                          Houston Comets
2000                Tari Phillips                              New York Liberty

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more of the award-winning products you love with Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com.

About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity.  The league, which counts Boost Mobile as its leaguewide marquee partner, concluded its 19^th regular season on Sept. 13, 2015.

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education.  For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.