Mystics’ Meesseman, Sparks’ Ogwumike named WNBA Players of the Week
NEW YORK – Emma Meesseman of the Washington Mystics and Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks today were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played June 6 through June 12.
Meesseman earned the Player of the Week honor for the first time in her four-year career. A 2015 All-Star selection, Meesseman helped Washington split two games during the week. Through 11 games this season, Meesseman ranks seventh among Eastern Conference players in scoring (14.8 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (6.9 rpg).
Meesseman, a second-round pick of Washington in WNBA Draft 2013 presented by State Farm, paced the East in scoring (21.0) and rebounding (9.5) for the week. The Belgium native began the week with game highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds as the Mystics defeated the host Dallas Wings, 87-79, on June 8. Three days later, she registered team highs of 19 points and seven rebounds in an 83-76 home loss to the undefeated Minnesota Lynx.
Ogwumike earned the Player of the Week honor for the first time this season and the fifth time in her five-year career. She notched two double-doubles as Los Angeles won both of its games and improved to 9-0, equaling the best start in franchise history and the second best in WNBA history.
The three-time All-Star paced all WNBA players in scoring (25 ppg), rebounding (10 rpg) and field goal percentage (.864, 19-of-22) for the week. She also was the only player to average a double-double. Through nine games, Ogwumike ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (8.9) and sixth in scoring (17.4).
Ogwumike tipped off her week with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in a 100-77 win over the visiting New York Liberty on June 7. The Stanford University product followed that up with a record-setting performance in a 97-73 win at Dallas on June 11. Ogwumike posted game highs of 32 points and 10 rebounds while setting a WNBA mark for most field goals made without a miss (12, topping the previous record of 11 set by Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus on June 8, 2007, against Los Angeles). Ogwumike also became the first player in WNBA history to make at least 10 field goals without a miss, hit all of her free throw attempts (7-of-7) and register a double-double.
Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were the Atlanta Dream’s Angel McCoughtry, Dallas’ Aerial Powers, the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi, the San Antonio Stars’ Astou Ndour and the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird.
For more information on this week’s Players of the Week, visit www.wnba.com/awards.
2016 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week Ending East Player Team West Player Team
5/22/16 Tina Charles New York Maya Moore Minnesota
5/29/16 Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Candace Parker Los Angeles
6/5/16 Tina Charles New York Maya Moore Minnesota
6/12/16 Emma Meesseman Washington Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles
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