NEW YORK – New York Liberty guard Sugar Rodgers has been named the 2017 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, the WNBA announced today.  The fifth-year guard earned the award as the league’s top reserve for the first time.

The 26-year-old Rodgers received 15 votes from a national panel of 40 sportswriters and broadcasters.  Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery was second with 12 votes and Washington Mystics guard Ivory Latta finished third with four votes.

To be eligible for the award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started.  Rodgers came off the bench in 18 of her 33 games this season.

Behind Rodgers and fellow All-Star Tina Charles, New York posted a 22-12 record after becoming the first team in WNBA history to close out the regular season with 10 straight victories.   As the No. 3 seed in the WNBA Playoffs 2017 presented by Verizon, the Liberty will host the Mystics in a second-round, single-elimination game today at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Rodgers’ season was highlighted by her first selection to the Verizon WNBA All-Star Game.  The former Georgetown University star averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 assists and a career-high 3.9 rebounds per game this season.  She finished sixth in the league in made three-pointers, connecting on 34.2 percent (63-of-184) from beyond the arc.

Coming off the bench in each of the final 17 games, the 5-9 guard scored in double figures seven times and recorded at least four rebounds nine times.  She was a key contributor in the Liberty’s 10-game winning streak, particularly on the defensive end as New York limited opponents to just 68.1 points per game in that span.

Rodgers was selected by Minnesota in the second round of the 2013 WNBA Draft and acquired by the Liberty in a trade in 2014.  Last season, she finished third in voting for the WNBA Most Improved Player award.

In honor of being named the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, Rodgers will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.

Below are the voting results for the 2017 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year and a list of past recipients: 

2017 WNBA SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS

 Votes                    Player                                           Team
15                          Sugar Rodgers                           New York Liberty
12                          Renee Montgomery                 Minnesota Lynx
4                           Ivory Latta                                   Washington Mystics
3                           Odyssey Sims                             Los Angeles Sparks
2                           Kayla Thornton                         Dallas Wings
1                           Monique Currie                        Phoenix Mercury
1                           Jantel Lavender                        Los Angeles Sparks
1                           Tiffany Mitchell                         Indiana Fever
1                           Cappie Pondexter                    Chicago Sky

ALL-TIME WNBA SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Year                       Player                                           Team
2017                       Sugar Rodgers                        New York Liberty
2016                       Jantel Lavender                        Los Angeles Sparks
2015                       Allie Quigley                               Chicago Sky
2014                       Allie Quigley                               Chicago Sky
2013                       Riquna Williams                        Tulsa Shock
2012                       Renee Montgomery                 Connecticut Sun
2011                       DeWanna Bonner                    Phoenix Mercury
2010                       DeWanna Bonner                    Phoenix Mercury
2009                       DeWanna Bonner                    Phoenix Mercury
2008                       Candice Wiggins                       Minnesota Lynx
2007                       Plenette Pierson                      Detroit Shock

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 Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, completed its 21^st regular season on Sept. 3, 2017.

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.