Page 20 - MIN TTC SEPT 18, 2015

SPORTS A19
Friday 18 September 2015

Phoenix’s Griner named WNBA defensive player of year

DOUG FEINBERG well.”
AP Basketball Writer Griner received 33 of the 39 first
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney place votes from a national panel
Griner won the WNBA defen- of writers and broadcasters. She
sive player of the year award for becomes the sixth player to win
the second straight season, the the award in multiple seasons.
league announced Thursday. Tamika Catchings won it five times
The 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) star be- and Sheryl Swoopes three.
came the first player in league Bill Laimbeer was honored Thurs-
history to average at least four day night as the WNBA’s coach of
blocks a game, with 105 in just 26 the year.
contests. She was suspended for He guided New York to a club-re-
the first seven games of the sea- cord 23 wins and the No. 1 over-
son following a domestic violence all seed in the playoffs for the first
arrest. time. It’s the second time in his
“This award means a lot to me be- career that Laimbeer earned the
cause our team defense puts us award, also winning in 2003 when
in a good position to win games,” he was coaching Detroit.
Griner said. “If I’m blocking shots or Laimbeer is the fourth coach to
changing shots or even prevent- win the award at least twice. Van
ing players from taking shots, I’m Chancellor and Mike Thibault
helping the team and we are likely have won it three times and Dan
to win when our defense is playing Hughes twice.q

In this July 25, 2015, file photo, West’s Brittney Griner, right, of the
Phoenix Mercury, blocks a shot by East’s Alex Bentley, left, of the
Connecticut Sun, during the first half of the WNBA All-Star basketball
game in Uncasville, Conn.

Associated Press