Conference championships are a thing of the past, but Player of the Week awards are not. On Monday, the WNBA announced the first pair of award winners.
A first-time award recipient was anointed in the Eastern Conference: Atlanta’s Layshia Clarendon. Clarendon has blossomed since she joined the Dream last year, and she is on a torrid pace to start the 2017 season. Through the first week, the 5-foot-9-inch guard is averaging 16.3 points and 6.0 assists per game. Currently, she is tied for third in the league in assists, and she matched a career high with nine in Atlanta’s 75-71 loss to Chicago on Sunday.
In the Western Conference, Sylvia Fowles earned her eighth career Player of the Week award. Minnesota’s exemplary center already has two double-doubles in three games, and her interior presence is a major reason for the team’s 3-0 start. In the season opener, Fowles racked up 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lynx past the Sky.
On Saturday, she came up big again. Facing Dallas, Fowles put in 27 points and 13 rebounds while hitting 11 of 12 from the free throw line. The Lynx needed every point, edging the Wings for an 89-87 victory. Statistically, Fowles is performing within her usual parameters, but what is normal for her is amazing for fans.