NEW YORK (AP) —
Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks, the
league's career scoring leader with 2,670
points, tops the 2001 All-WNBA first team
announced Thursday.
Also selected was Kate Smith of the Minnesota Lynx, the single-season scoring record holder with a 23.1-point average.
Leslie received 285 points, while Smith got 280 in voting by a 60-member panel.
Completing the first team are Houston guard Janeth Arcain (265 points), Utah guard Natalie Williams (259) and Cleveland guard Merlakia Jones (193).
The second team includes forwards Tina Thompson of Houston and Chamique Holdsclaw of Washington, center Yolanda Griffith and guard Ticha Penicheiro of Sacramento and guard Tamecka Dixon of Los Angeles.
First-team members each receive $10,000 and second-teamers $5,000.
Leslie captures WNBA MVP award
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks was chosen as the WNBA's most valuable player on Sunday, making her the first to capture All-Star and regular-season MVP honors in the same season. The 6-foot-5 center averaged 19.5 points — second-best in the league — and led the Sparks to a league-best 28-4 record during the regular season. "What a career, what a player, what a year," league president Val Ackerman said. Leslie received $25,000 from the league and a new car during a presentation prior to Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.