Dawn Staley Named to WNBA's All-Decade Team

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June 14, 2006

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Virginia alumna Dawn Staley (1989-92) was named to the WNBA’s All-Decade Team, the league announced live nationally during halftime of the Sting-Mystics game late Tuesday.

As part of a season-long celebration of the WNBA’s 10th Anniversary, the All-Decade Team is comprised of the 10 best and most influential players from its first 10 years of play.

For Staley, who has announced that this will be her final WNBA season, the honor was special.

“I’m honored,” said Staley. “It comes as a surprise to me, certainly to be in great company, especially with the great players from the Houston Comets. I’m honored. It’s an honor to be associated with those players and just represent the WNBA in this manner, not just for the basketball, but for all the things we do in the community and what we do to try to continue women’s basketball on the professional level here in the United States.”

Chosen from among 30 nominees by fans, a panel of national and WNBA-market media and the league’s current players and coaches, the WNBA All-Decade Team honors those players who have contributed the most to the overall success of the WNBA. Consideration was given to on-court performance and ability, leadership, sportsmanship and community service, as well as to their contribution to team success and the growth of women’s basketball. The list of 30 nominees whose names graced the ballot was developed by a blue-ribbon panel of national media and basketball representatives.

“The All-Decade Team represents the very best in women’s professional basketball in the WNBA and in the world,” said WNBA President Donna Orender. “They represent all that is right with the WNBA and sports. The group consists of not only tremendous athletes who have reached extraordinary heights on the court, but of terrific women who give unselfishly of their time and effort in the community. They are multi-faceted role models, believers, dreamers, achievers, coaches, teachers, leaders and champions.”

The All-Decade Team will be brought together for the first time and formally honored at the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game set to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 12. The game will be televised live on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“The voting for the All-Decade Team really exceeded our expectations,” added Renee Brown, the WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations. “Throughout the voting process, fans continuously reached out to us with suggestions and their selections and really demonstrated a tremendous amount of interest in the All-Decade Team. It illustrated how talented and special our players are to their fans and how they have had such a positive impact on so many people.”

A three-time Olympian who has helped the U.S. win three gold medals, Staley was selected by the Charlotte Sting as the ninth pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft. Her impact was immediate both on and off the court where she received the WNBA Sportsmanship Award and the league’s Entrepreneurial Award for outstanding community service as a rookie.

In her third season, Staley became the unquestioned leader of the Sting and helped orchestrate one of the sport’s biggest comebacks. After starting the season 1-10, Staley became the ultimate `coach on the floor,’ propelling Charlotte to the WNBA Finals and, in the process, was voted as a starter in her first WNBA All-Star Game.

A four-time All-Star overall, Staley enters 2006 season ranked among the leaders in several all-time WNBA categories, including third in assists (1,204), 16th in free-throw percentage (.836) and 17th in steals (303).

After seven years with the Sting, Staley was traded to the Houston Comets in August of 2005. Just as had been the case in Charlotte, Staley’s impact was immediate as she helped the Comets clinch a playoff berth. Staley has announced that she will retire from the WNBA following the 2006 season.

As a collegian, Staley led Virginia to three Final Fours and was the national Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992. She finished her career as UVa’s record-holder for points (2,135) and assists (729) and as the NCAA career leader in steals (454).

WNBA All-Decade Team

Name              	WNBA Team (Current/Last)    	Previous Team(s)Sue Bird          	Seattle Storm (2002-Current)Tamika Catchings  	Indiana Fever (2001-Current)Cynthia Cooper*   	Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2003)Yolanda Griffith 	Sacramento Monarchs (1999-Current)Lauren Jackson    	Seattle Storm (2001-Current)Lisa Leslie       	Los Angeles Sparks (1997-Current)Katie Smith       	Detroit Shock (2005-Current)  	Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005)Dawn Staley       	Houston Comets (2005-Current) 	Charlotte Sting (1999-2005)Sheryl Swoopes    	Houston Comets (1997-Current)Tina Thompson     	Houston Comets (1997-Current)

Honorable MentionRuthie Bolton* Sacramento Monarchs (1997-2004)Chamique Holdsclaw Los Angeles Sparks (2005-Current) Washington Mystics (1999-2004)Ticha Penicheiro Sacramento Monarchs (1998-Current)Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury (2004-Current)Teresa Weatherspoon* Los Angeles Sparks (2004) New York Liberty (1997-2003)

*Retired

WNBA All-Decade Team Facts & Figures
Of the 10 members selected to the All-Decade team:
• All 10 have earned Olympic medals (Jackson, silver with Australia; the rest gold for USA Basketball)• 8 won Gold Medals with the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 (all but Jackson and the retired Cooper)• 7 have played on a WNBA Championship Team (Swoopes, Cooper and Thompson with Houston in 1997-2000, Leslie with Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002, Bird and Jackson with Seattle in 2004 and Griffith with Sacramento in 2005)• 4 are current or former members of the Houston Comets (Cooper, Staley, Swoopes and Thompson)• 3 have won a WNBA championship, an NCAA title and a gold medal (Bird, Cooper and Swoopes)• 3 are former #1 overall WNBA Draft picks (Jackson ’01, Bird ’02, and Thompson ’97)• 3 are original members of the WNBA still active as players in the league (Leslie, Swoopes and Thompson, all of whom remain with their original team)• 3 played collegiate ball at Southern California (Cooper, Leslie and Thompson)• 3 are former members of the American Basketball League (Griffith, Smith and Staley)• 2 are currently head basketball coaches of women’s collegiate programs (Cooper – Prairie View A&M and Staley – Temple University)• 1 is the daughter of a former NBA player (Catchings – father Harvey)• 1 was the first player ever to sign with the WNBA (Swoopes, October 23, 1996)

Colleges represented by the 10 members of the All-Decade Team:
Southern California (Cooper, Leslie and Thompson), Connecticut (Bird), Florida Atlantic (Griffith), Ohio State (Smith), Texas Tech (Swoopes), Virginia (Staley)