Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, Connecticut Sun forward/center Jonquel Jones and Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot have won the 2019 WNBA Peak Performer Awards in scoring, rebounding and assists, respectively, the WNBA announced today.  Griner, Jones and Vandersloot all earned the same awards in the 2017 season.

The WNBA presents the Peak Performer Awards annually to the players who lead the league in each of those categories during the regular season.  Each winner will receive a trophy crafted by Tiffany & Co. in honor of her accomplishments.

 

 

BG’s 2019 Scoring Highlights

–          Only player to average over 20 points per game this season (20.7)

–          2^nd time in 3 seasons leading the WNBA in scoring (2017)

–          Third-straight year BG has averaged 20+ ppg, the only true center in WNBA history to do so

–          Griner joins Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming and Joel Embid as only WNBA/NBA centers to average 20+ points in 3 consecutive seasons since 2000

–          Scored in double figures in 29 of the 31 games she played in this season

–          Scored a season-high 34 points on August 25 against Chicago

–          Scored 20 or more points a career-best 19 times in 2019

 

Scoring Average: Brittney Griner

Griner averaged 20.7 points in 31 games to earn her second scoring title.  She also led the WNBA in scoring in 2017 with 21.9 points per game.  In addition, Griner tied Jones for the top spot in blocked shots this season (2.0 bpg).

A six-time All-Star, Griner scored in double figures in all but two games played this season.   She recorded a season-high 34 points against the Sky on Aug. 25.

On Aug. 4 against the Washington Mystics, Griner finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four blocked shots to become the first player to reach those four totals in a WNBA game.

As the eighth seed in the 2019 WNBA Playoffs, Griner and the Mercury will visit Vandersloot and the fifth-seeded Sky in a first-round, single-elimination game on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Mystics forward/guard Elena Delle Donne ranked second in the WNBA in scoring with 19.5 points per game.  She was followed by Dallas Wings rookie guard Arike Ogunbowale (19.1 ppg), Seattle Storm forward Natasha Howard (18.1 ppg) and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (17.2 ppg).

Rebounding Average: Jonquel Jones

Jones averaged 9.7 rebounds in 34 games to secure her second rebounding title in four seasons.  In 2017, she averaged a WNBA-leading 11.85 rebounds per game – the second-highest single-season mark in league history, behind Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles’ 11.88 rebounds last season.

This season, Jones grabbed 10 or more rebounds 16 times.  On May 31, the two-time All-Star set a WNBA season high and matched her career high with 22 rebounds against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Behind Jones, the Sun earned the No. 2 seed in the 2019 WNBA Playoffs and received a double bye into the Semifinals.  Connecticut will host Game 1 of a best-of-five Semifinals series on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Indiana Fever rookie center Teaira McCowan finished second in rebounding with 9.0 per game.  Fowles ranked third with 8.9 rebounds per game.  Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (8.8 rpg) and Mystics forward/guard Elena Delle Donne (8.3 rpg) rounded out the top five.

Assists Average: Courtney Vandersloot

With a record-setting season, Vandersloot earned her third consecutive Peak Performer Award for assists and her fourth overall (she also won in 2015).

Vandersloot averaged a WNBA-record 9.1 assists in 33 games, breaking her own record of 8.6 assists set last season.  She also set the WNBA single-season record for total assists with 300, shattering her own mark of 258 set in 2018.

A two-time All-Star, Vandersloot recorded at least 10 assists 12 times this season.  On July 21, she set the WNBA season high for assists with 14 against the Fever.

The Sparks’ Chelsea Gray ranked second in assists with 5.9 per game.  Mystics guard Natasha Cloud (5.6 apg) was third, followed by Lynx guard Odyssey Sims (5.4 apg) and Storm guard Jordin Canada (5.2 apg).

About the WNBA

The WNBA is a professional, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women.  Featuring 12 teams, the league exemplifies the excitement and excellence of sport as well as its underlying cultural and social dynamics.

Now in its 23^rd season, the WNBA recently launched a new brand identity, including a new logo and color palette, that embodies the youth, diversity and strength of the league and its players. Through the league’s world-class athletes, its in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, including WNBA League Pass, digital and social content, and community engagement programs like Her Time To Play, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it. For more information about the WNBA, visit WNBA.com.