yogee
Years ago
Screen has Good Hands
The hard work of three women in the 'Price Attack' Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) has paid off today with the announcement of the first awards of the 2004/05 season.
Adelaide Lightning guard Jennifer Screen was named winner of the Good Hands award, Canberra Capitals centre Jenny Whittle blocked the most shots for the season and Whittle's teammate and New Zealand Tall Ferns Olympian Donna Loffhagen took out the league's rebounding award.
Screen's Good Hands award was determined by adding assists and steals and subtracting the player's turnover count.
The 179cm captain of the Lightning passed more assists than any other in the 2004/05 regular season with 123 (5.86 per game), pilfered 28 steals and had only 65 turnovers. She was Player of the Week in Round Seven following a rare triple-double performance against the Perth Lynx. Screen's triple was only the 15th in WNBL history and she achieved it with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
A humble Screen puts her outstanding form down to the brilliance of her teammates.
"I've been working my butt off but I have to give a big thanks to my teammates, especially Laura (Summerton) who is shooting so well. It's helped me rack up so many assists.
"The way I'm playing this season is due to the passion I have for this game. I get a bit of white line fever. Whenever I play, my goal is to win and I'll do anything to do it."
Screen's co-captain Sam Woosnam had her season cut short with a knee injury in November, leaving Screen to shoulder the captaincy on her own.
"It hasn't affected me too much because Laura and Erin (Phillips), and the whole team really, stepped up on the court making my job a lot easier."
Jenny Whittle returned to the 'Price Attack' WNBL this season after five years away from the league including time with Spanish team Burgos. Veteran coach Tom Maher coaxed her from retirement when he returned to coach the Capitals. Although Canberra missed the playoffs this season, Whittle's return was an undeniable success.
She was Player of the Week in rounds Nine and 10 and was deemed December's Player of the Month by the League office.
Whittle is far and away the all-time leader of the WNBL in blocked shots. She had 548 at the beginning of the season and added another 48 this season (2.29 per game). Her closest rival for all-time blocked shots is Lauren Jackson on 376, meaning her new blocked shot record of 596 is likely to stand for many years to come.
Canberra's other hard worker, New Zealander Donna Loffhagen, made her debut in the 'Price Attack' WNBL this season.
Brought into the team late by Maher (who also acts as the NZ Tall Ferns national coach) following a successful Olympic campaign, Loffhagen made an immediate impact at the defensive end for her team.
She averaged 10 rebounds per outing throughout her 12 games and had 41 offensive and 79 defensive boards in total.
Players must have played at least 11 games to qualify for the awards as per FIBA minimums in statistical categories.
Today is the first of the 2005 'Price Attack' WNBL awards. They will continue tomorrow when the league's best shooters are awarded. More awards will be unveiled throughout the lead up to the WNBL Grand Final on February 19 including the Betty Watson Rookie of the Year, the Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year, the Coach of the Year and the All-Star Five. The 2005 awards announcements will culminate with the naming of the prestigious Most Valuable Player award on Wednesday 16 February.
The winners of the awards will receive their trophies in a special ceremony at the 2005 'Price Attack' WNBL Grand Final, which will be held in Melbourne on Saturday 19 February.
