WNBA Names All-Decade Team
Yolanda Griffith (FAU '92-'93) earns spot on list



June 14, 2006

New York, NY – Team Collectively Boasts 17 WNBA Championships and 16 Olympic Gold Medals

As part of a season-long celebration of the WNBA's 10th Anniversary, the league named its All-Decade Team, comprised of the 10 best and most influential players from its first 10 years of play. Florida Atlantic University's Yolanda Griffith was one of the 10 selected.

While the Florida Atlantic University Owls celebrated their best season by capturing the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament at Vanderbilt in 2005-2006, Griffith led the last FAU women's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament on in 1992-93, prior to joining a conference.

The All-Decade Team was chosen from among 30 nominees by WNBA fans, a panel of national and WNBA-market media, the league's current players and coaches. The WNBA All-Decade Team honors those players who have contributed 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 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 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."

Below, listed in alphabetical order, is a list of the 10 players named to the WNBA All-Decade Team along with five players who received Honorable Mention.

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)

*Retired

Honorable Mention
Name WNBA Team (Current/Last) Previous Team (s)
Ruthie 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)

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