Asjha Jones has quietly developed into one of the Connecticut Sun's key players.
The seventh-year forward was becoming a solid player off the bench for the Sun two years ago, and has flourished since becoming a starter last season.
After averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds her first four seasons, Jones improved to 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2006 - her last season as a reserve. She moved into the starting lineup last year after the Sun traded Taj McWilliams-Franklin before the season, and averaged career highs with 15.3 points and 6.1 boards.
With Katie Douglas' trade to Indiana this offseason, Jones has taken advantage to fill the void and is on pace to set career marks again, with team highs of 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds this year.
``She has great self-confidence right now in both her post game and her jump shot,'' Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. ``Her game has expanded this year. Her range has gotten better this year. She's gotten a turnaround in the post and a jump hook and now she has become an 80 percent free throw shooter on top of it.''
Jones' strong play has helped the first-place Sun head into the weekend with a one-game lead over two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit.
Jones is shooting a career-best 49 percent from the field, including 13-for-21 while scoring a season-high 30 points against Atlanta.
``She's aggressive in there and does a lot of really great things for the team,'' said point guard Lindsay Whalen, second on the Sun in scoring (14.2) and rebounding (6.0). ``She's hit some huge shots down the stretch when we've needed to rely on her.''
Jones believes her improvement is due to maturity and gaining experience.
``I'm getting older now,'' Jones said. ``I've matured a lot from the past. I just want to be a good team player.''
Veteran forward Tamika Whitmore, in her first season with the Sun, added: ``I call it she's comfortable in her skin. She knows her strengths, she knows her weaknesses and she does what she does.''
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STILL DREAMING OF A WIN: With Atlanta's loss to Houston on Thursday night, the expansion Dream became the first team be winless halfway through its schedule.
Atlanta (0-17) opened the season with a 33-point loss to Connecticut, but has only five other losses by 14 points or more - and eight by single digits.
``Once the Dream learn how to play together, they will be good,'' the Mercury's Diana Taurasi said. ``They are a tough team, and they just need to continue to play hard and not get frustrated. They have a lot of young talent.''
Eight-year veteran Betty Lennox is having a career season for the Dream. Coming into the year with averages of 12.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, she is putting up career highs of 19.8 and 5.0, respectively.
``They have a real nice team that just needs a little more experience,'' Comets coach Karleen Thompson said.
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INSPIRING: Good Morning America co-anchor and breast cancer patient Robin Roberts was announced as the 2008 WNBA Inspiration Award.
The award, which is aimed at recognizing an individual who inspires others through commitment and dedication to work, family and community, will be presented to Roberts at the league's WNBA Inspiring Women Luncheon in San Francisco on July 30.
``We are absolutely thrilled to honor Robin Roberts and recognize all her accomplishments, both on and off the court,'' WNBA president Donna Orender said in a statement. ``Through her extraordinary leadership in the news industry as GMA's co-anchor, to her humanitarian efforts in helping Hurricane Katrina victims to her courageous public battle with breast cancer, her integrity and passion continues to inspire millions of young girls.''
Roberts played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana from 1979-83, and is among the school's career leaders in scoring and rebounding. She was a contributor for ESPN from 1990-2005, before moving on to ``Good Morning America.''
The first two recipients of the Inspiration Award were former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 2006 and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last year.
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Phoenix's Diana Taurasi and Connecticut's Asjha Jones were selected as the league's latest players of the week for the Western and Eastern conferences, respectively.
Taurasi earned the honor for the second straight week - third time this season and eighth overall - after averaging 24.0 points and 6.7 assists in the Mercury's wins against Washington, Chicago and Connecticut. She shot 55 percent (23-for-42) from the field, including 11-for-22 on 3-pointers.
Taurasi had 31 points and eight rebounds against Washington on June 24, marking the fourth game this season in which she topped 30 points - reaching the mark for the 15th time in her career. That is third-most in WNBA history, trailing Lauren Jackson (18) and Cynthia Cooper (16).
Jones was selected for the award for the second time in her career after averaging 20.0 points, 8.3 rebounds while helping the Sun win two of four in the week.
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SCOREBOARD WATCH: Sacramento at Houston, Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT. Although the Monarchs and Comets entered the weekend tied for last in the Western Conference, they are only three games behind first-place San Antonio. Houston has won five of its last six. Sacramento had won consecutive games at home before losing at San Antonio on Thursday night. ... Connecticut at Detroit, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. The top two teams in the East square off for the third time this season. The teams split a home-and-home series in the first two meetings, with the home team winning each.
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STATS: Phoenix's Diana Taurasi entered the weekend as the league's top scorer at 24.9 points per game, followed by teammate Cappie Pondexter (23.6). Seattle's Lauren Jackson (19.7) was third. ... Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie (9.5) and rookie Candace Parker (9.2) were tops in rebounding, and Detroit's Cheryl Ford (9.0) was third. ... Seattle's Sue Bird was tops in assists (6.0). Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen (5.7) was next, followed by Detroit's Deanna Nolan (5.4) and Sacramento's Ticha Penicheiro (5.4). ... San Antonio's Becky Hammon led the league in free-throw shooting at 94.9 percent (74-for-78), and Jackson was next at 94.0 percent (79-for-84). ... Phoenix led the league in scoring (88.8 points per game), field-goal shooting (43.7 percent), and free-throw percentage (82.9 percent). ... Los Angeles was tops in rebounding (39.4 per game), assists (18.5) and blocks (6.9).
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: ``That was as good of a performance that I have seen by somebody in a game start to finish. We helped her a little bit but she made some great shots herself. ... I guess it kind of became a test of wills versus whatever you want to call what she was tonight. She reminded me tonight of Allen Iverson. That's who I thought she played like.'' - Connecticut coach Mike Thibault, after Atlanta's Betty Lennox scored 44 points in a 109-101 overtime loss to the Sun on June 27.
