July 20, 2010 Vol. 2, No. 14Media Central: Register

PRESIDENT OBAMA HONORS PHOENIX MERCURY AT WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama honored the 2009 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury for their accomplishments both on and off the court at a ceremony at the White House yesterday. Immediately following the ceremony, the WNBA and the Mercury hosted a special WNBA Fit Clinic and joined forces with Let’s Move! – a national campaign led by First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation so that kids born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight. The entire team, along with WNBA Legend, Community Ambassador and fitness expert, Jennifer Azzi, was there to promote fitness, nutrition, and self-confidence to 30 kids from YMCA National Capital branch through interactive stations and positive messaging. WNBA FIT is part of the league’s social responsibility initiative, WNBA Cares, which supports educational programming, promotes hands-on community service and inspires young people and women of all ages to learn about the importance of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. More>>

Chamique Holdsclaw Receives Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award
The WNBA has named six-time WNBA All-Star and current San Antonio Silver Star Chamique Holdsclaw – who played with the Atlanta Dream last year – as the recipient of the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award today in recognition of her outstanding community work in Atlanta in 2009. The award recognizes the player who best exemplifies the characteristics of a leader in the community and reflects Staley’s leadership, spirit, charitable efforts, and love for the game. Holdsclaw credits her involvement with Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, N.Y. as a youth for much of her success on and off the basketball court and as a reason why she is committed to working with children. Throughout the year, Holdsclaw worked with several youth groups in the community, including the Butler Street YMCA, the Power of Girls program, and the Metro Atlanta Boys & Girls Club, where she spent time with the youngsters teaching them the importance of eating healthy and staying fit. She also hosted various basketball clinics and reading events and donated game tickets to hundreds of young fans in the surrounding areas. More>

Seattle's Jackson and Indiana's Catchings Named Players of the Week
hined the brightest this past week as the Seattle Storm’s Lauren Jackson and the Indiana Fever’s Tamika Catchings were named the WNBA’s Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week presented by Kia Motors, respectively, for games played Monday, July 12 through Sunday, July 18. By winning the Player of the Week presented by Kia Motors award for the fifth time in the first nine weeks of the 2010 season, Jackson extends her own WNBA record for such honors to 19 and ties her mark for the most Player of the Week awards in a single season. For the week, Jackson led the league in rebounds (12.5 rpg) and blocks (3.0 bpg), and finished second in scoring (28.5 ppg) behind only Diana Taurasi. With her first Player of the Week presented by Kia Motors award of the season, Catchings extends her career total for such honors to 13, third best in WNBA history behind only Jackson (19) and Lisa Leslie (15). By leading the league in steals (3.0 spg), tying for fourth in rebounds (10.0 rpg), and ranking sixth in scoring (22.3 ppg) during the week, Catchings helped the Fever to a 2-1 mark and into first place in the Eastern Conference with a 13-7 record overall. More>>

Weekend Recap: Storm Stays Perfect Out West
On Saturday the Seattle Storm paid a visit to the Target Center in Minneapolis to take on the Lynx. A win would stretch the team’s win streak to nine straight and improve its overall record to 18-2. What’s more, the Storm went into the game with a perfect 12-0 record in the Western Conference. Despite Minnesota’s ability to keep it close and at times even take the lead, Seattle fought back into it and managed to steal the win by the final of 73-71. Lauren Jackson scored 26 points and hauled in seven rebounds for the Storm, while Rebekkah Brunson posted 19-9 for the Lynx. Seattle now takes aim at the best start through 25 games in WNBA history (23-2 by the Houston Comets in 1998). More>>
Today's Quotes

BARACK OBAMA thanking members of the Phoenix Mercury for being great role models for his daughters:
"I want Malia and Sasha to know that there is absolutely no contradiction between women who are beautiful and healthy and contributing, and good athletes and competitive. As a father, I thank you for being great role models." CNN July 19, 2010