Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry was named the 2009 adidas Rookie of the Year, the WNBA announced today. McCoughtry received 30 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to earn the award.
McCoughtry, the No.1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft presented by adidas, topped the charts among all WNBA rookies in points (12.8) and steals (2.2) and ranked fifth in assists (2.1). She finished the season with two consecutive adidas Rookie of the Month honors. McCoughtry’s 2.2 steals per game led the Dream and placed her in the top five among league leaders.
The 6’1” forward started her professional career by posting 15 points and seven rebounds in an 87-86 win over the Indiana Fever. One of her best games came in a 93-87 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars; McCoughtry posted a career-high 34 points, collected seven rebounds and dished out four assists. Another performance where McCoughtry’s versatility stood out was a win late in the season against the Monarchs. She had a career-high 10 assists and added 26 points and five rebounds. McCoughtry scored double-digits in all but 10 games during her first professional season.
McCoughtry helped propel a team that finished with only four wins in 2008 to second place in the Eastern Conference this season. The Dream advanced to the 2009 WNBA Playoffs presented by adidas, the first postseason appearance in franchise history. The 14-game improvement is the second-best single-season turnaround in WNBA history.
McCoughtry was honored with the adidas Rookie of the Month award in July and August. In July, she averaged 10.2 points, 2.0 steals per game and was nearly perfect from the free throw line during that span (17-for-18). In her 10 games played in August, she averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.4 assists.
McCoughtry, the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at the University of Louisville, excelled on the court throughout her college career. She was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a senior and was Louisville’s first three-time All-America selection.
In honor of being named the 2009 adidas Rookie of the Year, McCoughtry will receive $5,000 and a specially-designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.
To add a comment, please register or login.