MVP Dee

As expected, Diana Taurasi was awarded the 2009 WNBA MVP award.

The only surprise was the margin of victory for DT. She trounced her opponents with 323 total points. Tamika Catchings in second with only 163. Voters obviously weren't influenced by her DUI incident which Taurasi described as a pivotal event in the season.

"For a minute I did lose my focus. It's a situation I will always keep in the back of my mind. It reminds you how fragile life and one's career is," said Taurasi about her arrest.

Diana expressed her shock and excitement at learning she won the award while at a local mall via phone call from Mercury GM Ann Meyers-Drysdale two days ago. Diana said she was giddy about it and very excited. She said the award should go to the Phoenix Mercury as a team and not individually and credited her improvement this season with hard work on aspects of her game while playing in Russia during the winter.

2009 WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 
        Points                Player        Team
        323                Diana Taurasi        Phoenix Mercury
        163                Tamika Catchings        Indiana Fever
        128                Katie Douglas        Indiana Fever
        99                Cappie Pondexter        Phoenix Mercury
        77                Becky Hammon        San Antonio Silver Stars
        73                Lauren Jackson        Seattle Storm
        39                Candace Parker        Los Angeles Sparks
        27                Deanna Nolan        Detroit Shock
        10                Sue Bird        Seattle Storm
        9                Lisa Leslie        Los Angeles Sparks
        8                Sophia Young        San Antonio Silver Stars
        7                Sancho Lyttle        Atlanta Dream
        1                Alana Beard        Washington Mystics
        1                Candice Dupree        Chicago Sky
        1                Sylvia Fowles        Chicago Sky

ALL-TIME WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 
        2009         Diana Taurasi        Phoenix Mercury
        2008        Candace Parker        Los Angeles Sparks
        2007        Lauren Jackson        Seattle Storm
        2006        Lisa Leslie        Los Angeles Sparks        
        2005        Sheryl Swoopes        Houston Comets
        2004        Lisa Leslie        Los Angeles Sparks
        2003        Lauren Jackson        Seattle Storm
        2002        Sheryl Swoopes        Houston Comets
        2001        Lisa Leslie        Los Angeles Sparks
        2000        Sheryl Swoopes        Houston Comets
                1999        Yolanda Griffith        Sacramento Monarchs
                1998        Cynthia Cooper        Houston Comets
                1997        Cynthia Cooper        Houston Comets