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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