Jackson, Fallon Share Honors
The Age
Tuesday March 7, 2000
Lauren Jackson, only 18, has won her second most valuable player award in the Women's National Basketball League, but this time she shares the trophy with another national team member, Trisha Fallon.
Fallon, 27, had a stellar first half of the season but her form and that of her team (Sydney Flames) fell away. Jackson was consistently outstanding and would have won the award outright if she had not missed three games with injury.
Carrie Graf, Jackson's coach with Canberra Capitals, said earlier in the season that Fallon was the best player in the league. Graf obviously was deflecting some of the pressure from her young superstar.
But Jackson is used to dealing with the hype and she has continued to enjoy the exposure. She will be the key player when the Capitals play Adelaide Lightning in the grand final in Adelaide on Saturday. Jackson won the award-title double last season when playing with the AIS and is halfway to repeating the feat again this year.
It is the second time the league has had joint MVPs, Karen Blicavs and Robyn Maher winning in 1983. (Maher retired last month and the league has named its defensive player award in honor of her.)
Jackson was signed to an ambassadorial role by the league this season to ensure she plays another year after the Olympics.
After that, she will be the prime target of Women's National Basketball Association recruiters in the US.
Fallon was grand final MVP in 1997 when pregnant. After having a daughter she starred in the strong Italian first division but then struggled under an unsympathetic coach with Minnesota in the WNBA.
She has been traded to Phoenix Mercury for the WNBA season that begins in June, but will stay in Australia for the Opals' Olympic lead-up.
Fallon's former Minnesota teammate, Kristin Folkl (Melbourne Tigers), was third in the WNBL's MVP voting and became the first import to make the All-Star Five.
Jackson and Fallon also were selected, with guards Kristi Harrower (Melbourne) and Jo Hill (Adelaide).
ANDREW GAZE of Melbourne Tigers is the National Basketball League's player of the week. He averaged 30.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and six assists in two games as his team cemented fifth playoff place.
The Tigers-Victoria Titans elimination final series will be held at Melbourne Park on Wednesday 15March, Saturday 18 and, if a third game is needed, Monday 20.
Titan Frank Drmic, who hurt his back in last Friday's game, could not train again yesterday. He and Brett Wheeler had physiotherapy appointments last night.
Coach Brian Goorjian said Wheeler, who had 48 hours' rest after a cortisone injection in a sore shoulder, trained. Drmic has to wait for his injury to settle down.
WNBL Orange Championship awards
* Most Valuable Player
Equal 1 Trisha Fallon (Sydney Flames) 109
Equal 1 Lauren Jackson (Canberra Capitals) 109
3 Kristin Folkl (Melbourne Tigers) 84
4 Kristi Harrower (Melbourne Tigers ) 81
5 Chika Emeagi (Perth Breakers) 77
6 Jo Hill (Adelaide Lightning) 75
7 Penny Taylor (Dandenong Rangers) 70
8 Belinda Snell (AIS) 69
9 Carla Porter (Adelaide Lightning) 61
10 Allison Tranquilli (Bulleen Boomers) 59
* All-Star Five
Jackson, Fallon, Harrower, Folkl, Hill
* Robyn Maher Medal (best defensive player):
Tully Bevilaqua (Perth Breakers)
*n Betty Watson Rookie of the Year
Shelley Hammonds (AIS)
* Coach of the Year
Mark Wright (Dandenong Rangers)
© 2000 The Age