WNBA

• Mercury's Taurasi named WNBA MVP

  
  

  New York, NY (Sports Network) - Phoenix's Diana Taurasi has been named the 2009 WNBA Most Valuable Player.

  Taurasi received 323 total points and 27 first-place votes in winning her first career MVP award. Indiana's Tamika Catchings was second in the voting with 163 points and three first-place votes, while Indiana's Katie Douglas (five first-place votes), Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter (one first-place vote) and San Antonio's Becky Hammon rounded out the top five.

  In her sixth season in the league, Taurasi averaged a league-high 20.4 points along with 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31 games. The guard-forward also shot a career-high 46.1 percent from the field and led the league in three- pointers made (79). She became the fastest player to 4,000 career points on September 5, reaching that mark in 197 games to break Lauren Jackson's record (209).

  Taurasi was named an All-Star for the fourth time and led the Mercury to the league's best record (23-11) and a spot in the WNBA Finals. Phoenix defeated San Antonio in the first round before beating Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals.

  09/29 20:01:16 ET