Johnson, Ferdinand-Harris Advance to 2010 WNBA Playoffs

Ferdinand

Former LSU women’s basketball players Temeka Johnson and Marie Ferdinand-Harris will continue their professional seasons this week as the 2010 WNBA Playoffs get underway for both the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks.

Johnson, starting point guard for the Mercury, aims for a second straight WNBA championship when Phoenix opens conference semifinal play against San Antonio at 8 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN2. Game 2 will be played at noon CT Saturday with Game 3 on Monday if necessary.

Johnson has enjoyed a tremendous sixth WNBA season and her second in Phoenix. She has averaged 9.2 points and 4.7 assists (eighth in the league) per game while starting all 34 games. Last season en route to the title, Johnson posted 7.5 points and 3.1 assists per contest in 11 playoff games.

Ferdinand is making her fourth straight WNBA playoff appearance and her third with Los Angeles, who opens the conference semifinals at Seattle at 10 p.m. CT Wednesday on ESPN2. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN2 with Game 3 at 9 p.m. CT Tuesday, Aug. 31 on NBA TV.

Ferdinand has produced her highest career scoring average since the 2005 season as she has averaged 8.9 points per game. She has played in 20 career playoff games dating back to her rookie season of 2001.

Several former Lady Tigers finished their seasons on Sunday, the final day of the regular season. Sylvia Fowles, starting center on the Chicago Sky, concluded her season ranked in the top six in five major statistical categories, including sixth in points (17.8), third in rebounds (9.9), third in field goal percentage (.582), first in blocks (2.6) and second in defensive rebounds (7.8). She was second in the entire league in double-doubles with 15.

Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx just missed qualifying for the playoffs with a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference. Augustus scored 25 points and the Lynx rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat Indiana on Sunday.

She finished the year seventh in the league in points per game with 16.9 and fifth in minutes played (33.3). Augustus still holds the WNBA career scoring average record with 20.7 points per contest.


Scholanda Robinson and the Tulsa Shock concluded their inaugural season in the WNBA. Robinson, a fifth-year veteran, produced the highest scoring average of her career with 11.9 ppg. She finished seventh in the league in steals per contest with 1.6.

Posted by Bill Martin