--Los Angeles Sparks' Star Becomes First Player to Win Top Award as a
Rookie --

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2008 -- Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker
has been named the 2008 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by T-
Mobile, the league announced today. Parker received 276.79 points.
Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen finished second with 242.08 points and
Seattle's Sue Bird came in third with 218.51 points. It marks the
first time in the WNBA's 12 seasons that a rookie has earned the
award.

Rounding out the top six vote getters in one of the closest MVP races
in WNBA history were San Antonio's Sophia Young (169.62), Phoenix's
Diana Taurasi (148.98) and San Antonio's Becky Hammon (131.75).

Parker, the top overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft earlier this
year, caps a season in which she has also earned All-WNBA First Team
honors, the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Year Award, two Hanns-
G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month Awards (May and July), one Player
of the Week Award (Aug. 31) and the Peak Performer Rebounding Award.

She nearly averaged a double-double in 2008 (18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and
was the only player in the league to pull down more than nine
rebounds per game. Parker grabbed 10 or more rebounds on 17 occasions
and tied her career-high of 16 rebounds three times in 2008,
originally set on May 29 at Indiana. In that game, she tallied five
or more in five statistical categories (16 points, 16 rebounds, six
blocks, five assists and five steals) to accomplish the league's
first "5x5."

In her very first game as a pro at Phoenix on May 17, Parker narrowly
missed a triple-double with 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
A native of Naperville, Ill. and a graduate of the University of
Tennessee, Parker also led the league in double-doubles with 17 and
ranked among WNBA leaders in rebounds per game (first), blocks per
game (second), points per game (fourth), field goal percentage
(fifth), minutes player (seventh) and assists per game (17th).

Presented by T-Mobile, the WNBA MVP was selected by a panel of 45
national sportswriters and broadcasters, which accounted for 75
percent of the vote, and an online fan vote, which accounted for 25
percent of the vote. This was the first year that an online fan vote
was incorporated.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Valuable Player, Parker will
receive $15,000 and a specially-designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.

Below are the top 25 vote-getters from the 2008 WNBA Most Valuable
Player presented by T-Mobile voting and a list of past recipients:

2008 WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER VOTING RESULTS
Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks - 276.79
Lindsay Whalen Connecticut Sun - 242.08
Sue Bird Seattle Storm - 218.51
Sophia Young San Antonio Silver Stars - 169.62
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury - 148.98