UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Temeka Johnson of the Washington Mystics easily won the WNBA's rookie of the year award on Wednesday, and headlined the league's first all-rookie team.
The speedy 5-foot-3 guard out of Louisiana State was the sixth overall pick in the draft and started all 34 games for Washington. She was second in the league in assists per game (5.2), though her overall total of 177 was tops.
"This award is a great honor but I was surrounded by a lot of people on the Washington team and the whole organization helped me to attain this accomplishment," Johnson said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between Sacramento and Connecticut. "I'm thankful, I'm blessed, I'm nervous. I'm so appreciative of it all."
Johnson received 44 of a possible 50 votes from a national media panel, and beat out Katie Feenstra of the San Antonio Silver Stars (four votes), Tan White of the Indiana Fever (two votes) and Seattle's Suzy Batkovic (one vote).
After leading the Lady Tigers to their second straight Final Four, Johnson topped the rookie class in scoring (9.3 ppg), assists, steals (1.29 spg) and minutes played. She is the second Washington player to win the award, joining former Mystics forward Chamique Holdsclaw (1999).
Johnson credited former LSU coach Sue Gunter, who died in August and was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, for helping boost her confidence.
"For me, my height was never a problem until I got to college and everybody would say I'm too small to do anything," Johnson said. "I do have to thank Coach Gunter, who I knew is smiling down on me, as well as Pokey Chatman for giving me this opportunity and giving a chance on a small guard."
Feenstra and White joined Johnson on the all-rookie team, along with Sacramento's Chelsea Newton and Detroit's Kara Braxton.
