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WNBA’s latest award winner on the brink of elimination

Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard collected the WNBA Most Improved Player honor after receiving twenty-nine out of seventy-four media ballots, following an impressive campaign where she put up averages of 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. She edged out Shakira Austin of the Washington Mystics with twenty-five votes and Portland Fire guard Carla Leite with eleven votes, while Marina Mabrey, Dominique Malonga, and Rae Burrell rounded out the remaining ballot tallies.

Despite the individual accolade, Shepard and the Wings currently trail zero to one in their opening playoff round against the Golden State Valkyries after she managed zero points and three rebounds on zero-for-seven shooting in the initial contest. The team now faces elimination in an upcoming must-win matchup, following a similar playoff exit trend that previously caught Rookie of the Year recipient Olivia Miles and Coach of the Year winner Cheryl Reeve after their respective honors.

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