WNBA | Jackson gains MVP honors

Storm forward-center Lauren Jackson will be named the WNBA's most valuable player before Game 1 of the league Finals today in Detroit, The Seattle Times has learned.

It is the 26-year-old Jackson's second MVP award — she also won it in 2003. Jackson is the fourth player in league history to win both the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season. The others are Sheryl Swoopes (2000 and 2002) with Houston, Lisa Leslie (2004) with Los Angeles and Yolanda Griffith (1999) with Sacramento.

The WNBA Finals game between Detroit and Phoenix begins at 4:30 p.m. today in Auburn Hills, Mich., and will be televised by ESPN2. It was uncertain whether the network would televise the MVP pregame ceremony. Jackson is in the Detroit area on a stopover before returning to her native Australia.

She wins $15,000 along with the MVP honor. The Storm's six-time All-Star also was presented a trophy from Tiffany & Co. and $5,000 for her defensive award on Aug. 24.

The 6-foot-5 Jackson led the WNBA in scoring (23.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.7). She had a record nine outings with at least 30 points this season, once failing to reach double figures in scoring — and that was when she left the Aug. 3 game in Sacramento with an injury after scoring eight points in 14 minutes.

Ford copes with pain

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer, who knows a lot about playing with pain, said he isn't sure how much Cheryl Ford will be able to play in the WNBA Finals.

"I'm very concerned about Cheryl's knee against Phoenix," said Laimbeer, who put together a streak of 685 consecutive games as an NBA player. "We've asked too much of her already."

Ford's health is perhaps the biggest question mark with Detroit set to host Phoenix. The best-of-five series features Laimbeer's gritty, physical Shock and coach Paul Westhead's warp-speed Mercury.

Ford missed six games after injuring her knee in June, then sat out the season's final 13 games after aggravating the injury. She said she hopes to play today, in the team's fourth game in six days.

Note

• Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings will undergo surgery today to repair a torn right Achilles tendon.

Catchings, 28, a five-time All-Star, was injured late in the first half of Monday's loss to Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals.

Her anticipated recovery time is between six and nine months, team officials said.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.