Erika de Souza named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Erika de Souza, center for the Atlanta Dream, was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time in her career as she helped lead the Dream to a pair of wins.

de Souza garnered the honor by averaging 23.5 points (all while shooting 66.7% from the floor), 9.5 rebounds and two assists per game, while also going a perfect seven-for-seven from the free throw line. On the season, de Souza is leading the league in field goal percentage (67%), and is the only player in the league who is ranked top six in scoring (18.5), rebounding (9.5) and blocks (1.4).

de Souza is a foreign product for the Dream, who has been with the team since the team’s inaugural season in 2008. In her expanded time with the Dream, she is Atlanta’s all time leader in rebounds, blocked shots and field goal percentage, and led the league in offensive and total rebounds in 2009. In her pre-Atlanta career, de Souza won the 2002 WNBA Championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, and was a 2009 All Star.

de Souza has also played with the Sparks, as mentioned earlier, and the Connecticut Sun (2007), each for just a single season. She was joined on the Western Conference side by Diana Taurasi.

The Dream will play thrice in eight days, as they host the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA Finals rematch following a home and home with the D.C. Mystics, with the Dream in the capital on Sunday and then back home for a Wednesday matinee.