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'Safsal' 08/09 Season Awards
Safsal
,03/21/2009 |
At the end of one of the longest arguments 'Safsal' has known, critical decisions were made. LaToya Pringle is the MVP of the season, the 1st Team is almost the same as the coaches' picks, break through player of the year was easy, a surprise awaits in the coach of the year pick.
PhotosL Motti Klinger
Season MVP – LaToya Pringle, Maccabi Ramat Hen
After a day of fighting, arguing, consulting and digging through stats and circumstances, we finally reached an agreement that LaToya Pringle wins the MVP race in a photo finish over Charde Houston. Pringle, who functioned as Ramat Hen's only post for most of the season, finished the year with very impressive numbers considering she was known mostly as a defensive player who blocks anything orange that gets in her way.
Pringle shot 61.4% from the field this season (2nd in the league) on her way to 15.9 points per game, ranked 2nd in the league in rebounds per game with 12.2 and led the league in blocks with 2.2 per game. Her numbers were hurt a bit in the upper playoffs by a knee injury which she had to play through after sitting out one and a half games and by the addition of Ayana Walker, but there's no question Pringle is the main reason Ramat Hen is going strong for the title. |  |
2008/09 First Team
| LaToya Pringle, Ramat Hen - MVP | | Temeka Johnson, Raanana Hertzeliya - The best playmaker in the league, leads the league in assists per game with 6.3. Johnson had double digits assists on 3 different occasions this season, scored over 20 four times and was Raanana Hertzeliya's emotional leader on both ends of the court.. |  | | Nomi Kolodny, Electra Ramat Hasharon - Based herself as the leading point guard on the best team in the league. Scored 9.5 points in 27 minutes per game, while shooting the ball extremely well (56% from inside the arc, 54% from 3) and ranked in the league's top 10 in assists (3.5 per game) and assists to turnover ratio (1.6). |  | | Jia Perkins, Electra Ramat Hasharon - Another great season for the best 2-guard in the league. This time she averaged a modest 15.1 points in 27.5 minutes per game on great shooting, but stepped up her game against the top 3 teams in which she averaged 18.9 points per game. |  | | Charde Houston, Raanana Hertzeliya - Was the league's main MVP candidate for most of the season and lost it at the buzzer due to a decline in the upper playoffs. Still Houston had a wonderful season and finished as the league's 2nd leading scorer with 24.8 points per game, while leading the league in 2pt FG percentage with 63.5%. She also added 10.2 rebounds per game. If Houston returns to the ability she showed until not long ago, she can definitely fight for the Finals MVP title. |  |
Breakthrough Player of the Year – Shimrit Gigi, Raanana Hertzeliya
After averaging 4.3 points per game in her first four seasons since coming back from college, including 2.6 points per game last season in Ramat Hasharon, Gigi has emerged big time this season and became one of the lone leading Israelis in the league. With 11 points (47.1% from 2, 50.0% from 3), 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game, Gigi became a key player for Raanana Hertzeliya. She personally won Raanana Hertzeliya some very important games. It was very hard for us to leave her out of the 1st Team, but we don't think anyone could leave her out of the national team roster for the European Championships coming up in Latvia. |  | Coach of the Year – Orna Ostfeld
The arguing over this award were as fierce as any other, but eventually we found no reason to punish Ostfeld for the fact her team has the biggest budget and a sane management that actually lets her work in peace and quiet. Ramat Hen's struggles since the break are too meaningful, Ramla's late emergence does not make up for an entire season of instability.
Ostfeld's Electra Ramat Hasharon was the most consistent team in the league through out the season and since the holiday break they have lost just 2 games (one of them after the buzzer). Uncharacteristically they are the best defensive team in the league, 2nd best offensive team in the league, and lead the league in three more statistical categories. Ostfeld was able to bind together a collection of star players, foreigners and Israelis, and they are the favorites as we reach the deciding moments of the season. Also, the faith Ostfeld has showed in Nomi Kolodny even after Laine Selwyn's arrival is much to her credit, Kolodny finished the season as the top Israeli player.
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Statistical Leaders
Scoring Champion - Brooke Reves (in Tel Kabir), 26.8 ppg
Rebounding Champion - Tamara Ransburg (Natanya), 13.1 rpg
Assists Champion - Temeka Johnson (Raanana Hertzeliya), 6.3 apg
3pt% Champion - Inbal Mizrachi (Ramla), 54.2%
Steals Champion - Edwina Brown (Holon), 2.6 spg
Assists to Turnover Ratio Champion - Laine Selwyn (Ramat Hasharon), 2.2
Blocks Champion - LaToya Pringle (Ramat Hen), 2.2 bpg
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