Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins named 2014 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year

Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins is the winner of the 2014 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year award. She received 29 of 38 votes from a panel of national and local sportswriters and broadcasters.

Washington Mystics center Emma Meesseman, Shock center Courtney Paris, and Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley tied for second in the voting with two votes apiece. Rounding out the vote-getters were Connecticut Sun guard Alex Bentley, Sky forward Jessica Breland and Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, with each receiving one vote.

Diggins more than doubled her scoring average in 2014 (20.1 ppg) from 2013 (8.5 ppg), and also improved in terms of assists (5.0 apg, up from 3.8 apg in 2013) and rebounds (2.5 rpg, up from 1.9 rpg). Diggins lifted her field goal percentage from .328 a year ago to .423 this season (232-of-548) and raised her three-point shooting accuracy from .244 as a rookie to .282 (33-of-117) in 2014.

In her second season in the league, Diggins, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2013, started all 34 games for the Shock and led Tulsa in scoring, assists, steals (1.5 spg) and minutes (35.1 mpg). Among all WNBA players, Diggins led the league in minutes, placed second in scoring and ranked fourth in assists.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Improved Player, Diggins will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy.