NEW YORK, June 4, 2014  Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx were named the WNBAs Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Samsung, respectively, for games played in May.

The Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month awards, as well as the WNBA Rookie of the Month, are presented by Samsung and are part of the larger WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program. This marks the first season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, will present the WNBAs highest individual honors, including the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Delle Donne scored 21 or more points in five of Chicagos six games and, despite All-Star teammates Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny Prince both being sidelined, guided the Sky to the top spot in the Eastern Conference (5-1). The second-year pro led the East in scoring (23.0 ppg, second in the league behind only Moore), while shooting .422 from the floor (46-of-109). Among Eastern Conference players, Delle Donne ranked second in blocks (2 bpg) and third in free throw percentage (.950 on 38-of-40). She was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on May 27.

Highlights of Delle Donnes play in May included:

 May 16 vs. Indiana: Her 23-point, five-rebound, three-assist effort included 16 second-half points as the Sky overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat the visiting Fever, 74-71.

 May 17 at New York: In front of a national viewing audience on ESPN2, Delle Donne led all scorers with 23 points and added five boards in a 79-65 win over the Liberty.

 May 24 vs. Atlanta: 27 points in an 87-73 victory.

 May 30 vs. Connecticut: 28 points in a 101-82 win.

 Three games in which she was perfect from the free throw line  6-of-6 at New York on May 17; 9-of-9 vs. Atlanta on May 24; and 8-of-8 vs. Connecticut on May 30.



Moores 29.2 ppg led the WNBA last month as the defending champion Lynx posted the best record in the league in May (6-0). Minnesota currently sits atop the Western Conference at 7-0 and is the leagues only undefeated team.

The runner-up behind Candace Parker in the voting for WNBA MVP presented by Samsung a year ago, Moore opened the season by scoring 135 points in her first four outings. That effort  the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history  also enabled the fourth-year pro to become the first player in league history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points when she poured in 34 at Washington on May 16; 33 vs. Connecticut on May 18; a career-high 38 at Tulsa on May 23; and 30 vs. New York on May 24. For the month, Moore shot .516 from the floor (32-of-62), while ranking first in minutes (35.7 mpg), third in rebounding (8.8 rpg), and fourth in steals (2.17 spg) among Western Conference players.

Highlights of Moores play in May included:

 May 16 at Washington: 34 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in an 89-77 win.

 May 18 vs. Connecticut: Moores 33 points and 12 rebounds were only part of the story as the fourth-year pro collected 10 points and a WNBA-record-tying five steals in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota erase a 16-point deficit in the second half to claim a 90-87 victory.

 May 23 at Tulsa: Her 38-point, 13-rebound output included the decisive free throws with 11.8 seconds left to play. While that effort enabled Moore to join Cynthia Cooper, Epiphany Prince and Angel McCoughtry as the only players in league history with three consecutive 30-point games, she became the first of the group whose effort included a pair of double-doubles.

 May 30 vs. San Antonio: 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in an 88-72 victory.



For more information on this year's WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung, visit www.wnba.com/awards.

2014 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG WINNERS