DeSouza to Miss Remainder of Conference Finals
ATLANTA, September 24, 2011 Atlanta Dream center Erika de Souza will miss the remainder of the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals, the team announced today.
De Souza, who recorded eight points and 13 rebounds in Game 1 on Thursday, will join the Brazilian national team in Columbia for the 2011 FIBA America Championship for Women. The tournament takes place from September 24 through October 1 and is a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics. It is a single-elimination tournament and de Souza is expected to return to the Dream immediately following play.
The Indiana Fever holds a 1-0 lead over the Dream in the best-of-three conference finals series. Atlanta, the defending Eastern Conference Champions, will host Game 2 on Sunday, September 25 at 3 p.m. Game 3 (if necessary) will be played in Indiana on Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. The 2011 WNBA Finals, a best-of-five series, begin on October 2.
De Souza, a 6-5 center, averaged 11.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during the regular season. She appeared in 32 games, starting all of them. This year in the playoffs, de Souza is averaging 12.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
The Atlanta Dream is in its fourth season this summer at Philips Arena as part of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the world's longest-running women's professional sports league. The Dream, the defending Eastern Conference Champions, have advanced to the postseason for a third straight time in the franchises fourth season. They will host Game 2 of the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday, September 25 at 3 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.AtlantaDream.net or call (877) 977-7729.