Player Review: Erika de Souza

The 2014 season once again showcased Erika de Souza as one of the league�s premier centers. In her ninth season in the league, the 32-year-old de Souza shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, if anything, she appears to still be getting better.

A long-time fan favorite for her passion and enthusiasm on the court as well as her exceptional skills, de Souza made her third career All-Star game in 2014 while averaging a career best 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. De Souza ranked in the WNBA�s top 20 in several statistical categories, including blocks (fourth), rebounds (sixth), field goal percentage (.545, sixth) and scoring (15th).

On the offensive end, de Souza had her best scoring season ever. She was one of the top options more consistently, taking a career-high 352 field goal attempts, and converting at a rate (54.5 percent) that was her third best ever in a full season. She also shot a career-best 70.6 percent from the free throw line.

De Souza started the season particularly strong, scoring in double figures in 18 of the first 19 games, including four games with at least 20 points. She slowed offensively as the season wore on, reaching double figures just six times in her last 14 games. This was due in part to a decrease in her field goal attempts, as she had single-digit attempts just five times in the first 19 games, but eight times in the last 14 contests.

Her rebounding figures dipped slightly, from a career-high 9.9 per game last year to 8.7 this season, which could merely be a function of Sancho Lyttle being in the lineup consistently this season, as de Souza�s average was still the third best of her career. In fact, her lost rebounds came primarily on the defensive end, where Lyttle excels, as de Souza�s offensive rebound average of 2.9 per game was an improvement from last year and ranked fourth best in the league.

De Souza also exceeded her career averages in blocks, assists (1.2) and steals (1.1). She was also adept at staying out of foul trouble, averaging fewer than three fouls per game (2.82) for the third time in her last four seasons.

Add it all together, and de Souza was the Dream�s highest-ranked player in the league�s efficiency rankings, coming in at No. 6 overall in the league, further illustrating her overall value to the team.

In addition, de Souza has been a consistent presence in the lineup, playing in and starting 33 of the team�s 34 games. With the exception of the 2012 season when she missed the first half of the year while preparing for the Olympics with her Brazilian teammates, de Souza has now played in and started at least 32 games every year since 2009.

Although she has been a well-rounded player, de Souza still seeks to improve during the offseason.

�Every year you want to get better at something,� she said. �I want to get better at defense. I improved this year, but I want to be even better. For next year, I promise I�m going to make more of my free throws, improve my defense, and I want to be stronger.�

Although she is a free agent entering the offseason, President and General Manager Angela Taylor has already stated that re-signing de Souza is the team�s top priority, and de Souza has made no secret about her desire to remain with the team that she has played for since the franchise�s inaugural season in 2008.

�I love Atlanta and I don�t want to go anywhere,� she said. �I want to retire here.�

If she keeps performing anywhere near the level she did in 2014, Dream fans would by pleased to see that happen.