Player Review: Sancho Lyttle

In 2014, Sancho Lyttle proved once again to be among the premier post players in the league. The 10th-year forward, in her sixth season with the Dream, was a steady force both offensively and defensively, and demonstrated her value throughout the year.

After a 2012 campaign that saw Lyttle sidelined for all but six games after suffering a fractured left foot, the Dream felt blessed to have Lyttle healthy all season. In fact, she was the only member of the team to start every game this season.

�I�m just happy that I played the whole season,� said Lyttle. �Last year I was devastated that I couldn�t play more games than I did. This year I told myself I was going to stay as healthy as I could, to make it through the season to see how I could improve and help the team.�

Lyttle helped the team in many ways, both offensively and defensively. Her greatest contributions, though, may have come on the defensive side, as she finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the league�s All-Defensive First Team once again. She finished second in the league in both steals (2.2 per game) and defensive rebounds (6.5).

But she certainly wasn�t just a defensive standout. Lyttle averaged 12.2 points per game, marking the sixth consecutive season she averaged double figures in scoring. Her field goal percentage of 45.9 percent was her highest in a full season since 2010, as she flashed her consistent mid-range jumper with an ability to score in the low post. However, her free throw percentage did dip to 66.3 percent, almost a full 10 percent than her percentage of 75.8 percent in 2012 and her lowest since 2007 when she played for Houston.

Thanks largely to her penchant for grabbing defensive boards, Lyttle finished the season ranked fifth in the league in total rebounds at 9.0 per game. Included in that was a team-record 21 rebounds in a game at Indiana on May 17. She finished the season tied for seventh in the league in double-doubles with nine, and missed five more double-doubles by either one point or one rebound.

Lyttle stayed consistent with her assist rate, averaging 2.4 per game, which ranked fifth in the league among forwards. And she improved on her turnover rate, averaging just 1.44 per game which was her lowest since 2008 when she played slightly more than half of the 31.3 minutes per game she averaged this season.

Add it all together, and you get a player whose contributions in so many areas resulted in the league�s 11th-best efficiency ranking (17.9), demonstrating her overall value to the team.

Lyttle�s consistent performances have also allowed her to quietly climb career charts in a couple of areas. She is tied for 16th in WNBA history in career steals with 465, and another year comparable to 2014 would have her on the cusp of the top 10. She also ranks 18th in league history in career rebounds with 1,893.

Having signed a contract extension just prior to the end of the 2014 season, Lyttle will reach more milestones during the coming seasons in a Dream uniform. But more than any individual achievement, she hopes to help the Dream win its first WNBA championship. Like her teammates, she was disappointed in the outcome of the playoffs, but feels there is no reason to believe 2015 couldn�t be the Dream�s year.

�We had a goal that we set for ourselves, but in the playoffs we kind of stubbed our toes,� said Lyttle. �I�ve been in these situations where it was the worst of the worst, and then the next year it was the best of the best, so I�m never going to give up hope that we can get to our goal.�

While Lyttle has proven to be a well-rounded player, she still has areas where she hopes to improve. Looking ahead to 2015, Lyttle said she wants to diversify her offensive game a little more.

�For next season, I think I need to learn how to go to the basket more often rather than just taking jump shots,� she said. �I know that they give those shots to me, but I have to find different ways of getting to the basket.�

So the Dream will look forward to having one of its core players returning next year, with the hope and expectation that Lyttle will continue to be a leader and consistent presence on both ends of the court.