WUSA awards finalists announced

Listed alphabetically by last name, position and team are the three finalists for each of the respective 2002 WUSA year-end awards:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Marinette Pichon	Philadelphia	F	French standout was second in the WUSA with 14 goals
Birgit Prinz	Carolina	F	Tied for second in WUSA scoring (12g, 8a, 32 pts.) in just 14 games
Hege Riise	Carolina	F	The creative playmaker's 13 assists tied for second in the WUSA
The Most Valuable Player Award will be awarded to the player judged to have had the greatest impact on her team's performance during the WUSA regular season.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Note
Jim Gabarra	Washington	After seventh place finish in 2001, guided team into WUSA Playoffs
Mark Krikorian	Philadelphia	Led Charge to an 11-4-6 record (39 pts) and a second place finish
Marcia McDermott	Carolina	Worst-to-first turnaround captured regular season title for Courage
This is awarded to the WUSA head coach that has developed a team that has performed at exceptional levels and demonstrates an attractive and engaging style of play. The head coach must have had a winning record.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Katia	San Jose	F	WUSA scoring champion with 15 goals and five assists for 35 pts.
Marinette Pichon	Philadelphia	F	Tied for fourth in overall WUSA scoring (14g, 1 a, 29 pts.)
Birgit Prinz	Carolina	F	German star had a nine-game point streak in 2002
The Offensive Player of the Year exemplifies outstanding, exciting and timely goal production or goal creation. This player consistently demonstrates her attacking flair and abilities as a model for attacking play leaguewide. The player must have a high points total, but the award is not restricted to the leading scorer in the WUSA.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Erica Iverson	Philadelphia	D	Started 19 games after playing in just four in 2001
Danielle Slaton	Carolina	D	Number one overall pick in the 2002 WUSA Draft made an impact
Jen Tiejten	Philadelphia	D	Steady central defender started 20 games
The Defensive Player of the Year exemplifies an outstanding ability to defend the top attacking players in the WUSA. The player must play a position that is considered to have key defensive responsibilities (midfield or defender). Goalkeepers are not eligible.

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Kristin Luckenbill	Carolina	GK	Dartmouth product led the WUSA with 114 saves
Melissa Moore	Philadelphia	GK	Her 1.00 goals against average led the WUSA
Briana Scurry	Atlanta	GK	World Cup veteran's 1.33 GAA was third in the WUSA
The Goalkeeper of the Year regularly exemplifies outstanding saves and consistently controls her penalty area and defensive zone. She repeatedly demonstrates the ability to come up with key saves during the game. Nominees were not restricted by statistics. Key saves in important games are a trademark of this goalkeeper, although, the team's success is not be an overvalued factor in this award.

REFEREE OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Note
Ricardo Salazar	Chicago area resident currently does dual duty in the middle for the WUSA and MLS
Kari Seitz	San Mateo, Calif., resident refereed Women's World Cup '99 and currently in Canada for the Women's U-19 tournament
Misail Tsapos	Dallas resident is in his first year in WUSA
The Referee of the Year will be awarded to the referee judged to be the best overall official in the WUSA during the regular season.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Danielle Slaton	Carolina	D	She was the youngest member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team
Stacey Tullock	Philadelphia	M/D	Did not make her debut until May 19 after college graduation
Abby Wambach	Washington	F	Top rookie scorer tied for fourth in WUSA scoring (10g, 9a, 29 pts.)
The Rookie of the Year Award will be awarded to the player judged to be the best first-year player who has no prior playing experience at the professional level and/or has completed her college or high school eligibility within the last year.

HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Pos.	Note
Jenny Benson	Philadelphia	D	Works closely with individuals with Spina Bifida
Jaime Pagliarulo	San Diego	GK	A board member of The Joy of Sports Foundation
Sissi	San Jose	M	Has formed a special relationship with a cancer patient
The Humanitarian of the Year award recognizes the team member who demonstrates exemplary community involvement. The Humanitarian of the Year is the only award that does not recognize a player for her actions on the playing field, but for her ability to go above and beyond the call to contribute in her community.

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Note
Kevin Crow, GM	San Diego	Served as Spirit general manager and head coach for most of 2002
Joe Cummings, GM	Boston	Breakers finished second in WUSA attendance in 2002
Tim Murphy, GM	Philadelphia	Second consecutive season in the playoffs for the Charge
The Executive of the Year Award will be awarded to the general manager or team front office member for their 2002 performance.

TEAM COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Finalists
Boston
Carolina
Washington
The WUSA team community service award is presented to the organization that clearly stands out for its dedication and activity within the club's local community.

TEAM FAIR PLAY AWARD
Finalists
Boston
Carolina
Washington
The WUSA Fair Play award goes to the club with the fewest penalty points during the regular season. Disciplinary letters also factor into the final decision.

GOAL OF THE YEAR
Finalists	Team	Date	Goal
Bai Jie	Washington	Aug. 4	Headed in a corner kick from an impossible angle to beat Brian Scurry
Mia Hamm	Washington	Aug. 4	Blew past Atlanta defense and rifled a shot to the far post
Katia	San Jose	June 9	Took a pass out of the air and volleyed it from a bad angle vs. San Diego
Marinette Pichon	Philadelphia	Aug. 3	Scissor kick volley vs. San Diego
Nikki Serlenga	Atlanta	Aug. 10	Her 30-yard bomb beat Philadelphia 'keeper Melissa More in the upper left corner
The Goal of the Year is an annual award given to the player whose goal is judged to be the best overall goal during the regular season. There are five Goal of the Year finalists. WUSA fans will select the winner by going to WUSA.com to pick the league's best goal of 2002.

In addition to the awards stated above, the league will have an All-WUSA first and second team in 2002. On August 24 in Atlanta, the Founders Cup trophy will be awarded to the championship team and the Founders Cup Most Valuable Player will be given to the top player in the title game.

With the exception of the Goal of the Year, Executive of the Year and Team Fair Play award, the voting was conducted in the following three blocks:

Award Voting
1.	Media panel	33 percent of the vote
2.	WUSA players	33 percent of the vote
3.	WUSA coaches and general managers	33 percent of the vote
The Goal of the Year is an annual award given to the player whose goal is judged to be the best overall goal during the regular season. There are five Goal of the Year finalists. WUSA fans will select the winner by going to WUSA.com to pick the league's best goal of 2002.

The WUSA semifinals take place on Saturday. PAX TV will broadcast both matches live.

Following the one-game WUSA semifinals, the winners advance to Founders Cup II in Atlanta on August 24 to battle for the WUSA title. PAX TV will broadcast the championship game live from Herndon Stadium at 4:00 p.m. ET.

WUSA Postseason
	Date	Matchup	Time	Network (live)
Semifinal	August 17	Washington at Philadelphia	1:30 p.m. ET	PAX
Semifinal	August 17	Atlanta at Carolina	3:30 p.m. ET	PAX
Final	August 24	Semifinal Winners	4 p.m. ET	PAX

WUSA AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE
Date	Awards
Tuesday, August 20	Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Referee of the Year, Goal of the Year
Wednesday, August 21	Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, All-WUSA First and Second team, Team Community Service award, Team Fair Play award
Thursday, August 22	Most Valuable Player