Erika de Souza named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The Atlanta Dream have had a somewhat up and down start to the season but center Erika de Souza has been the one constant. She was rewarded on Monday by the WNBA with the first Player of the Week honor of her career.

De Souza averaged 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in a pair of Dream victories last week. She shot 66.7 percent from the field, was a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line and threw in 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals for good measure. Atlanta defeated the L.A. Sparks on Tuesday and then closed out the week with a 38-point blowout of the Chicago Sky. De Souza tied a career-high with 27 points in the win over the Sparks.

De Souza leads the WNBA in field goal percentage on the season at 67 percent. She is sixth in scoring (18.5), fifth in rebounding (9.5) and fourth in blocks (1.38).

She has been a solid performer during her Atlanta tenure but has taken her game to a new level this season under first-year coach Michael Cooper.