PHOENIX -- Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury was a runaway selection Monday as the WNBA's rookie of the year.

WNBA Rookie of the Year winners
YEAR	PLAYER	TEAM
2004	Diana Taurasi	Phoenix Mercury
2003	Cheryl Ford	Detroit Shock
2002	Tamika Catchings	Indiana Fever
2001	Jackie Stiles	Portland Fire
2000	Betty Lennox	Minnesota Lynx
1999	Chamique Holdsclaw	Washington Mystics
1998	Tracy Reid	Charlotte Sting

Taurasi became the second No. 1 overall draft pick to win the award, joining Chamique Holdsclaw of Washington in 1999.

The point guard was fourth in the league in scoring (17.0), 10th in assists (3.9) and 14th in minutes played (33.2), while also averaging 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Among rookies, the two-time national collegiate player of the year at Connecticut was first in scoring and second in rebounds and assists.

She helped the Mercury, the worst team in the league in 2003, to a 17-17 record, a nine-game improvement that had them in playoff contention until the final week of the season.

"You have to believe you can win before you can go out and win, so I think the whole season was an accomplishment," Taurasi said in New York, where she received the award. "I think it will help us out."

Taurasi received 42 votes from the national media panel, while Alana Beard of Washington got four and Nicole Ohlde of Minnesota got two.

Wendy Palmer-Daniel of the Connecticut Sun and Kelly Miller of the Indiana Fever were chosen as co-winners of the league's most improved player award.

Palmer-Daniel averaged 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, up from 4.7 and 3.3 last season.

Miller, traded in the offseason from Charlotte to Indiana, had career highs in points (10.2), rebounds (3.2) and assists (3.1). Her twin, Coco, a member of the Washington Mystics, won the award in 2002.

Taurasi was the Mercury's only member of the U.S. Olympic team.

WNBA president Val Ackerman said this year's draft pool was deep.

"No one doubted that the class of 2004 would have an impact," Ackerman said. "They brought skill, attitude, they brought a great sense of competition to the league. As always, one rose to the top.

"From the NCAA championship to a spot on the Olympic team to being the first pick in the WNBA draft to leading a very meaningful turnaround in Phoenix, one rookie did it all."

Taurasi was quick to share the credit, mentioning key Mercury offseason moves like getting forward Penny Taylor, an Australian Olympian, from the defunct Cleveland franchise in the dispersal draft and the hiring of popular coach Carrie Graf.

The 6-foot star said she planned to take "three or four days off" and begin working out again on Friday.

"One or two days out of the gym, you feel like you haven't done anything," Taurasi said.

She plans to complete work on her degree this winter at Connecticut.