(July 22, 2002)

Atlanta's Nikki Serlenga Named WUSA Player Of The Week

ATLANTA GA (July 22, 2002) - Atlanta's Nikki Serlenga has been selected as the WUSA's Player of the Week for the week ending July 21, 2002. Serlenga notched a goal and an assist in Atlanta's 3-1 win over Boston at Herndon Stadium Saturday evening. This is the first time that the award has gone to an Atlanta player in 2002 and Serlenga's first Player of the Week award in her WUSA career.

Serlenga helped put Atlanta on the board first when she assisted on Homare Sawa's goal in the 27th minute. After Sun Wen slid a pass into the middle to Serlenga, she worked the ball to the left side to Julie Augustyniak. Augustyniak beat a Breakers defender, and centered a pass from the goal line in near the corner. The pass made it through to Sawa, who was perfectly positioned to drive the ball right past Boston goalkeeper Tracy Ducar.

In the 89th minute, Serlenga capitalized off a foul against Hooper to score her second goal of the season. The University of Santa Clara product stepped up and converted a free kick from 22 yards, curling her shot over the wall and into the upper right corner as Ducar stood helplessly on the goal line.

"Nikki, she was our captain, she was great," said elated Atlanta Head Coach Tom Stone. "I pulled her aside and told her that her personality had to grow in this game and about eight minutes later she scored the killer goal."

Serlenga captured 25 points in the voting (10 first place, 5 second place) to outdistance Philadelphia's Marinette Pichon (12 pts.), San Diego's Carly Smolak (12 pts.), Washington's Monica Gerardo (5 pts.), the Freedom's Bai Jie (2 pts.) and the Charge's Zhao Lihong (1pt.). The WUSA's Player of the Week is selected every Monday throughout the regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association.

[Source: Dan Courtemanche,Vice President of Communications, Work: 678-645-0757
Cell: 404-759-0216, Fax: 678-645-1771, Email: dan.courtemanche@cox.com - or - dcourtemanche@wusa.com, www.wusa.com]