Touted as the "female Michael Jordan" after establishing herself at Tennessee among the greatest college basketball players ever, Holdsclaw said she felt constant pressure to perform. But she didn't wilt, averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Washington Mystics, ranking sixth and third, respectively, in the league.

	Chamique Holdsclaw averaged 16.9 points a game.

Those numbers, plus her role in lifting the Mystics from a 3-27 record in 1998 to 12-20 this season, earned her the WNBA Rookie of the Year award Saturday. She finished with 48 of 51 votes, with one each going to Detroit's Dominique Canty, Orlando's Nykesha Sales and New York's Tamika Whitmore.

The 6-foot-2 Holdsclaw, a two-time WNBA player of the week and East team starter in the all-star game in July, kept the pressure from overwhelming her.

"I'm a pretty level-minded person, and I knew what my focus was," she said. "I just knew I had to come out every night and perform because everyone was going to see what I was made of and test me on a daily basis. I just had to be tough mentally."

Holdsclaw, a native of New York, was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft in May after becoming Tennessee's career leader in points (3,025) and rebounds (1,295). She led the Lady Vols to national titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Holdsclaw combined with second-year guard Nikki McCray to give Washington an effective inside-outside duo. McCray, who averaged a team-high 17.5 points, also started in the all-star game. Washington won six consecutive games late in the season to inch toward the final Eastern Conference playoff spot but fell out of contention with a loss to Orlando Aug. 15.

Holdsclaw, who will tour with the U.S. Olympic team for three weeks in September, is confident she and the Mystics will be better next year.

"Next year will be the real time when I can gauge myself," she said. "I'll be in the league a year, and I'll know what to expect. I know what it's going to take for us to win. So you'll see more team and individual success next year."