The WNBA had an interesting tag on its homepage today.

With the headline "Most Deserving," there was a photo of Storm guard Betty Lennox driving to the hoop while being defended by Sacramento center Yolanda Griffith. The excerpt wanted fan feedback on who folks thought should be named as reserves, which will be announced on July 8 and are actually selected by the respective conference coaches.

Earlier I mentioned Storm center Janell Burse should be a reserve for the July 12 game and only excluded Lennox because at the time her numbers didn't sparkle like you know they can. Well, that has since changed. Lennox is averaging 18.6 points on 50 percent shooting from the field (38 for 76) in the team's past five games and Seattle is 3-2 during that stretch. Plus she's collecting steals (10 in the past two games), rebounds, and dishing out passes like point guard Sue Bird. The only thing working against Lennox, 29, is she's in a tough group that includes rookie sensations Cappie Pondexter and Seimone Augustus, along with other vets.

"Betty deserves something? I don't know," said Lennox, falling into her third-person speech, which playfully cracked up the media. "I'm just here to play, do my job and get some wins. That's what Betty is here to do. I know Betty had this in her. This is a Betty you guys haven't seen before, but I'm just out really having fun. I know that I can do these things, it's just when the opportunity presents itself and I'm feeling very confident in myself."

Lennox was an All-Star as a rookie in Minnesota (2000).

"I look at myself from that rookie season to now and I'm a very mature player," she said. "I've been in the league for seven years and I'm hoping I can build off some things. A lot of people are saying, 'Betty you're having the best season ever,' and I'm glad it's coming that way because you're supposed to grow in each year that you play the game of basketball."

Center Simone Edwards' dreams of playing in the Olympics are getting closer.

Edwards, a Storm original who retired in May, is playing with her native Jamaican national team.

The Jamaican women won bronze medals in the Central Games in Mexico City this week. Jamaica defeated Puerto Rico, 71-67, for the final spot to the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Chile, which is the final stage for the country to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Edwards, a 6-foot-4 post player, led her team with 17 points.

Jamaica lost to defending champion Cuba for a chance to play in the title game. Cuba and Mexico automatically advanced to the Americas Championship by advancing to the Central Games championship.

The long-term severity of injuries to Lauren Jackson and Wendy Palmer prompted the Storm to trade center Cisti Greenwalt to Chicago for Ashley Robinson, a 6-foot-4 post player.

Greenwalt, a rookie who was cut during training camp after being drafted by Sacramento in 2005, was intended as a practice player for the Storm, to be developed for the long run.

She wasn't expected to play, except for junk minutes, but with Jackson's daily uncertainty, the Storm (9-8) needs reliable help as it pushes for playoff seeding.

Robinson hasn't played significant minutes either this season, but likes to draw contact and fight for rebounds under the basket, which Jackson (8.0) and Palmer (7.6) provided as the team's leading rebounders.

Robinson's best season since leaving Tennessee in 2004, was 2005 with Phoenix, where she averaged 3.5 rebounds and 19.4 minutes, starting 15 games for the Mercury.

In the Storm's win against the Sky earlier this month, Robinson played three minutes and did not log a stat.

Robinson also is in the same $30,000 salary range as Greenwalt, keeping the Storm under the $700,000 cap.

A high salary was a reason Storm original Simone Edwards, who retired in May, was on the bubble to make the roster. Edwards, 32, is currently playing for Jamaica as her national team vies for a World Championship berth.

Former Washington guard Kristen O'Neill agreed to a one-year contract to play in Spain during the 2006-07 season. O'Neill will play for USP CEU Adecco Estudiantes Club that competes in Division I Liga Femenina Spain, or the top women's league in the country.

O'Neill, who was snubbed by the WNBA because of questions about her quickness and ability to play on the professional level, averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists at Washington. A native of Edmonds, she is a 6-foot-1 guard/forward.

O'Neill signed with High Five Agency, a new sports management organization that was founded by Susie Jarsoch. Jarsoch worked for the Storm for five seasons in various positions before becoming an agent. She is currently working on signing more local women athletes, but her first signing was San Antonio rookie Shanna Zolman.

The Storm received mixed news on Thursday.

Results from All-Star forward Lauren Jackson's examined left shin showed no more damage than when the injury was last evaluated in May, but she said she is still feeling discomfort and could miss Saturday's home game against Minnesota.

Scheduling does play into Jackson's ability to rest as Seattle has a week in between the Lynx game and a matchup with Indiana on July 9, which is also the final game before the All-Star break. But if the pain doesn't subside by the July 12 mid-summer classic, Jackson could miss it, too.

Currently the Storm is listing Jackson, the Storm's leading scorer (19.6), as day-to-day.

On the flip side, forward Wendy Palmer's return will be prolonged at least two weeks. She had her partially torn left Achilles reevaluated on Thursday and while there was no more damage, doctors didn't like the progress and placed her in a cast for two weeks. Palmer, a 10-year vet who was signed to provide backup minutes for Jackson, has already missed four weeks to deal with the injury.

Brazilian Iziane Castro Marques sat in the team's locker room at the Staples Center examining film of herself prior to the Storm's dominating win over Los Angeles on Wednesday. Castro Marques, a 6-foot small forward, was given the film and laptop by the Storm staff and told to look at what she did in Seattle's season-opener against the Sparks -- when she was 5 for 5 from the field for 11 points and three assists -- in hopes of rekindling that style of play. She has been in a slump since, averaging 2.3 points on the road, and was demoted to the bench on Tuesday. Rookie Barbara Turner, an aggressive 6-foot forward from Connecticut, replaced her in the starting rotation.

Although Castro Marques did start against the Sparks on Wednesday because forward Lauren Jackson was out (shins), Storm coach Anne Donovan said her first lineup change of the season due to causes other than injuries was permanent.

The personalized film session seemed to work. Castro Marques played 19 minutes against the Sparks, her most time on the court since the Storm defeated Chicago at home on June 7 when she played 30 minutes, scoring 11 points on 4 for 7 shooting. Yet, she's said she's concerned about her status in Seattle.

"I was upset because I had been a starter since I got here, so being out of the starting lineup was a big thing for me," said Castro Marques, who was picked up as a free agent in 2005 after being out of the league in 2004. "But we have to do what's best for the team. If not being a starter is going to help us, then that is what I have to be prepared for and try to do my best when I'm on the court."

Donovan said she kept Castro Marques in the lineup for so long, especially with the Storm struggling to find consistency, because she didn't want the Brazilian to lose confidence. Castro Marques agreed that it's a concern.

"About confidence, it's like, if you've been a starter and your coach sits you down for a reason of course that makes you think about your confidence because something is wrong," she said. "I'm not on the bench because it's the best option. Coach asked me to watch tape and [I see] I was flowing, running a lot and very aggressive going to the basket [in the season opener]. I need to do that."

She did attack the basket against the Sparks on Wednesday and without All-Star Lisa Leslie in the lineup due to foul trouble, Castro Marques was able to contribute nine points on 4 for 9 shooting. And that was as a starter. If Jackson is out for an extended time (the Storm has two games remaining before the All-Star break), Castro Marques will remain in the lineup, otherwise it's back to the bench.

The Brazilian spirit isn't hindered, however. The day Castro Marques was demoted, she exited shoot around at KeyArena draped in the Brazilian flag and wearing her country's colors from head to toe in honor of the World Cup. She has met some of the soccer players in the past and is already teasing Storm teammate Edwige Lawson-Wade about this weekend's matchup between Brazil and France. The international players are roommates on the road.

"Another teammate to play!" said Castro Marques, whose country already defeated Jackson's native Australia. E is more into it so we do talk about it, yes, because we're going to be enemies on Saturday."

Bottoms up!

At first it looked like a normal stretching move. The Sparks, as particular fashion, lined up along the halfcourt line with their feet spread wide and bent over reaching for the court, some players able to put their hands on the ground. But after about five minutes and a little rump wiggling while the Storm was on the court stretching just feet from the Sparks, it became clear Los Angeles was quasi-mooning the visitors.

Simone Edwards, a former Storm original who retired in May, won gold with her native Jamaica in last week's Caribbean Basketball Championships played in Kingston.

Simone Edwards with her team's championship trophy.

Her country is vying for a place in the World Championships in Brazil, where guard Sue Bird and Anne Donovan (America) and forwards Lauren Jackson (Australia) and Iziane Castro Marques (Brazil) will compete with their respective countries for an automatic bid to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Up next for Jamaica are the Central Games in Mexico City from June 26-30.

Edwards, a 6 foot 4 forward, reported in an e-mail that her country's men's team also won gold.

Storm forward Lauren Jackson will start today against the Sacramento Monarchs despite a right knee injury. She's wearing a black sleeve around the knee.

Jackson had the injury evaluated on Friday when the team arrived in Sacramento and was told it's either a bone bruise or sprain in the back of the knee. The extent of the damage, if any, hasn't been determined. According to Storm coach Anne Donovan, it's just how much "can she tolerate. She's not playing on an injury as much as she playing and it would be painful."

"You just gotta play with it, there's nothing you can do," said Jackson, who sustained the injury in the first quarter of the Storm's win against Chicago on Thursday. She played 30 minutes, scoring 23 points in the second half.

"It's not broken or anything, so it's fine," Jackson said. "You gotta play through this sort of stuff."

Prior to the afternoon tip, Jackson and Bird were aired live on ESPN's "The Pulse" television show talking about being named to the all-decade team, play overseas, and who has the better music. Jackson joked during the segment that the easiest way to upset Bird is to break her nose, having done so accidentally in 2005. Ironically, seconds later a loose basketball flew toward where the duo sat, hitting Bird on the side of the head. Behind the two, teammates were shooting around to warm up for the game.

"Good thing it wasn't my nose," said Bird, who teasingly got up to leave the set.

I've been quasi arguing with Storm guard Betty Lennox about these rookies this season.

My question is always the same — where's the typical "veteran" lesson or welcome to the league? Seems the top four, at least, are waltzing in and lighting up the place. Ah, actually they are waltzing in and lighting up the place.

Seimone Augustus (Minnesota) and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix) have had 30-plus-point games and were each named player of the week. They've torn up veteran championship teams like Houston and Sacramento. And I just can't believe everyone is rolling over like this.

True, I haven't seen every game, so I don't know what the situation was with every sparkling night the rookies have had. And I understand the incoming talent is way, way better. But I'm not giving in to Lennox's belief that you have to simply give respect.

Bump that and these rookies.

That's why I was happy to witness Storm forward Lauren Jackson's defensive emergence during her team's past two wins. The 6-foot-5 Aussie gave rookies Augustus and Candice Dupree, the sixth overall draft pick, the kind of "Welcome to the WNBA" that a sportswriter likes to see.

Jackson stuffed both of their shots back into their face.

The Augustus one was sweet. It was in the first quarter and Jackson twisted her body sideways to bring down the hammer, making everyone say, "Oh!" As in, haven't seen anyone do that to Augustus before.

True, Augustus finished with a career-high 32 points, the best outing from a Lynx rookie since Lennox in 2000, when the latter had 31 points on the road against Washington.

But Augustus, a 6-foot guard, won't forget that block.

And Dupree, a 6-2 post, had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in Chicago's loss, but again, things like being shoved to the ground with an imprint of the league's logo on your forehead have a way of waking you up at night. (Plus Jackson hit two three-pointers against Dupree's coverage).

Don't get me wrong. The league needs these rookies to star in order to attract attention and keep the momentum of its 10th season rolling. Yet, it's all rubbish if they continue to look this much better than the youthful veterans like Jackson and teammate Sue Bird, the youngest members of the All-Decade team at 25. Even Bird continues to get schooled by veteran point guard Ticha Penicheiro (Sacramento). It's the kind of thing that would make former Sonic Gary Payton happy, a man who never allowed a rookie to just roll up and showboat without at least feeling his presence.

Jackson even stated that her defense is what she was most happy about in the Sky win. She finished with a game-high 27 points, 10 rebounds (a team-leading four offensive boards), four assists, and six blocks in 30 minutes. Jackson's personal best for blocks is eight against the relocated Utah Starzz (San Antonio) set in 2002.

"I'm probably most proud of the blocks because I haven't been blocking that many people lately and the rebounds because I haven't had a double-double this year," she said after the game. "Our focus has been defense and like I said in our last few games, if I don't score I don't care as long as we win."

Jackson's not scoring in double digits in the two games before Chicago did bring attention to the difficulty of another talent of hers. She owns the league's second-longest streak of scoring 10 points or more in 84 games, which ended in the 2005 season opener.

The power forward said she respects it a little more after suffering through three games this season where she finished in single digits.

"Yeah, I do, but I hopefully I can get it going again," she said.

If not, watching her stop everyone else's shot, especially the newbies, is just as good.

Got a text message from a good friend this afternoon asking what I was up tto. Oh, just sitting nine rows back from home plate at Wrigley Field!

My hook-up, we'll call him Mark, did it again. First he set me up with the celebrities at the Super Bowl and yesterday he fulfilled my dream of seeing the Chicago Cubs play live. I was so geeked. I just wanted to see the stadium and touch the Harry Caray statute outside the ballpark, but my man went high class sans the limo (loved the Jeep, though Mark!).

So, in a 24-hour stretch of time I've seen probably the greatest WNBA rookie in Seimone Augustus (Minnesota) go off for 32 points, rode the hotel elevator with the Boston Red Sox's Manny Ramirez, and saw the Cubbies lead the Houston Astros 2-1 through seven innings before losing 3-2.

What really amazed me was that the stadium was packed with 40,236 fans and there was only one fight. No, seriously, I was surprised that many people are constantly able to take the afternoon off for baseball and that there continues to be support for a losing team. I'm not a diehard baseball fan, so it doesn't matter to me how the Cubbies do, but what pain the diehards are going through ­-- again.

Storm coach Anne Donovan and I spoke briefly about this unabashed loyalty. In a way WNBA teams like the Chicago Sky need that kind of following until it gets off the ground. I'm hearing from natives that the team will do well eventually - if it starts winning, gets a star player, and has someone with a local connection. All three are nearly impossible to accomplish immediately in the midst of the league's 10th season.

The WNBA began by allocating players to its teams, that's why forward Sheryl Swoopes is in Houston, miles from her Brownsfield, Texas home. But with the inaugural draft in 2002, where guard Sue Bird was shipped crosscountry to Seattle, the possibility of regional allocation ended.

It'll take a miracle, or back-to-back losing seasons, for the Sky (1-8) to get its hands on Illinois native Candace Parker, the Tennessee star. And the Sky ain't the Cubbies, so I doubt the independent owners can wait that long in an arena full of empty seats.

Recap
Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett and coach Dwane Casey, a former Sonics associate head coach, attended the Storm's win against the Lynx on Wednesday. Garnett is a season ticket holder who always brings his friends to the games. "He's a basketball junkie," Casey said. The coach usually makes his way to the court after work, enjoying the development of the women's game.

"Augustus is an exciting player, I like watching her play and I definitely want to see the Storm play," Casey said. "She can come off the dribble and create her own shot and that's something the WNBA has come to - their players are creating shots for themselves where as before it was more of a catch-and-set shoot. There's more athleticism now."

Although Casey looked relaxed following his first season as a head coach, he said he's still under stress. He's preparing for the draft and Minnesota's never ending problem of trying to find quality players to compliment Garnett.

"That's the stressful part," he said. "The draft is fun, but the stress is going to be free agency."

Shout out
To Chicago Cop Joe, whose first words following his motorcycle accident this week were "Anybody got a Roethlisberger jersey?" Hope you get better, dude.

Storm center Janell Burse participated in shootaround this morning and should start despite suffering from the stomach flu that began in Indianapolis on Sunday. Burse has been taking medication and is trying to rehydrate herself after eating for the first time Tuesday evening. She said she felt weak when she tried to run after not practicing Tuesday, but attributed it to not having any nourishment in her body.

Burse is the latest casualty on the team. Guard Sue Bird suffered from food poisoning prior to leaving for the current five-game road trip, then she jammed her finger in shootaround prior to the Connecticut loss. Guard Betty Lennox suffered a busted lip from a teammate in shootaround, then was hit again by Indiana forward Tamika Catchings during the loss Sunday. Lastly, center Tiffani Johnson had her nostrils stuffed with gauze after suffering a bump in the Fever game.

All are healthy and aren't thinking about the minor bruises.

"I don't like to make excuses," Bird said.

Update

So those autograph seekers outside the Storm's hotel?

Seems they don't miss an opportunity for a signature.

Even though the group of fans wore Boston Red Sox jerseys and only had baseballs, waiting for those players to leave the same hotel, some of the fans stopped a few of the Storm players, including forward Lauren Jackson, to sign the hardball as the women boarded their bus Tuesday for practice.

A small cluster of fans had to be corralled behind a strip of red ribbon outside the Storm's hotel in Minneapolis today. Thought for a moment that it might be because guard Sue Bird was in the restaurant's bar watching World Cup soccer with French teammate Edwige Lawson-Wade, whose country was playing Switzerland. But, no, it's because the Boston Red Sox are in the same hotel, arriving Monday evening.

The Red Sox begin a three-game series tonight at the Metrodome against the Minnesota Twins. And when a few of those players spotted the autograph seekers outside on the sidewalk, they immediately went back into the hotel and sat in the lobby complaining about signing autographs.

Now that's something you don't hear from WNBA players.

The WNBA will announce its All-Decade team during the ESPN2 broadcast of the Charlotte at Washington game Tuesday. League president Donna Orender will make the announcement.

Based on a completely unscientific poll while traveling with the team this past road trip, it seems Storm forward Lauren Jackson is a lock to make the prestigious team. But guard Sue Bird, who was also nominated, is teetering on the cut line. I suspect she'll be in because of fan popularity alone, however.

As implied in a Seattle Times article, depth at the forward position, veteran acknowledgement, and voters being unimpressed by the point-guard selection among the 30 candidates may lead to Bird's omission, however. We'll see.

While the players are in the process of being notified, all will not be present at the announcement. They will be formally recognized at the July 12 All-Star game in New York City instead.

And speaking of All-Stars, the Storm practically nominated its entire team in Jackson, Bird, Betty Lennox, Wendy Palmer, and Janell Burse. But how about a little love for Burse?

Even with a tender shoulder, the 6-foot-5 center, is playing incredibly well inside. And the Tulane grad banked in her first career three-pointer against Connecticut on Friday and had nine offensive rebounds to go with 23 points in the four-point loss.

Burse said she worked on her outside shooting while playing in Prague, but missed majority of training camp with the injured labrum suffered the final day in the country. There were concerns about whether she'd regain the shooting touch from overseas as she missed the Storm's opening two games.

Well, she showed she's all right.

And compared to the other centers on the All-Star ballot, only Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles) and Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento) are considerably better candidates. And, of course, Phoenix center Kamila Vodichkova is the sentimental favorite in Seattle. But if we're voting with our basketball smarts, Burse has to get the edge over Vodka, the Storm organization's inaugural first-round draft pick, even though the native of Czech Republic is having a standout season with 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds. It's just that Burse, and the Storm, got the best of Vodichkova twice this season. (Remember how Vodichkova was used as a floor mop in the Storm's lone road win at Phoenix in May?)

Leslie, a league original, is averaging a double-double with 21.4 points and 11.8 rebounds, yet I can pretty much guess Seattle folks won't vote for her. Griffith, the 2005 Finals MVP, is averaging career-lows of 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds. Burse, who has never been an All-Star, is averaging career-highs of 11.9 points and 7.0 rebounds.

It's time to start looking at Burse differently. She probably won't top Leslie for the starting position, but honestly, Burse should be the reserve on the team, which is voted by coaches. Aside from botching several high-low passes, she's better at handling the ball, is good on the boards, is stronger, and her shooting range has opened a whole new dimension for the Storm. Plus Burse held her own against all of the other centers on the ballot in both conferences.

If she keeps going like this, we may be talking about her for the next All-Decade team.

Indiana guard Tully Bevilaqua is featured on the cover of the Fever's media guide in an eerie photo where she's clasping forward Tamika Catchings around the waist as both beam bright smiles. Storm fans may remember a similar photo with Bevilaqua, a former Seattle guard, after the 2004 championship when the Australian walked around KeyArena with forward Lauren Jackson in the same embrace. That photo was used in the Storm's 2005 media guide.

All that's missing are the championship hats and an Aussie, of course.

Bevilaqua's gritty style has endeared herself to the Indiana fan base, which you can read more about in Monday's Seattle Times. The seven-year vet has broken into the starting lineup, was named to the league's all-defense team, and led the Fever to the Eastern Conference finals last summer.

Bevilaqua is just one of three Aussie point guards being considered for the World Championships against the will of her coach in Australia, Jan Stirling, whose Opals organization tried to keep the players at home to train by nixing their eligibility if they competed in the WNBA. But with the way Bevilaqua and Erin Phillips of Connecticut are playing, there would probably be a riot if they weren't given serious consideration.

Kristi Harrower, a former Minnesota guard, is the frontrunner for the position.

Rookie watch

Everyone was set to hand Minnesota newcomer Seimone Augustus the Rookie of the Year award when the Louisiana State alumnus was drafted No. 1 overall in April, but second pick Cappie Pondexter of Phoenix has added spice to the competition.

As of Saturday, the rookies were ranked 1-2 in league scoring, with Pondexter narrowly topping Augustus, averaging 23.7 points to the Lynx guard's 23.3. Pondexter has taken 24 less field goals and is sharing the limelight with guard Diana Taurasi, who's third in league scoring (23.0).

Augustus, meanwhile, is her team's offense, taking 127 shots overall while forward Kristen Mann is second in attempts on the Minnesota roster with 60. Bookend centers Nicole Ohlde and Vanessa Hayden, who are 6 feet 4, aren't even seeing much of the ball, combining for 83 shots this season.

Seems Pondexter is the better teammate, which would give her the edge in my voting if the season were to end today. Love scoring, can't stand ball hogs. But we'll see when the Storm travels to play the Lynx on Wednesday.

In college, Augustus was far from the ball-hog mentality. She found her offense in the groove of the Tigers' system and often didn't go off until her team needed her late in the game. Plus she was a pretty good defender. We all know Minnesota was desperate for offense, so Augustus could just be doing her job.

It is interesting to note that of the top-10 scorers in the league, only three are original WNBA players ­- Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, and Sheryl Swoopes. The rest are from the new generation of players, and four were drafted in the past three seasons. Jackson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2001, ranks fourth (21.4).

"The rookie class is strong. It shows you the bright future we have for the WNBA," Storm guard Betty Lennox said. "You have to give respect. These are great players that are coming in here, and it's nothing against the veterans. It's a talent level, and they're just there. Coaches at the college level did a good job of preparing them for the professional level. And overall [this class] has been the best and toughest ever."

Lennox should know. She has already been waxed by Pondexter, who's averaging 25.5 points in two losses against the Storm. Next up is Augustus.

Storm center Tiffani Johnson wore a dejected look before game-time Friday, but it had nothing to do with her pulled groin. The injury has actually improved and she should be able to play considerable minutes off the bench to help the Storm fill the void left by top reserve Wendy Palmer (achilles).

Johnson was really upset at losing money.

No, it won't at the casino's slots, either. She misplaced her per diem in the airport, which amounted to $600 for 10 days. The money was stashed in a cash envelope and signed for by Johnson, so the team technically can't replace the funds. Teammates said they've offered to take the player to dinner, but eating falls on Johnson's shoulders for the remainder of the trip.

"I'm going to be eating peanuts," she said.

But even those cost $6.50 in most hotels.

Roseanne Barr is in the casino house, but thankfully the comedian wasn't asked to sing the national anthem tonight at the Storm's game against Connecticut. Instead the Sun pulled in a true headliner in former "American Idol" star Ayla Brown.

Brown, 17, will be a guest on the Storm broadcast on KJR (950 AM) before the game. But that's the only way fans will be able to hear her. The game is not televised, so the anthem will not be heard live.

Storm guard Sue Bird's favorite cuisine, seafood, wasn't very kind to her as she came down with food poisoning hours before she played 30 minutes in a home win against Chicago, scoring 10 points and totaling five assists.

Bird, 25, said she wouldn't wish the situation on her "worst enemy." She didn't eat anything on Thursday, traveling overnight on Wednesday with her team to Connecticut for Friday's game against the Sun. She was well enough to practice on Thursday and will start.

"She just needs a good night's sleep," Storm coach Anne Donovan said.

An absent Bird would highlight another weakness with the Storm - the backup point guard position.

French guard Edwige (pronounced Ed-VEEGE) Lawson-Wade is learning the ropes, but Donovan has repeatedly stated that the team has been hurting at the position since Australian Tully Bevilaqua left via free agency after helping Seattle win a championship in 2004.

Bevilaqua reportedly garnered $60,000 from Indiana during the 2005 season, a figure Donovan, who is director of player personnel, was unwilling to pay for a reserve.

Reserves Tanisha Wright and Shaunzinski Gortman are filling the backup point role along with Lawson-Wade, but the staff is always looking for ways to strengthen its bench.

Lawson-Wade is cool with her role, however. At 5 foot 6, the 27-year-old is petite, but she has experience having played with Houston in 2005 and internationally. Donovan signed her on May 23 and Lawson-Wade is averaging 2.0 points and 8.0 minutes, appearing in two games.

"I'm feeling really good," said Lawson-Wade, whose non-traditional French surname stems from an African father and American husband. She was born in Rennes.

"The team has great team chemistry and when a new player come in, they do everything to help her so right now everything is good for me. We have a lot of guards, but from the beginning Anne Donovan told me my role would be more if Sue gets hurt or something happens, they can have another true point guard.

I had some other options, but Seattle was a team that plays the type of basketball that I like to play. I could have probably gone somewhere else and had more minutes, but I choose to be here. Anne has always been honest with me, so it's all good."

Reporters still wondered after practice today why guard Betty Lennox only played 14 minutes in Sunday's two-point loss to San Antonio, brought in for the final 8 seconds to hit a potential game-tying shot to force overtime.

She missed, but the move didn't influence the game. The Storm's once 14-point lead was already chopped to 55-53 with 5:31 remaining in the third quarter when Tanisha Wright substituted for Lennox. And Seattle led by seven with four minutes left in the game, getting outworked on offensive rebounding, which led to the loss.

But Lennox signed a two-year contract worth the player max during the offseason and she's already been "benched," as reporters call it, twice this season. Donovan explained that Lennox wasn't really "benched" on Sunday, however.

"You're not going to put words in my mouth," she said. "You're looking for a negative reason for why she's not playing and it's based on the needs of the team. [When we need] defense, we have T and Shaun [Gortman] out on the floor."

So, Lennox isn't as good a defender as Wright and Gortman?

"It's not that Betty is not doing anything, it's that we have people on the bench that are playing defense we need to have," Donovan said.

Lennox, the team's third-leading scorer (10.3), did have an impressive practice in response to her game on Sunday, where she was 1 for 4 from the field. Some might think that the heavily covered Lauren Jackson or Sue Bird, who was 6 for 10 from the field for a season-high 18 points, might have better choices for the final shot.

But Donovan playing chess with Lennox, Wright, and Gortman is a great strategy for the Storm. Many teams have offensive weapons that are swapped for defensive ones. Yet, usually the offensive player gets a little more court time than Lennox did.

"I hope I don't sit out the whole game and then play 7.7 seconds,'' Lennox said. "I don't think Michael Jordan can come out and then try to score in 7.7 seconds when he's been out the whole game. But did I try to make it? Yes. I tried to warm up, tried to go hard, shoot the jumper, I even tried to bank it off the backboard because my shot hadn't been falling. But...I can't say nothing about that situation. I tried. I tried to be the hero, but obviously I wasn't.

"This is Anne Donovan's team, she's the coach and when she tells me to go out and play, I play. When it's time for me to sit on the bench, I sit on the bench. I'm here to play. This is what I want to do, but I don't have any control over when I'm out on the court and all that."
So, is the change in her role confusing?

"In a way, but I'm here to just play when I get an opportunity," Lennox said.

Sonics guard Damien Wilkins was given a little offseason homework and it had nothing to do with working on his ball handling skills or outside jump shot. Wilkins has been studying up on the Storm in preparation to be a color analyst for FSN during Sunday's broadcast against San Antonio at KeyArena.

And before you scoff at yet another WNBA attempt to draw NBA fans by pimping the brother league's players and coaches in positions within the women's league, know Wilkins actually did study communications at Georgia and wants to be a broadcaster after he retires from basketball.

Plus, Fox tried to prepare Wilkins, 26, for his debut. The station flew him to the Los Angeles area for a two-day, seven-hour crash course with a personal tutor. Some topics covered were delivery style when calling a game and how to keep a viewing audience intrigued.

"They were basically giving me a foundation, something to work from and how it works to be on the other end of the microphone," said Wilkins, who often watches WNBA games from his Atlanta home with his baby sister, a basketball player.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited, but I'm a little nervous because I don't want to mess up. It's a big TV thing, so we'll see how it goes. I had to do my homework, try to learn as much as I can. I'm not giving an interview anymore. I'm talking about what's going on in the game. Basically talkin' basketball and they're throwing me right in the fire."

Wilkins is contracted for just the one game, the only remaining broadcast on the station this season.

"The Storm, they're a great team," he said. "I'm looking forward to keeping up with them throughout the season."

Had my first player collision in Sacramento.

With 5:10 remaining in the third quarter and the Storm trailing 55-36 on Wednesday, Monarchs center Yolanda Griffith chased the basketball out of bounds and dove head first into press row, skidding past my computer (thank goodness) into the lap of another reporter and breaking a television set.

The ball dribbled my way and I stuck my left arm out like the animated character Daria in the volleyball scene during the MTV show's opening credits. Griffith, after slowly collecting herself, lifted up and looked my way as she said, "Y'all are supposed to catch me!"

Sorry Yo!

I was concerned. Prior to the game we talked about her playing days and whether she wanted to be considered for USA Basketball's World Championship team, which still has four vacancies. Turns out she already turned down an invitation for a look because she can't predict how her knees will treat her the following morning let alone four months from now.

"I've got a little arthritis in my [left] knee and a little soreness, so I can't commit and when they need me to play, I'm not able to," said Griffith, who scored a game-high 21 points and had eight rebounds against the Storm. "I don't want to take a position and have to sit on the bench and not be able to help. Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead, but it's so much. I've been playing nonstop."

Griffith, 36, didn't exclude herself from the 2008 Olympics, having won gold in 2004 and 2000, but again discussed her age and health as major problems. She said the knee was swollen during the WNBA playoffs and had the series gone to a Game 5 with Connecticut, she wouldn't have been able to play.

"You want your veterans, but you also need your young players to get the experience to be able to take the place of the veterans," said Griffith, the WNBA Finals MVP. "If you're healthy and you're able to go four, five Olympics like Teresa Edwards, more power to you. But I just think it's time for the youngsters to get that opportunity. I'm not even thinking long term. I'm thinking tomorrow. I've played so much basketball, it's time to hang the shoes up and get a break."

Now that voting is closed, I thought I'd release my picks for the All-Decade team. I didn't struggle as much as most did, until it came down to the 10th pick, which was basically between former New York Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon and current Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi.

The argument most peers made was you don't want to look back on an All-Decade team and not have Taurasi on it because of the incredible talent she is and the potential she has to really shine in the WNBA. The example is Shaquille O'Neal when the NBA announced its top-50 players in 1996, placing the current Miami center on the list although he had only competed in the league for four seasons.

But Shaq was a visible behemoth, averaging nearly 30 points in Orlando, and was obviously going to change the game. Taurasi, while exciting to watch, isn't changing the game.

She's versatile, but so is Indiana forward Tamika Catchings. Taurasi can score, but so can Los Angeles forward Chamique Holdsclaw. And Taurasi has brought in a legion of fans and media hype, but Storm guard Sue Bird did so first, and lived up to it by getting her team to the playoffs her rookie season, winning a championship her third season, and being selected as a perennial All-Star starter by fans.

So, you guessed it. Taurasi didn't make my list.

Here are my selections in no particular order:

• Seattle G Sue Bird — The best WNBA point guard on the list of 30 nominees. You have to have all five positions represented, in my opinion.

• Seattle F Lauren Jackson — Needs no explanation.

• Houston F Sheryl Swoopes — Ditto.

• Houston F Tina Thompson — Like a fine wine, gets better with age.

• Houston G Cynthia Cooper — An overlooked talent who should have been marketed more while playing.

• Detroit G Katie Smith — Best pure shooter in the league.

• Sacramento C Yolanda Griffith — Love the defense and mentality in the paint.

• Los Angeles C Lisa Leslie — Great ambassador for the league and an incredibly talented post player.

• Indiana F Tamika Catchings — Next to Swoopes, has the best all-around game in the league.

• New York G Teresa Weatherspoon — Great defender in her day and continues to be a solid ambassador.