In reigning WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson and perennial All-Star Sue Bird, the Seattle Storm already had a pair of former No. 1 overall draft picks leading their team.

Now that they've added a resurgent Swin Cash to the mix, it's no surprise they're off to the best start in franchise history.

The Storm (5-1) will look to win their third straight game overall and fifth in a row against the New York Liberty when they visit Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Jackson won her second MVP award last year after averaging career highs of 23.8 points and 9.7 rebounds, while Bird averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 assists despite missing time due to knee surgery.

This year, Cash - acquired in a trade from Detroit in the offseason - has given the Storm a new scoring option, leading the team in points in two of the last three games.

Cash, whom Detroit picked second behind Bird in the 2002 draft after the two starred as teammates at Connecticut, led the Shock in scoring with 16.6 points per game as they won the WNBA title in 2003. But she had averaged just 9.5 points in the last three seasons, also dealing with a knee injury.

Cash is averaging 16.2 points per game for Seattle. She had 11 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter on Sunday in the Storm's 64-63 win over Houston, helping the team overcome Jackson's 1-for-9 shooting performance.

Bird, who had 17 points, made a layup with 6.4 seconds left to put Seattle ahead.

"You have to pick your poison with them," Comets coach Karleen Thompson said. "It was either Lauren or Sue. We just didn't want both of them to go off on us. We were fortunate enough to hold Lauren, but Swin Cash stepped up big for them."

On Tuesday, the spotlight may be on Bird, who played her high school basketball at Christ the King in Queens. Bird has averaged 9.0 points in five career games in her hometown, scoring just three in the Storm's 77-75 win at New York last year.

Seattle has won its last four games against New York, with three of those victories coming by at least 20 points.

The Liberty (1-3) have been struggling with slow starts, getting outscored 46-21 in their last two first quarters while losing both games. They fell behind 27-15 after one in an 89-84 defeat at Connecticut Friday.

"The first quarter killed us," Liberty coach Pat Coyle said. "... We have to find a way to start games better."