Shock-Storm Preview

By BRETT HUSTON
Posted Jul 24 2010 11:43AM

The Seattle Storm are already riding the longest winning streak in franchise history, a run that's given them a shot at finishing with the best regular-season record in league history.

There's no reason they shouldn't get a step closer Sunday night.

That's when perhaps the biggest mismatch of the WNBA season takes place at KeyArena, where the Storm try to extend their streak to 11 while adding to the mounting misery of the league-worst Tulsa Shock.

Seattle (19-2) is back in the Pacific Northwest for a three-game homestand after three somewhat improbable road wins. The Storm needed triple overtime to top Phoenix 111-107 on July 14, rallied from seven down after three quarters to beat Minnesota 73-71 on July 17, and overcame a 10-point deficit late in the third to knock off San Antonio 80-74 on Tuesday.

"We don't really get panicked,'' said center Lauren Jackson, who averaged 26.0 points on the trip. "Everyone just sort of rallies and does their own thing, and we manage to pull it out.''

Seattle certainly needed to rally during its trip to Tulsa on June 27. The Shock (4-18) led by 13 early in the second half before the Storm took over and won 83-72 behind 24 points from Jackson.

Scholanda Robinson scored a team-high 16 for Tulsa.

Only the now-defunct Houston Comets have topped Seattle's start. Houston began the 1998 season 25-2 before finishing 27-3 for the best record in league history.

Point guard Sue Bird isn't quite ready to put the Storm in the class of that Comets team, which won four consecutive championships.

"All of a sudden, because we have the best record in the league, people expect us to win by 20 every game,'' Bird said. "I've experienced that actually in college (at Connecticut). It's not something we expect. We know this league is way too good.''

No one has been good enough to win this season at KeyArena, where the Storm have won their 10 games by an average of 13.3 points.

It seems incredibly unlikely Tulsa can become the first visitor to end that streak. The Shock have lost 15 of their last 16, and Thursday suffered their fourth defeat by at least 25 points in that stretch. Phoenix led by 26 at halftime en route to a 123-91 victory in Tulsa.

"There is no question that when you look at the ballclub, and they're trying with every ounce of energy they got left, it's just a disaster when you're watching and you can't do nothing to stop it,'' Shock coach Nolan Richardson said.

The next day, Tulsa sent veteran center Kara Braxton (9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds per game) to the Mercury for reserve Nicole Ohlde and a 2011 first-round draft pick.

The deal leaves only injured guard Alexis Hornbuckle as the only remaining holdover from the franchise's days in Detroit.

Big second-half push leads Storm to 20th win

Posted Jul 25 2010 11:07PM

SEATTLE (AP) Lauren Jackson had 16 points and nine rebounds to help the Seattle Storm cruise to their 20th victory of the season with a 75-59 win over the Tulsa Shock on Sunday night.

With the win, the Storm become just the second team in league history to start a season 20-2 and just the fifth team to win 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons. The Houston Comets are the only team to have a better start to a season. The Comets opened the 1998 season 25-2 before suffering their third loss of the season.

Shanna Crossley scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half to lead Tulsa (4-19).

The Shock outhustled the Storm on the offensive glass early getting eight rebounds and converting 11 second chance points in the first half as Tulsa jumped out to a 23-18 lead early in the second quarter.

Svetlana Abrosimova then hit three straight 3-pointers from the left corner and a fourth from the right corner during a 12-3 run to help the Storm retake the lead. She finished with 15 points, hitting five 3-pointers. Swin Cash added 10 points and Le'Coe Willingham added nine for Seattle.

The Storm opened the second half with a 14-0 run to take a commanding 54-32 lead and didn't look back. Alison Lacey converted two free throws midway through the fourth quarter to give Seattle a 72-45 lead - its largest of the night.

Nicole Ohlde and Amber Holt each added eight points for the Shock.

• Shock: --
• Storm: --

• Shock: Hornbuckle
• Storm: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Key Arena, Seattle, WA
• Officials: #8 Daryl Humphrey, #39 Michael Price, #34 Maj Forsberg
• Attendance: 9686
• Duration: 1:43