WEEKLY LEADERS
POINTS Jackson - 14.0 Lennox - 13.0 Vodichkova - 12.5 Sam - 8.0 Bird - 5.5 REBOUNDS Vodichkova - 8.0 Jackson - 7.5 Lennox - 3.5 Bird - 3.0 Sam - 2.0 ASSISTS Bird - 5.0 Bevilaqua - 3.0 Sam - 3.0
storm.wnba.com PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Kamila Vodichkova 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 50.0% fgs, 7-7 fts By the end of June, Vodichkova's slump to start the season is nothing but a distant memory. Over the Storm's last seven games, starting Jun. 5 in Sacramento, Vodichkova has averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on 51.6% shooting - all numbers better than her 2003 performance. Vodichkova has really helped the Storm with her ability to knock down the free-throw line jumper, which was especially an asset when the New York Liberty sprung a zone on Saturday evening. Vodichkova has struggled this year to finish in the lane, and Storm Coach Anne Donovan shared before Saturday's game that she's encouraged Vodichkova to look at each shot as a three-point opportunity - the basket and an ensuing foul shot. Lo and behold, Vodichkova hit a three-point play early on Saturday and made six of her nine shot attempts overall.

Jun. 21-27
Record for the week: 0-2
Overall Record: 8-4
Standing: 1st, Western Conference

Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2004

Houston 29 34 63 at Storm 30 27 57

Playing for the second time in a three-game stretch, the Storm and the Houston Comets rematched at KeyArena Tuesday. Houston got off to a solid start, leading 25-19 early in the game, but did not score during the final 5:24 of the first half as the Storm took a 30-29 lead to halftime. Seattle went on to hold the lead most of the second half, but the Comets picked up their play in the final minutes of play. Defensively, Houston clamped down, allowing just one field goal in the final 4:52 of the game. Offensively, Sheryl Swoopes played like the two-time MVP that she is, scoring 14 of her 18 points after halftime and putting in several key buckets down the stretch. The Storm had its chances, but simply couldn't convert. On one possession alone, the Storm missed five shots. Lauren Jackson led the Storm with 16 points and also blocked a season-high six shots. Vodichkova added her second double-double of the season, 10 points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds. Houston, which shot 50% from the field for the first time all season, got a career-high 15 points from Seattle native Sheila Lambert in addition to Swoopes' 18.

Saturday, Jun. 26, 2004

New York 29 38 67 at Storm 28 34 62

On Saturday, the Storm completed its season series against the Liberty with a home game that wasn't really a home game. The two teams played nearly 300 miles away from Seattle in Spokane on the East side of Washington in conjunction with Hoopfest, the world's largest three-on-three basketball tournament. In many ways, the game was a replay of Tuesday. Again, the road team got off to a quick start. Halfway through the first half, New York led 24-11 as the Storm struggled to put the ball in the basket against the three-post lineup and zone defense Liberty Coach Richie Adubato unveiled to try to change the results from the Storm's blowout win in New York. Once again, however, the Storm shut down the Liberty at half's end to cut the lead to one. The Storm spurted ahead early in the second half, taking a 41-33 lead, their largest of the game. Things tightened up down the stretch. Seattle seemed to have things under control with a 59-55 lead with five minutes left, but New York scored three straight baskets to go ahead. After the teams traded free throws and several misses, Becky Hammon gave New York a five-point lead with a backbreaking three with 43.3 seconds left. The Storm got the lead to three with 22 seconds left, but Hammon hit two free throws to put the game away. Hammon led New York with 15 points, 12 in the second half. Vodichkova scored 15 to lead the Storm, but Storm leading scorers Sue Bird, Jackson and Betty Lennox combined to shoot 12-for-39 from the field. After dominating the offensive glass in New York, the Storm pulled down just one offensive board before the final minute of the game.

Weekly Happenings

The Storm's Donovan, Bird and Jackson, as well as Houston's Swoopes and Coach Van Chancellor, all bound for this summer's Olympics, helped unveil a new Olympic Stamp prior to Tuesday's game. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

Streaks Snapped
Not only did Tuesday's loss snap a six-game winning streak for the Storm, it was also their first loss after six straight wins at KeyArena, a streak that dated back to the end of 2003. The last time the Storm had lost at KeyArena was last Aug. 17 vs. Detroit. The six straight wins were the second-longest home winning streak in franchise history behind eight straight games from Jun. 22-Aug. 8, 2003.

Broken Nose for Lennox
While fighting for a rebound against Houston, Lennox was hit in the face and had her nose broken. After going to the sideline, Lennox returned to the game despite the pain. On Saturday, she played with a facemask (that of her teammate Michelle Greco, who broke her nose earlier this season) and was hampered as a result, shooting 6-for-18 from the field. Lennox should be more comfortable the next time she takes the court, both because of more practice with the mask and because she is getting one custom-molded to her face. Even with the mask, the nose is still painful enough that Lennox had to ice her nose while on the bench Saturday, but she hasn't let it keep her off the court.

Hitting 1,000
Bird's second basket on Tuesday made her the 70th player in WNBA history to score a thousand points in her career, and the third Storm player to do so, but Bird downplayed the accomplishment.

"It's just a milestone, it's just a number, it doesn't really, to me, represent much," she said. "I'd rather our team win than anything else."

Record Setter
The WNBA announced last week that Jackson had set yet another record - this time off the court. Jackson's WNBA.com playerfile received more than 90,000 visits between June 14th and June 20th, shattering the record of more than 20,000 visits her teammate Bird had held. The hits explosion represented an increase of 3300% on the number of hits Jackson's playerfile received the week before.

Injury Report