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Thus far, 543 players have taken the court for a WNBA game. Just 10 of them - the top two percent - will be honored next month when the league announces its All-Decade Team, and then again during the July 12 All-Star Game in New York.
There are strong arguments that two of those 10 players should come from the Seattle Storm.
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Sue Bird) and 
Lauren (Jackson) have proven what great players they are in this league," says Donovan. "You look for the best point guard in the league, Sue's in that category for sure, and same thing with LJ. I think both are definitely top 10 in my book."
Jackson's candidacy appears to be something of a sure thing. One of just five players in league history to win MVP honors, Jackson ranks second in league history in scoring average (18.5 ppg) and is also in the league's top ten in career rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.9) per game.
Bird's spot on the All-Decade Team is not so clear cut. She came into the league a year after Jackson, meaning she has played in less than half of the WNBA's seasons thus far. While Bird has won acclaim as the league's best point guard, she hasn't factored into MVP debates and discussions of the league's best player like Jackson.
The strongest argument in Bird's favor, unquestionably, is her track record on the All-WNBA First Team. Bird has been named First Team all four of her WNBA seasons, tying legendary Cynthia Cooper for the longest streak on the First Team to start a career. Cooper and All-Decade Team locks 
Lisa Leslie (six) and Sheryl Swoopes (five) are the only players to be named First Team All-WNBA as many times as Bird. Ticha Penicheiro, who was on the All-WNBA First Team in 1999 and 2000, is the only other point guard to make the squad more than once. The media voting on the All-WNBA Team has made their opinion that Bird is the league's best point guard more than clear.
Some analysts, like Clay Kallam of FoxSports.com and FullCourt.com, have responded by choosing All-Decade Teams without a point guard.
"Part of it, I think, is luck," writes Kallam. "Bird will be a candidate, if she stays healthy, for the next decade's all-WNBA team, and Lindsay Whalen is also a viable candidate. But even so, there are so many talented wings and power forwards, you have to wonder where the points guards are."
Kallam argues that point guards aren't as strong in the women's game as in the men's game, but there is a flaw in this argument, that being that - Bill Laimbeer's machinations in Detroit aside - each WNBA team still must start a point guard. The value in elite point guards like Bird, then, lies not in being better than shooting guards, but better than the alternatives. As a result, Donovan for one can't imagine an All-Decade Team that does not include a point guard.
From that perspective, Bird's case is stronger. Statistically, while she has not built up imposing career totals because of her relatively brief career, Bird is second in league history in career assists per game (5.9 apg). She's also second in WNBA history in career scoring from the point guard position (12.9 ppg), though that stands to change with the only more prolific scorer at the point ( Diana Taurasi, 16.6 ppg) moving off the ball this season.
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Becky Hammon, Shannon Johnson, Penicheiro, Dawn Staley, Taurasi and Teresa Weatherspoon), only Penicheiro also has won a WNBA title.
Whatever the result, given their relative newness in the league, it is impressive that Bird and Jackson are even part of the All-Decade Team discussion.
"I think it says a lot when they haven't even been in the league for five of those years and they're already on that list," says Donovan. "They're two of the best players in the world and certainly in the WNBA. We're privileged here in Seattle to have both of them with their careers here."
Edwige Lawson-Wade, who had the opportunity to get in several practices. Either Lawson-Wade or fellow newcomer 
Cisti Greenwalt, signed on Friday, will be activated for tomorrow's game at Sacramento (7:00 p.m., KJR 950 AM).
"It just gives us a little bit of time to see how quickly they can pick up patterns," said Donovan. "We waived Kaayla (Chones), so we have to activate one of the two of them for this next game. We've been talking about point guard since the beginning of training camp, so it gives us a look at somebody who's a pure point guard. T's (
Tanisha Wright) had a little bit of tendinitis issues with her knee, so this is the perfect time for Edwige to be here and try to settle in."
Greenwalt is the latest post player that Donovan will take a look at as she searches for a young player who can contribute for the Storm now if needed as well as down the road.
Greenwalt was attractive, Donovan said, because of "Her size - 6-5 and a nice strong body. We watched her a lot at Texas Tech. She's got good hands, she can score around the basket, but she has to do more than that at this level, and that's what we're trying to figure out."
John Whisenant could move to the NBA's Kings as the replacement for Rick Adelman. Donovan did surprise reporters by leaving the door open to potentially coaching in the NBA at some point in the future should the opportunity arise.
"I'd have to consider it, but I thoroughly enjoy what I do," Donovan said.
