Notebook: Burse’s Shoulder ‘A Concern’
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Get Storm Headlines!The Seattle Storm got center
Janell Burse back at practice Tuesday after her shoulder injury was aggravated for the second time in the last four days. Burse left Friday's preseason win over the Sacramento Monarchs after her left shoulder subluxed, or came out of the socket, and did not return. She had a similar incident during the Storm's practice on Monday evening.
"There's always concern," said Storm Head Coach 
Anne Donovan. "There was concern last year and this year, it's happened twice. It's a concern, but it is what it is."
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"It's because I did so much rehabbing that it's so much stronger," explained Burse. "When it does happen, the recovery time is much, much quicker."
There may also be a mental aspect. Burse has gone through the injury enough times - twice last Storm season, when she missed a couple of weeks each time, and four or five times overseas - that the experience is no longer as traumatic. She knows what is required to get back.
"When it happens, it's really painful," said Burse. "After that, once I get it to calm down, ice it, I can see how stiff it is, get it moving, get some treatment, it feels better.
"It's sore, but I can play through that kind of soreness. There's just some things that I'm scared to do that I won't do with it because it's reminding me so much because of the pain."
There will be nervous moments for the Storm whenever Burse's shoulder takes contact this season. When she reaches too far back to block a shot, which happened during Friday's game, or has the shoulder hit while she is trying to extend her arm, Burse is vulnerable.
"I think she'd be the first to tell you that it's not a perfect shoulder anymore," Donovan said. "So she's learning how to work through it as it goes."
The Storm also got 
Iziane Castro Marques back at practice after the Brazilian forward missed almost all of Saturday's session and all of Monday's evening session with tendinitis in her right Achilles.
"It's much better," said Castro Marques. "I could move. In the half-court, I couldn't feel it at all. In the open court, it felt a little better. Saturday, I really felt that I couldn't walk at all. Even at home, I couldn't do it."
Castro Marques said she has had some soreness in her Achilles in the past, but never severe enough to force her to miss practice. The injury doesn't appear to be particularly problematic, but could linger.
has observed in his blog, there is a definite sense that the intensity of practice has picked up with everyone back in camp and Opening Night vs. the Houston Comets (7:00 p.m., 1150 AM KKNW, 
) just four days away.
"We're going against each other now that we have a full team," said Donovan. "That brings out intensity. There have been intense moments. Our bench has picked it up and is not backing down, and that's all good."
"I think we know that Opening Night is right there," added Castro Marques.
