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Sue Bird's first half was going well until she ran into a 
Lauren Jackson elbow late in the Storm's June 7 loss in Connecticut. The resulting broken nose and right orbital bone forced Bird to the sidelines for four games, and she hasn't been herself since returning, averaging 8.4 points per game on 34.8% shooting. Once amongst the league leaders in shooting percentage, Bird is now down to 41.6%, her lowest mark since her rookie season. Expect that to improve as Bird continues to adjust to wearing a protective mask.
For backcourt-mate 
Betty Lennox, Bird's injury was also problematic. After scoring double-figures in the first eight games of the season, Lennox became inconsistent without her backcourt-mate beside her. Lennox exploded for a season-high 29 points against Connecticut on June 22, but totaled only 41 points in her next five games. Bothered by being left off the All-Star team, Lennox came up with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals in the Storm's first-half finale at Phoenix.
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Tanisha Wright and 
Francesca Zara have split backup guard duties. Both players were struggling when Bird's injury forced them to step up, averaging 24.5 minutes per game apiece in her absence. Turnovers plagued Zara early on as she adjusted to an American-style game, but she hasn't committed more than one in a game since June 12, totaling five turnovers in 90 minutes in that span. Zara has proven to be a strong scorer, shooting 52.8% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range. Wright has had big games, including six points and six assists against Minnesota on June 15 and eight points and three rebounds at San Antonio on June 30, but still is working to learn WNBA referees.
Forward 
Iziane Castro Marques quickly demonstrated she's the fastest player with the ball in the WNBA, a true one-woman fast break. Defensively, Castro Marques has responded to the Storm's call for a defensive stopper. She harassed 
Tamika Catchings into 3-for-16 shooting and Katie Smith to 5-for-18 from the field, amongst other performances. Castro Marques has provided 8.2 points per game on the offensive end, but has room for improvement in her long-range shooting (28.6% from 3-point range).
At the start of the season, Jackson had to fend off criticism that she was out of shape. Battling for the league lead in rebounding seems to be a good way to do that. It's a testament to Jackson's brilliance that she can be described as having an uneven first half - in consecutive games last month, she went from shooting 8-for-11 to 1-for-11 and has been held to single digits three times - but still is the only WNBA player averaging a double-double and ranks third in the league in scoring, second in rebounding and fourth in blocks per game. A strong second half would give Jackson an excellent chance at her second MVP award.
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Simone Edwards and 
Alicia Thompson give the Storm a veteran presence off the bench, but more than that as well. Edwards has been particularly impressive, shooting a career-best 53.8% from the field. That performance was buoyed by Edwards scoring 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting in 13 minutes at Minnesota on June 26.
Storm center 
Janell Burse has positioned herself as a strong candidate for Most Improved Player award honors. Burse is averaging 4.5 more points and 2.4 more rebounds per game while improving her shooting percentage by 5.5%. She ranks 13th in the WNBA in field-goal percentage, ninth in blocks per game (1.3) and 16th in rebounds per game. Burse had 21 points at Phoenix on June 2 and her first Storm double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) on June 4 against Indiana, but went into the All-Star break having scored only four points in her last two games.
Australian rookie 
Suzy Batkovic has proven a quick study. After arriving on June 3, she made her WNBA debut against the league's top team, the Connecticut Sun, and had six points. Batkovic scored double-figures in four straight games just before the All-Star break and is averaging 8.3 points per game (fourth amongst rookies), 3.8 rebounds (second) and 1.1 blocks (second) on 44.3% shooting (fifth). Batkovic's 20.8 Efficiency Rating per 40 minutes ranks her seventh in the WNBA, tops amongst rookies.
Storm All-Star Photo Gallery