Off the Record - Apr. 2006
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Playoff Time Overseas
Posted on April 14
We have been woefully remiss in updating the action of the international playoffs that include Storm players, so let's do some catching up.
We start in Russia, where the Russian Superleague playoffs are in the semifinals stages. Storm guard Sue Bird's Dynamo Moscow squad faces off against UMMC Ekaterinburg, which has center Suzy Batkovic. Both teams swept their first-round series, Dynamo over Dynamo Kursk and Ekaterinburg over Vologda-Chevakata.
Bird averages 10.5 points and 5.5 assists in the two-game series, while Natalia Vodopyanova posted 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Batkovic had 11.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in her team's series win.
Ekaterinburg has home-court advantage for the best-of-three series, which tips off on Sunday. Dynamo hosts Game 2 Wednesday and Game 3 (if necessary) will be Saturday in Ekaterinburg.
The USK Praha squad that features Storm forward Iziane Castro Marques and center Janell Burse is in the Czech League finals, squaring off against Gambrinus Brno. Brno is one of the most talented teams in Europe, having won the Euroleague Championship 68-54 over Samara earlier this month. Brno is led by Euroleague Final Four MVP Nykesha Sales and Washington Mystics forward DeLisha Milton-Jones. Brno has not lost in Czech League competition yet this season, going 18-0 in the regular season (including both Praha losses) and 5-0 thus far in the playoffs.
The best-of-five final series tips off tomorrow. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, Game 3 for Apr. 24. If necessary, Game 4 will be played on Apr. 26 and Game 5 on Apr. 29. That means Burse and Castro Marques will be at least a little late for Storm training camp. Root for a Praha sweep!
Opals Take Down U.S.
Posted on April 12
Congratulations are in order for
Lauren Jackson. The Storm forward helped her Australian Opals National Team to a 76-65 victory over the U.S. Women's Senior National Team in Wednesday's conclusion of the Opals World Challenge, the first Australia victory over the U.S. since 1999.
Jackson scored 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Opals, who outscored the U.S. women 42-3 from 3-point range, exposing a weakness of Coach 
Anne Donovan's squad. Jackson and Belinda Snell (20) were the only Australians to score double-figures. Forwards Candace Parker (26 points on 12-for-14 shooting, 10 boards) and Tina Thompson (20 points, 11 boards) led the U.S. squad.
Despite the fact that the U.S. women still emerged as the winners of the tournament by virtue of a more lopsided victory over the Opals last Saturday, the loss made a statement about how competitive Australia now is with the U.S.
"It's a reminder to everybody that the rest of the world is breathing down our necks and we have to play well to continue to stay ahead and we didn't do that tonight," said Donovan. "We didn't shoot the ball well, didn't have good defensive possessions. That combination against a team that's playing on their own floor is really a tough thing to beat."
Donovan had mixed emotions watching Jackson lead the Opals victory.
"That dawned on me once or twice in the game," she said. "It'll be nice to see her playing in Seattle again."
Jackson averaged 19.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games and was named MVP. She was also part of the five-player All-Opals World Challenge Team, joined by (L-R) Parker, Thompson, China's Miao Lijie and Chinese Taipei's Feng-Chun Chiang:
Parker, who just completed her redshirt freshman season at the University of Tennessee, averaged a team-high 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds during the Opals World Challenge.
With the U.S. squad's spring training sessions complete, Donovan will be heading to Seattle to prepare for training camp - which is, believe it or not, just 12 days away.
Seattle Times columnist Blaine Newnham has more on Donovan's preparation for the World Championship.
"I want to go from coaching in the WNBA Finals straight to coaching in the World Championships," she told Newnham.
Looking to find out more about the Storm's first-round Draft pick, UConn forward 
Barbara Turner? WNBA.com gets to know Turner and Washington Mystics selection Tamara James. I love Tuner's answer when asked which WNBA player she models her game after:
"Tamika Catchings," Turner said. "She is relentless. When you mention her name, you immediately think of the work ethic and how she has worked to develop her game. So I'd say I model my game after her because she gives 110% percent and is the face of the franchise."
Back Overseas
Posted on April 10
It was a brief stopover in the United States for the WNBA Draft for Anne Donovan, who rejoined the U.S. Women's Senior National Team in Australia for the Opals World Challenge last Friday. This is the last leg of the U.S. women's training schedule this spring in preparation for the World Championship this summer.
So far, the U.S. is 3-0 in the Opals World Challenge. Dawn Staley acted as the head coach for last Friday's win over China, with Donovan and Connecticut Coach Mike Thibault still in the U.S. because of the Draft. The short-handed U.S. women defeated China 85-77, getting 26 points from Tennessee forward Candace Parker, one of three collegians (including LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Ohio State's Jessica Davenport) with the U.S. team in Australia.
Saturday's game was a much-anticipated battle with the Opals that did not prove as competitive as anticipated. The U.S. women cruised to an 83-63 win. The U.S. had great balance, with nine players scoring at least five points, and Storm forward Lauren Jackson was held to 12 points on 3-for-8 shooting. Jackson has been battling the flu recently.
Earlier today, the U.S. handily defeated China 87-53. Parker was excellent again, finishing with 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds, while Tina Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Chinese shot just 19-for-62 from the field (32.4%).
Tomorrow, the U.S. women will take on Chinese Taipei before finishing up the Opals World Challenge with a rematch against Australia on Wednesday.
