Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Sacramento
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Storm Gets Important Win
Final: Storm 68, Sacramento 53
While you don't want to put too much emphasis on any regular-season game, particularly with another one looming in about 22 hours, this one feels real good. The Storm really needed a win against Sacramento after losing the first two matchups at ARCO Arena, and got a convincing win. Even more critical was Sue Bird playing well after shooting a combined 3-for-14 in the first two games with Sacramento. Bird hit 7-for-13 tonight and scored a game-high 18 points. She was brilliant. Don't discount the contributions of rookie Barbara Turner in her first career start. Turner was simply superb when it came to entering the ball to the post, handing out a career-high seven assists. And, oh yeah, Lauren Jackson had a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Storm can't enjoy this too long, flying tomorrow morning to Los Angeles for the fourth game in six days. There's a chance to breathe after that, but the Storm is back at KeyArena on Saturday to play the Minnesota Lynx and rookie prodigy Seimone Augustus. Get your tickets now!
164 Seconds Left
Fourth Quarter: Storm 62, Sacramento 53
We've hit our final timeout of the evening with 2:44 left and the Storm still leading by nine. The Seattle offense has stalled, going scoreless over nearly four minutes, but Sacramento has put up just four points (all by Yolanda Griffith) in that span, so the Storm still leads by nine. One big reason is the Storm is doing a great job of being patient on offense, so there have only been five possessions in nearly four minutes. "Get it early or get it late" was the Sonics motto in 2004-05, and Anne Donovan is preaching something similar down the stretch. A bucket or two could finish Sacramento.
Time on Storm's Side
Fourth Quarter: Storm 59, Sacramento 49
As we go to one of our largest versions of "The Train" this season, with hundreds of (mostly) young fans following Doppler around the KeyArena floor, the Storm has the same lead as at the start of the fourth quarter. That's good news, because time is on the Storm's side, and now there's just 7:10 left in the game.
Lauren Jackson got a little less than two minutes of rest and now might go the rest of the night.
Storm Turns It On
End Third Quarter: Storm 52, Sacramento 42
It is difficult to play against the Monarchs white-line defense much better than the Storm has since the middle of the second quarter tonight. There was a timeout at the 7:30 mark of the second quarter. Then, the Storm was shooting 5-for-17 from the field (29.4%). Since then, Seattle has made 15 of 25 shots, a sizzling 60% clip that can't please Sacramento Coach John Whisenant. Betty Lennox is only shooting 4-for-10, but it feels like very shot and every rebound (just three) has been a huge one.
Lauren Jackson starts the final period on the bench, and it's critical the Storm maintain at least a six-point lead or so. Jackson's got about three minutes on the bench to keep her at her 30-minute limit, especially with the second game of a back-to-back coming up tomorrow in Los Angeles.
Monarchs Answer
Third Quarter: Storm 40, Sacramento 39
After the Storm took its largest lead of the evening, Sacramento responds by going on a 7-0 run. Since Lauren Jackson went out, back-to-back buckets by Yolanda Griffith, who is being defended by Tiffani Johnson. The Storm has to recapture the energy with Jackson and Barbara Turner on the bench.
Storm Off and Running
Third Quarter: Storm 40, Sacramento 32
Wonderful start to this second half by the Seattle Storm, coming out of the locker room with a 10-4 run. Lauren Jackson's fast-break layup off of her own steal forces John Whisenant to take a timeout - our only one of this quarter - with 7:36 left in the third. After scoring 21 points in the first 15 minutes of this game, the Storm has 19 in the last eight.
Women of Inspiration
Halftime: Storm 30, Sacramento 28
Great presentation during halftime as the Storm and D.A. Davidson honored five "Women of Inspiration" from the Seattle community: Trish Millines Dziko, Kathi Goertzen, Dr. Mary-Claire King, Karen Moyer and Mary Ellen Stone.
Click here to read more about these special women.
Storm Leads at the Half
Halftime: Storm 30, Sacramento 28
It certainly wasn't pretty, but the Seattle Storm takes a lead to the locker room despite shooting just 40.0% and being outrebounded 20-13. The Storm began to figure out the vaunted Monarchs white-line defense during the second quarter, but a big key was simply getting out in transition to beat the defense before it could set up. I think the Storm will also benefit in the second half from Barbara Turner settling down and playing solid basketball as she did in the second quarter.
The Key Finds Energy
Second Quarter: Storm 28, Sacramento 24
With the Storm on an 11-2 run, John Whisenant has to take a timeout. Suddenly, his team has scored just once in over four minutes. Barbara Turner has really livened up this crowd with her energy and joie de vie. After a gorgeous pass to Janell Burse under the bucket for a layup, Turner headed the other way doing a turn and reveling in her team's success. Man, is she fun to watch.
Storm Finds Energy
Second Quarter: Sacramento 24, Storm 24
I really love the energy the Storm brought out of the last timeout. Betty Lennox in particular has really gotten after it, forcing a couple of turnovers and getting on the glass (drawing blood from teammate Tiffani Johnson after one particularly aggressive board). The result is the Storm is on a mini-10-5 run to tie up this game. They were able to overcome Lauren Jackson briefly checking out to get a blow. Sacramento is now shooting just 29.0% from the field.
A couple of the people behind the documentary "The Heart of the Game" - filmmaker Ward Serrill and Roosevelt Coach Bill Resler - are in the house tonight. Storm.wnba.com spoke with Sue Bird and Betty Lennox about "The Heart of the Game" last week for a neat feature.
This is tangentially related - I mentioned in that story an ESPN feature on "The Heart of the Game" and the Storm, and it was written by LZ Granderson of ESPN the Magazine. While he was in town, Granderson practiced against the Storm with the mostly-male practice squad. This morning, he wrote a fine column about the experience.
ESPN2 Jinx?
Second Quarter: Sacramento 19, Storm 14
Long-time Storm fans can probably remember a handful of games where the national TV cameras were here and both teams struggled with their offense. Tonight, with ESPN2 and Dave Pasch and Anne Meyers on the call, we've got 29.4% shooting by the Storm and 33.3% shooting by Sacramento with six turnovers by Seattle. The Storm has yet to score during this second quarter of action as the Monarchs have built their lead to nine points, its largest mark.
Missing LJ
End First Quarter: Sacramento 17, Storm 14
Lauren Jackson has emerged as far and away the Storm's leader in net plus-minus. The Storm is 13.5 points better per 40 minutes with Jackson on the court; they are +5.9 per 40 with her on the court and get outscored by 7.7 points per 40 minutes when she is on the bench. No wonder the 30-minute restriction on Jackson has been so difficult for the Storm. With LJ out, Sacramento went on a 8-1 run to take the lead. Tiffani Johnson struggled for the Storm on the defensive glass. When Janell Burse picked up her second foul, Anne Donovan opted to go small with Barbara Turner at power forward.
Defensive-Minded Start
First Quarter: Storm 6, Sacramento 4
Not a lot of scoring in the early going here. Sacramento is 2-for-8 from the field with four turnovers, while the Storm is 3-for-7. Sacramento went about four minutes between scores, and the Storm put up just four points in that stretch. Barbara Turner showed some nerves in the early going, firing up the Storm's first four shots and committing a turnover. She did get the Storm on the board, but is now out with Iziane Castro Marques and Tanisha Wright in off the bench. Wright is playing with a heavy heart tonight after the recent death of someone close to her.
Turner Gets the Call
Pregame
For the first time since Janell Burse returned from a partially-torn shoulder labrum, the Seattle Storm will make a change to the starting lineup. Rookie Barbara Turner will move into the starting lineup for the Storm, replacing Iziane Castro Marques at small forward. Castro Marques has struggled recently, combining for just five points in her last three games. At the same time, Coach Anne Donovan is confident in Turner.
"Barb's as ready as she can possibly be," Donovan said in meting with media before the game, when she was still hedging on whether she would change her lineup or not.
Turner had 14 points the last time the Storm played the Monarchs on June 17, shooting 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. The Storm would love to get similar production from her again tonight.
Signing On
Pregame
The Sacramento Monarchs are at KeyArena tonight for the "Night of Champions," featuring a matchup between the last two WNBA Champions. The Storm has faced the Monarchs twice thus far, but both times at ARCO Arena. Anne Donovan and her team are excited to have a raucous KeyArena crowd behind them this time around. The Storm and Monarchs have staged some great battles over the years, so stay with us all night long for the latest.
