Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Washington
Want to enjoy the electricity of at KeyArena even if you're thousands of miles away? storm.wnba.com's Live From Press Row in-game blog is your best bet. All night and all season long, Kevin Pelton will be bringing you pregame quotes, analysis and observations from the game. E-mail Kevin at web@stormbasketball. Make sure to keep coming back or refreshing so you get the latest content.
Three Straight Wins for Storm
Final: Storm 78, Washington 68
When the Washington Mystics made a run to cut the Storm's lead to 14 with about four minutes left, Brian Agler put his entire starting lineup back in the game to improve the level of play and ensure the win. A 5-0 surge did the trick, but Washington did manage to make the final margin a very respectable 10 points. Make no mistake, however; the Storm dominated this game, tying its largest lead after both a quarter and a half this season and leading by as many as 28 points. It was an extension of the great basketball the Storm has played in its last two wins, and the three-game winning streak ties the team's longest of th e season.
Five Storm players scored double-figures, and your leading scorer was reserve Janell Burse. She scored 14 points to tie her season high for the second straight game. Shannon Johnson added 10 off the bench in the second-highest-scoring game of 2009 for the Storm's reserves. Included were two points from Ashley Walker, and it was great to see the rookie back on the floor for five minutes.
The Storm homestand continues Thursday, when the Connecticut Sun comes to town. The Storm will be looking to even the season series after losing on Aug. 12 in Connecticut. It's Breast Health Awareness Night as we support research and go pink. 
Get your tickets now and join us for that game!
Storm Legends in Attendance
Fourth Quarter: Storm 68, Washington 48
We've got a couple of very special guest in attendance at courtside tonight - Storm legends Katrina Hibbert and Michelle Marciniak. It all started with Hibbert, the very first player to score a basket in Storm franchise history at Sacramento on May 31, 2000. The Aussie, who played her college ball at LSU, spent one season in Seattle and has starred in the Australian WNBL. Marciniak, who spent two seasons with the STorm and remains immensely popular here, was with us for our 10th Anniversary Celebration at the start of the month and has been back out the last two games.
Welcome Back, Ashley Walker
End Third Quarter: Storm 67, Washington 45
The best development of tonight's game is that Lauren Jackson has played just 16 minutes so far. A close second, however, has to be the return of rookie Ashley Walker. Walker checked in with 3:38 left in the third quarter for her first game action since July 1. Walker sat out 14 games because of a stress reaction in the sesamoid bone by her right big toe. She's suited up the last two games but has not gotten any action as she works her way back into game shape. This is a great chance for Walker to get some game minutes in a low-pressure situation. Already, she knocked down the first two free throws of her WNBA career. Walker has looked awfully good for someone who has not played in a game in more than a month and a half.
Timeout Mystics
Third Quarter: Storm 56, Washington 33
If things don't change soon, Washington Head Coach Julie Plank is in danger of running out of timeouts before the end of the third quarter. This is Plank's first visit to the Key as a head coach, and it is not going well. On the Storm side, Lauren Jackson gave the team a lift with her scoring after a slow start to the second half. Jackson will check out now, and her back continues to bother her. At each timeout, Storm Athletic trainer Tom Spencer is placing a hot pad on Jackson's back to try to keep it warm and loose. The lead should allow Jackson to get plenty of rest the remainder of the game.
The Mystics saw their start player leave the court with an injury after Alana Beard apparently rolled an ankle. She is standing at the enc of the bench right now, pacing back and forth. She may be trying to keep the joint from getting stiff before trying to return.
Celebrating Women's Sports Night
Halftime: Storm 47, Washington 24
Given the way the first half went, it's hard to argue that the Seattle Storm's players aren't the best female athletes in KeyArena tonight. However, there is plenty of competition this particular evening as the Storm celebrates women's sports. During halftime, we honored a variety of teams and individuals. The University of Washington's tennis, volleyball and National Champion softball squads are represented here, while new Seattle University Head Coach Joan Bonvicini was joined by her newest assistant - former Storm forward Kristen O'Neill. From the professional ranks, we had members of the Seattle Majestics and the Rat City Rollergirls. Then there were a number of Olympians, including Ginny Gilder of Force 10 Hoops L.L.C. Check out
a complete list of the female athletes in attendance here.
Before the game, fans had an opportunity to visit several different stations to get autographs from the female athletes, and it was a nice opportunity to interact with them. I noticed some of the Olympians showing off their medals for fans. The whole event has been a lot of fun, and I think the athletes enjoyed it as well.
Nothing to Dislike About Storm's First Half
Halftime: Storm 47, Washington 24
It would be hard to play a much better half of basketball than the Storm just did. Seattle's 23-point lead ties the team's largest at halftime in a game this season. The Storm shot 51.6 percent from the field, including seven three-pointers, while holding Washington to 31.0 percent accuracy. The most impressive aspect of the Storm's domination of this game might be the team's work on the glass. The Storm had 23 rebounds to 11 for Washington, including seven offensive boards. Brian Agler made a point yesterday of noting that the Mystics are very good on the glass, so the Storm has really paid attention to rebounding tonight.
The other key for the Storm has been the performance of the bench. Janell Burse and Shannon Johnson have each contributed eight points, with Burse keeping up her terrific play from Saturday against Indiana. With Lauren Jackson ailing, Burse is getting more court time, and she's making the most of it. Amongst the starters, Tanisha Wright has eight points and six assists, while Camille Little has five points and six rebounds.
Storm Slowing Down
Second Quarter: Storm 41, Washington 20
The Storm has been quiet since the timeout, going more than three minutes without a score. Fortunately, the defense has been strong enough to keep the Mystics from making up much ground as halftime approaches (1:59 away). The Storm's strong start has allowed Brian Agler to rest Lauren Jackson and the bad back she is nursing.
"She's just a little bit out of align," Agler said before the game. "She did a little bit in shootaround, did a little bit yesterday. We'll gauge it quarter-by-quarter."
Everyone Contributing for Storm
Second Quarter: Storm 41, Washington 17
The way the Storm has played tonight has allowed Brian Agler to open up his bench. Nine Storm players have already seen action, with rookie Ashley Walker the only active player not to see the court. Ashley Robinson gave the Storm some good minutes early in the second quarter, while Suzy Batkovic-Brown is on the floor now.
As for Walker, Brian Agler talked about her working back from injury before tonight's game.
"She's progressing," he said. "We keep her on the floor as much as we can in practice, and that's a lot because this time of year we like to rotate our players on and off the court. She's either playing with us or sometimes we put her with the guys we practice with to give her more reps."
Storm Onslaught Continues
Second Quarter: Storm 33, Washington 13
Make it a 12-0 run for the Storm, which came out of the break with consecutive Shannon Johnson three-pointers to extend the lead to 20 and draw a Julie Plank timeout. That's seven threes in eight attempts for the Storm, whose season high is 14 - and that took three overtimes against L.A. The Storm is playing with tremendous confidence, and right now it's coming without either Sue Bird or Lauren Jackson in the game. They're both resting to start the quarter, with Ashley Robinson getting an extended run.
During the break, a staring contest between a young fan and Doppler. Doppler is awfully tough to beat in a staring contest. It's like Doppler never blinks!
All Storm in the First
End First Quarter: Storm 27, Washington 13
Glancing through the Storm media notes, I believe the team's 14-point lead after one quarter ties the best first quarter of the season for the Storm, which led 34-20 at Phoenix on June 21. Obviously, the hot shooting was a big part of that. The Storm finished the first quarter with five three-pointers, and Tanisha Wright was the only starter not to make a three. However, the Storm's defense was equally outstanding, as the Mystics shot just 31.3 percent and had five turnovers. What really stood out was the Storm's energy. The team really had the upper hand when it came to loose balls and as moving well without the basketball on offense.
Individually, some impressive early efforts. Camille Little has five rebounds, which is more than Washington has as a team (four). Tanisha Wright handed out four assists with Sue Bird spending some time playing off the ball. Lastly, Lauren Jackson - score block and all - had three blocks, including a pair of highlight-reel swats of Lindsey Harding drives.
Storm Planting Trees
First Quarter: Storm 15, Washington 9
All season long, the Storm and Carter Subaru are partnering in the 3s for Trees program. Each Storm three-pointer is another tree that Carter will plant in the Mountains to Sound Greenway along I-90. In the early going, the Storm is doing its best to ensure those trees get planted. The Storm has knocked down three three-pointers in the first five minutes, part of a 15-9 start. The Storm has been sloppy at times, turning the ball over twice and four times overall, but has gotten open looks and shot 5-of-7 from the field. Camille Little had a long three-pointer, while usual suspects Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson have also hit from beyond the arc.
No LiveAccess Video
Pregame
My apologies for not catching this early today, but there is no LiveAccess video for tonight's Storm game because it is in the same broadcast window as the L.A.-Chicago matchup right now on ESPN2. We should have audio at some point, and I'll alert you when that is ready to go.
Signing On
Pregame
Welcome back to Storm Basketball. Tonight, the Storm hosts the Washington Mystics at KeyArena, looking to extend its winning streak to three games. It's the first meeting of the year for the Storm and Mystics; this is the last WNBA opponent the Storm has seen this season. Washington is much improved and would make the playoffs if the season ended today. Positioning is critical this time of year, so both teams will have no shortage of motivation tonight.
Live From Press Row Archive