Storm 2004 Roster Breakdown
Role: Starting point guard Skinny: Bird is still not 100% after undergoing off-season knee surgery, but that wasn't noticeable on Sunday when she scored 11 points and handed out six assists without committing a turnover against Phoenix. A healthy Bird should be able to score more than she did last season, but with all the Storm's offensive options, she may not need to, and there's a chance she breaks Ticha Penicheiro's strangle-hold on the WNBA assist title after finishing second last season. | |
Role: Starting shooting guard Skinny: Lennox's selection in the Dispersal Draft proved fortuitous when incumbent shooting guard Sandy Brondello decided to stay in Australia for the season. Like Brondello a year ago, Lennox has never allowed anyone else a chance at the starting two-guard position and has been outstanding in training camp, not so in games. If Lennox settles into her role as a complementary player, she could have her best season since winning Rookie of the Year in 2000. | |
Role: Starting small forward Skinny: Storm Coach Anne Donovan says she's been trying to get Sam, the fifth-leading scorer in major women's professional basketball history (counting both the ABL and the WNBA), since her ABL days. With good reason - Sam is a versatile player who can defend twos and threes, shoot from the perimeter, drive the lane, post up, and get on the boards. Sam never quite fit in with Minnesota and saw her field-goal percentage decline from 43.4% to 38.3%, a trend she hopes to reverse this season. | |
Role: Starting power forward Skinny: Can Jackson be even better than she was in her 2003 MVP campaign? Donovan says yes, and her opinion can't be ignored. Jackson was better on Sunday, when she scored 29 points in 26 minutes against Phoenix and generally looked unstoppable. Jackson is in maybe the best shape of her life, and continues to gain confidence all the time. The sky is the limit. | |
Role: Starting center Skinny: Vodichkova's value, always so clear to those close to the Storm, was crystallized when she missed the final six games of last season with a sprained left foot and the Storm went 2-4. The Storm was outscored when Vodichkova was on the bench last season. These facts are not coincidental. Vodichkova does all the little things well, and she's pretty good at the big things too, ranking third on the Storm in scoring and second in rebounding last season. | |
Role: Backup power forward/center Skinny: On some teams, Burse would be the top post-scoring option. The Storm has the luxury of bringing her off the bench in one of the WNBA's deepest frontcourts. Burse will back up both Jackson and Vodichkova and would step in for them if (knock on wood) they were to get injured. Playing reserve minutes and not having to worry about foul trouble should make Burse an aggressive defender and rebounder, and she's a quality scorer down low. | |
Role: Backup small forward Skinny: The torn ACL Barnes suffered last June came at a poor time, as she had established herself as a quality offensive player. Barnes was forced to spend the winter rehabbing instead of working on her shot, and her game has suffered as a result. No player should improve more during the season than Barnes, as she gets healthier and adjusts to the limitations her knee has imposed on her. Even now, Barnes should make strong contributions on the defensive end of the court. | |
Role: Backup point guard Skinny: Bevilaqua had some brilliant games last season in limited minutes, including 14 points in 12 minutes against Charlotte on Jul. 31 and five points and four steals in 12 minutes against the Sting in Charlotte on Jun. 30, but Donovan was disappointed in the consistency of her effort. As a result, Bevilaqua had to outlast several other point guards to reclaim her backup role in camp. Bevilaqua did it by outplaying all comers, averaging 5.0 points on 62.5% shooting during the preseason. | |
Role: Backup shooting guard Skinny: Greco arrived in Seattle on the second day of training camp with a reputation as a big-time scorer, but questions about her defense. She more than answered those during camp, getting after it on defense with a reckless abandon that resulted in a broken nose, the third of her playing career. Greco's play energized the team during preseason, and she's earned her way into minutes as Lennox's backup. Greco has also endeared herself to Storm fans; StormFans.org declared this week "Michelle Greco Week" after she officially made the team. | |
Role: Backup center Skinny: It was widely believed that Edwards' salary would keep her from making a Storm team tight up against the WNBA's salary cap. Thanks to some "creative" work, however, Donovan was able to make room for her. Edwards also earned her keep despite playing in just one preseason game and one practice before the Storm made its final cuts. In that game, on Sunday, she scored nine points and was active at both ends of the court. Edwards won't see a ton of minutes, but she's a capable backup if someone ahead of her goes out. | |
Role: Backup forward Skinny: Thompson, who goes by "Chelle" - a shortened version of Rachelle, her middle name - is a Donovan favorite dating back to their time together in Indiana in 2000. She's also a relentless rebounder despite her 6-1 height, and that skill in particular secured her position on the roster. Thompson will see spot minutes and can play either forward position, but a sprained ankle has her briefly out of commission. | |
Role: Injured list Skinny: Frierson starts the season on the injured list while continuing to rehabilitate after surgery on her left knee. Even when healthy, Frierson will have a tough time cracking the Storm's rotation, but she has the potential to develop into a contributor as soon as next season. |
