WEEKLY LEADERS
POINTS Jackson - 25.3 Bird - 15.0 Lennox - 8.7 Sam - 8.7 Vodichkova - 8.3 REBOUNDS Jackson - 6.0 Lennox - 4.7 Bird - 4.3 Sam - 3.7 Vodichkova - 3.3 ASSISTS Bird - 5.3 Lennox - 4.0 Sam - 3.0
storm.wnba.com PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Lauren Jackson 25.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.0 bpg, 1.7 spg, 63.2% fg, 22-26 fts, 6-6 threes In an outstanding season, Jackson might have had her best week. In leading the Storm to a 3-0 record, Jackson averaged 25.3 points per game to improve to a 20.8 average for the season, which now leads the league. Jackson did it with unusual efficiency even for her, scoring 76 points on just 38 shot attempts, getting to the free-throw line regularly and hitting all six of her three-point attempts. Jackson was especially versatile, leading the team in rebounding and combining for six assists, blocks and steals per game. Jackson dominated her head-to-head matchup with Mystics All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw on Saturday, holding Holdsclaw to 10 points while getting 33 of her own and blocking several of her shots, including Holdsclaw's attempt with 7.6 seconds left and the game tied that set up Sue Bird's game-winner. Not only did Jackson earn storm.wnba.com's Player of the Week honors, she received the same accolade from the WNBA. It's the first time this season Jackson has been Player of the Week after she tied a WNBA record with three selections last year.

Jul. 12-Jul. 18
Record for the week: 3-0
Overall Record: 13-7
Standing: 2nd, Western Conference

Monday, Jul. 12, 2004

San Antonio 33 26 59 at Storm 29 46 75

The San Antonio Silver Stars visit to KeyArena last Monday was the last of just three Storm-San Antonio matchups this season, and the end of the season series couldn't have come soon enough for the Silver Stars. The game was tight throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than four points, eight ties and 10 lead changes. The Storm trailed by four at the half, but quickly took command of the game with a 12-0 run to start the second half. While San Antonio failed to reclaim the lead, it kept things close and trailed by just seven points, 66-59, with 3:41 to play. After that, the Storm defense clamped down and did not allow another score the rest of the way. Kamila Vodichkova's three-point play put the Storm up 12 with just under two minutes left and effectively sealed the 75-59 win. Jackson led four Storm starters in double-figures (Betty Lennox also scored nine points) with 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Margo Dydek had 15 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio, which shot just 39.6% from the field and 1-for-11 from downtown.

Thursday, Jul. 15, 2004

Storm 29 37 66 at Sacramento 32 31 63

The Storm headed to Sacramento Thursday for a matinee affair at ARCO Arena (the Storm's own day game - always a great deal of fun - will be this Thursday at noon against Indiana). More because of the Monarchs aggressive perimeter defense than the early start, the Storm struggled with its execution in the first half after a hot shooting start, but still trailed by just three at the break. Sacramento led 40-34 with 14:42 to play when the Storm's defense clamped down again. The Monarchs scored just two points in over five minutes as the Storm went from down six to up four before Kara Lawson ended the slump with a three. The Storm continued building the lead with fine play at both ends of the court until it reached its apex of nine points on a Michelle Greco jumper at the 3:23 mark. Ruthie Bolton, who led the Monarchs off the bench with 14 points, kept them in it with several big shots, including an off-balance three to cut the lead to three with 42 seconds to play. Thereafter, the Storm hit seven of eight free throws, but still led by just three when Sacramento got the ball with three seconds left. Ticha Penicheiro had a look to send the game into overtime, but missed as the Storm pulled out a much-needed 66-63 win, snapping a three-game road losing streak. Six Storm players scored at least seven points, with Jackson again leading the way, scoring 18 points and hitting 9-of-11 free throws.

Saturday, Jul. 17, 2004

Washington 40 35 8 83 at Storm 31 44 10 85

The Storm hosted the Washington Mystics Saturday looking to avoid being swept in a season series for the first time this season after dropping a 72-69 loss to the Mystics the previous Wednesday in Washington. The Mystics dominated the first half as they did much of that game, taking a 16-point lead late in the first half to tie the Storm's largest deficit of the year (in Washington). A 7-0 run to end the half couldn't keep the Storm from facing its largest halftime deficit this season as well. The Storm made quick work of that deficit, opening the half with an 18-7 run. At that point, the Storm had scored 25 points in its last 4:39 of clock time. The Mystics recovered, however, and still led most of the second half. Washington was up five with 5:14 left, but a Jackson three-point play tied the score at the 3:01 mark. The teams traded baskets, leaving the game tied at 75 with 1:21 left. Neither team scored thereafter, with rookie Alana Beard missing on Washington's final possession of regulation. In overtime, the Mystics took a quick three-point play, but Sue Bird tied the game with a three. The teams traded baskets for the next three minutes, giving the Mystics possession and a chance to go ahead with 34 seconds left. Chamique Holdsclaw got the ball on a pick and roll and drove towards the free-throw line, where her jumper was blocked by Jackson. Bird recovered and raced the other direction, throwing up a layup over her head over Beard. The ball somehow found its way into the basket, and, after Chasity Melvin missed on the other end, the Storm had a thrilling 85-83 overtime win. Jackson had a season-high 33 points on 17-for-33 shooting, while Bird added 18, including six of the Storm's 10 overtime points. Beard led Washington with a career-high 18 points (subsequently topped at Sacramento Sunday), while Holdsclaw was held to 10 points on 5-for-19 shooting.

Weekly Happenings

Jackson called Bird's game-winner, "The most incredible shot I've ever seen in women's basketball." Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

Jackson for 2,000
With 14 points in the first half at Sacramento on Thursday, Jackson became the 27th player in WNBA history to score 2,000 points. As with most milestones she reaches, Jackson did it in record time, becoming far and away the youngest player to hit the 2,000 mark. Jackson reached it at 23 years, 65 days, and the previous youngest was Holdsclaw, who did it at 25 years, 295 days. Mwadi Mabika, Tangela Smith and Tina Thompson all reached 2,000 at age 26.

Jackson does have something of an unfair advantage because she entered the WNBA at the tender age of 20. That, however, makes it all the more remarkable that Jackson reached 2,000 points in the second-fewest number of games (109) in WNBA history. Only the incomparable Cynthia Cooper, who got to 2,000 in 90 games - averaging better than 22.2 points per game - needed fewer games than Jackson.

Jackson Takes the Lead
Not only did Jackson pass Holdsclaw to become the league's leading scorer with her 33 points on Saturday, her perfect 6-for-6 performance from beyond the three-point line boosted Jackson's three-point percentage to 47.4%, first in the WNBA and well ahead of Phoenix's Anna DeForge (45.4%) and New York's Elena Baranova (45.3%). Ignoring for the moment the fact that Baranova is also 6-5, Jackson's performance is relatively unprecedented given both her height and her leading role in the Storm's offense. Here are the WNBA's leading three-point shooters over the last seven seasons, with height and scoring average:

Year Player Team 3P% Height PPG 1997 Eva Nemcova CLE .435 6-3 13.7 1998 Eva Nemcova CLE .417 6-3 12.0 1999 Jennifer Azzi DET .517 5-8 10.8 2000 Korie Hlede UTA .431 5-9 10.1 2001 Jennifer Azzi UTA .514 5-8 8.6 2002 Kelly Miller CHA .471 5-9 6.6 2003 Becky Hammon NYL .469 5-6 14.7

While Jackson's 20.8 points per game are down from last year (21.2), she's actually ahead of last year's pace. Jackson averaged 20.6 points per game through her first 20 games last year before turning it up to 11 for the stretch run.

Working OT
Before Saturday's game, Washington and Seattle were the only WNBA teams not to have played an overtime game. The teams have an overtime history, however, combining to play four overtimes in the WNBA's longest game on July 3, 2001. The Storm is now 6-5 all-time in overtime games, snapping a three-game losing streak. Seattle last won in overtime on June 4, 2002 against Minnesota at KeyArena. Bird was also the star in that game, outscoring the Lynx 8-2 in overtime as part of a then-career-high 27-point effort.

Injury Report