WEEKLY LEADERS
POINTS Bird - 18.5 Burse - 18.0 Jackson - 18.0 Lennox - 13.5 Castro - 5.5 REBOUNDS Jackson - 14.5 Burse - 8.0 Lennox - 6.5 Bird - 2.5 Castro/ Thompson - 2.0 ASSISTS Bird - 6.5 Jackson - 1.5 Lennox/ Thompson - 1.5
storm.wnba.com PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Janell Burse 18.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 bpg, 13-20 fgs, 10-15 fts After another 2-0 week, no shortage of Player of the Week options. But with apologies to Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson (who was the WNBA's Player of the Week), there's no choice but Burse, who in consecutive games first tied her career high with 21 points and then recorded the second double-double of her WNBA career and her first in a Storm uniform. With defenses double- and triple-teaming Jackson, Burse made them pay with 65% shooting from the field. She also did a fine job of crashing the boards, hitting double-digits rebounds on Saturday for the second time all season.

May 30-June 5 Record for the week: 2-0 Overall Record: 4-1 Standing: tie 1st, Western Conference

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Kevin Pelton, storm.wnba.com

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June 2, 2005 - Recap | Box | Quotes/Notes | Photo Gallery

Storm 39 39 78 at Phoenix 34 33 67

The Storm hit the road for the first time in 2005 to take on the Mercury in Phoenix. The Storm got off to a fast start, leading 10-3, but Phoenix went up by six with an 11-2 run when Bird hit the bench for a quick breather. With Bird back on the court, the Storm finished the first half with a 16-5 run to take the lead to the locker room. Phoenix would never get closer than four in the second half, and the Storm cruised to a 78-67 victory. Burse was the hero, tying her career high with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, but the Storm also got 17 points - 15 in the second half - from Bird, a double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds) from Jackson, 16 points and six boards from Betty Lennox and great defense from Iziane Castro Marques. After scoring 15 points in the first half, Diana Taurasi was limited by Castro Marques to 12 on 3-for-10 shooting after halftime. Taurasi was the only Phoenix player in double-figures as the Mercury shot 35.3% as a team.

June 4, 2005 - Recap | Box | Quotes/Notes | Press Row

Indiana 30 47 77 at Storm 35 48 83

The Storm returned home Saturday to take on the 4-1 Fever. Again, Seattle got off to a quick start, leading 10-2 and 15-4. But Indiana did not panic, walking the lead down to five points by halftime. It helped that, just before the half, Lennox went down with a back contusion. The game was tied at 43 when Lennox surprised KeyArena by returning to the game. The Storm responded with a 25-11 run to take their largest lead of the game, 14 points, with 5:43 to go. Indiana showed no quit, getting three 3-pointers by rookie Tan White (who scored a career-high 26 points) in the last two minutes to pull as close as five, but the Storm hung on for an 83-77 win. Seattle set franchise records for free throws made (31) and attempted (37), making 18 straight during the second half. Jackson led the Storm with 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, all season highs, while Burse (15 points, 10 boards) also had a double-double. Bird scored a season-high 20 points and tied her season high with seven assists.

Weekly Happenings

Betty Lennox averaged 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds despite suffering a back contusion against Indiana. Visit the new Photo Galleries page for more Storm photos. Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty

LJ POW
For the sixth time in her stellar career, Jackson earned WNBA Player of the Week honors after recording double-doubles in both games last week. It's Jackson's sixth selection as Player of the Week after she earned the honor three times during her MVP 2003 season and twice last year. Only Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie has won more Player of the Week awards. Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes (who won last week) have matched Jackson with six Player of the Week awards.

Jackson has dominated Player of the Week awards dating back to the start of the 2003 season. Since then, only Detroit's Swin Cash (four) can claim having won more than half as many as times as Jackson.

Player of the Week data courtesy Pilight.

Batkovic Arrives
The Storm roster got to full strength Friday when rookie center Suzy Batkovic, the Storm's 2003 second-round pick who only signed with the team this season, arrived in Seattle. Batkovic watched Saturday's game from the bench and will be activated before the Storm heads East for a four-game road trip next week. The 6-4 Batkovic is expected to eventually move into the rotation as a backup up front for Burse and Jackson. Earlier in the week, the Storm made a roster move, placing rookie forward Ashley Battle on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement and activating forward Natalia Vodopyanova.

Ring Time For Bevilaqua
Former Storm guard Tully Bevilaqua returned to Seattle with the Fever on Saturday, though she was unable to play after going on the injured list with a bone bruise in her left knee. That didn't diminish the love Bevilaqua got from Storm fans and staff, as she dispensed hugs before and after the game. Bevilaqua was also presented with her 2004 Storm Championship ring in a pre-game ceremony by Storm Coach Anne Donovan and COO Karen Bryant.

Around the Web

There's an Aussie slant to the Seattle Times' Percy Allen's Sunday notebook - discussions of Batkovic's friendship with Jackson and Bevilaqua's return to Seattle.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer looks at how Jackson dominates the WNBA.

Wendy Carpenter of The News Tribune writes about Burse's breakout game.

Bird was featured in this week's edition of Sports Illustrated's First Person.

The Week Ahead

Tue, June 7 Connecticut Sun 5:00 p.m. Mohegan Sun Arena KJR 950 AM and ESPN2 Wed, June 8 Detroit Shock 4:30 p.m. The Palace of Auburn Hills KJR 950 AM Fri, June 10 Washington Mystics 4:00 p.m. MCI Center KJR 950 AM Sun, June 12 Charlotte Sting 1:00 p.m. Charlotte Coliseum KJR 950 AM and FSN

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