PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Betty Lennox 17.7 ppg, 20-38 fgs (52.6%), 4-8 3s, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg Lennox put together a very solid week, scoring double-figures in all three games and capping it off with a season-high 25 points Saturday against Phoenix. Lennox has found her shooting touch, particularly on pullups from midrange, and shot 50% or better in all three games. While Lennox’s output was lower against Sacramento on Friday, her scoring may have been more important as she led the team with 18 points.

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007

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Sacramento 24 19 19 16 78 at Storm 23 16 11 24 74 A furious comeback was not quite enough for the Storm Tuesday against Sacramento. Leading by four at halftime, the Monarchs went up as many as 13 early in the fourth quarter before the Storm answered with a 16-4 run to get within one. After a Ticha Penicheiro turnover, the Storm had a chance to tie in the final 30 seconds, but Sue Bird's jumper was off and Nicole Powell finished off a 28-point night and the Storm with four free throws. Lauren Jackson was brilliant for the Storm, posting 30 points and a season-high seven blocks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2007

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Storm 20 20 22 14 76 at Sacramento 18 17 21 26 82 The Storm completed a home-and-home series Friday in Sacramento. A hot start gave the Storm an early lead, but before halftime Seattle suffered a costly loss when Jackson strained her groin and left the game for good. The Storm took the lead into the fourth quarter, but struggled down the stretch. With the Storm committing three straight turnovers, the Monarchs went on a 9-0 run an went on to an 82-76 victory. Lennox scored a game-high 18 points, while Janell Burse recorded a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds).

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2007

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Phoenix 17 26 23 35 101 at Storm 40 21 20 30 111 The Storm closed out a stretch against the best in the West with the finest offensive performance in franchise history Saturday against Phoenix. The rim looked as large as a hula hoop in the first quarter as the Storm hit 11 straight shots at one point and shot 16-of-21 in the period, tying the WNBA record by scoring 40 points. Prodded by a Mercury team that set a record for points by a Storm opponent, rolling up 101. The Storm hit 111, blowing by the franchise record of 100 set in the other home meeting with Phoenix and tying the most by a WNBA team this season. Lennox (25), Jackson (23, 12 rebounds) and Iziane Castro Marques (22) all hit for 20-plus points and Bird added 18.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Iziane Castro Marques exploded for 22 points against the Mercury. Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE/Getty

THE WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday, August 7, 5:00 p.m. Storm at Minnesota (1150 AM KKNW) Thursday, August 9, 4:30 p.m. Storm at Detroit (1150 AM KKNW/NBA TV) Saturday, August 11, 7:00 p.m. Storm vs. Washington (FSN/1150 AM KKNW - ) Back to School Night

WEEKLY NEWS/NOTES

Saturday's win brought the Storm's magic number for clinching a playoff spot to two. Both Houston and Los Angeles have 18 losses and could at best go 16-18. The Storm owns tiebreakers with both teams and needs to reach 16 wins - or have both the Comets and the Sparks lose twice or some combination thereof - to clinch a fourth straight trip to the postseason. When Castro Marques, Jackson and Lennox all topped 20 points against Phoenix, it marked just the second time in franchise history three Storm players scored 20-plus points in a game. Bizarrely, the only other time came nearly exactly a year earlier - Aug. 5, 2006 against Charlotte.