The Seattle Storm�s draft day was a success, and Head Coach Brian Agler explains why:

What was your mindset going into this year�s draft?

We had a strategy going in that we�d been working on all offseason. Starting that day, we felt like we had a good idea of where and how the draft was going to go. We also had some dialogue with a couple of teams before the draft regarding trades, and a few hours before the draft started one (of our negotions) started getting legs, so we felt like our option there at (the seven spot) in regards to obtaining Crystal Langhorne was a no-brainer. We had a really big hole in our roster in the post and Crystal is an All-Star post player so we felt like we could take advantage of the opportunity.

In the trade for Crystal specifically, can you take me through the process?

There could be sort of a misconception of how this worked out�after Indiana selected, we knew this trade was going to go through if (Stefanie) Dolson was picked. So we waited until Indiana selected, but they went with Natasha Howard and Stefanie was still on the board. Then we knew the trade would happen for sure, but we had to wait for a couple of things to take place: Number one, we had to contact players, and number two, we had to make the pick for Washington. They weren�t just going to stop the draft and let this trade go through and start it up again. So the pick we made was never actually ours, it was for Washington. They asked us to pick Bria Hartley for them�and then we finalized the trade between the first and second round. But it was all planned!

So you and your staff had to act really fast and stay levelheaded to work this out in time�is there an adrenaline rush that comes with that?

There is. So much has to get done in a matter of six minutes. I think the public thinks we selected and then traded Bria Hartley sometime in the second round along with Tianna (Hawkins) to Washington, which is not how it played out. It was in play from the fifth pick on. In other drafts, sometimes they slow the time down for the trade to take place, but in our draft it doesn�t work that way.

What are you most looking forward to seeing from Crystal this year?

Well, we�re definitely her to be very productive for us and help our team get better. When I think about her style, I think about consistency, her durability, her field goal percentage, the way she finishes a layup, her ability to go up and get boards�she�s extended her range and is a lot more versatile than she was a few years ago, and she�s in her prime as a basketball player.

After that first round, the draft got a little less hectic. What do you like about Michelle Plouffe?

I watched Michelle play over the last two years and I really admired her game and her versatility. She�s got good experience playing at a very high level with college ball and the Canadian National team. She�s a great forward.

And in Mikaela Ruef, you also got a solid third-rounder.

There are some things I really like about her. She�s a good basketball player with intelligence and versatility, she�s an excellent passer, and she�ll run and work hard. And she�ll be a good fit with our culture.

Training camp starts on April 27th at Seattle Pacific University. Are you excited?

I feel pretty good. I�m really looking forward to camp so we can really see people go head to head, I think it�ll be really competitive. I�m anxious to get everybody back in Seattle as we keep putting this team together!