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Storm Watch: Sparks Fly

Storm-Sparks (AP)

By DragonGurlz staff

Jun 11, 2002

Keep up with the latest Seattle Storm developments here. Today, see photos from the Storm's 80-68 loss to the defending WNBA-champion Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks were without Lisa Leslie and Seattle's Lauren Jackson had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

The Sparks Fly

SEATTLE, June 18 - The Storm's Lauren Jackson,
right, hits teammate Amanda Lassiter in the face
while trying to stop the Sparks' Tamecka Dixon.
L.A. won the game 80-68. (Ralph Radford, AP)

SEATTLE, June 18 - The Storm's Felicia Ragland
takes on L.A.'s Nikki Teasley. (Ralph Radford, AP)

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Seeing Starzz

SALT LAKE CITY, June 15 - An original Storm, Sonja
Henning, plays her last game for Seattle during a
61-54 loss to Utah. Henning was traded to
Houston on Monday for forward Amanda Lassiter.
(Douglas C. Pizac, AP)

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Ragland to Riches

PHOENIX, June 14 - The Storm's Felicia Ragland
cuts off the Mercury's Susanna Bonfiglio during
Seattle's 90-82 victory. Ragland scored 19 points
in her first start for the Storm. (Roy Dabner, AP)

PHOENIX, June 14 - The Storm's Felicia
Ragland scores two. (Douglas C. Pizac, AP)

PHOENIX, June 14 - Seattle's Sue Bird, who scored
14 points, defends the Mercury's Adriana Moises.
(Roy Dabner, AP)

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All Fired Up

SEATTLE, June 11 - Sue Bird hardly can watch
the final seconds of the Storm's 70-63 loss to
Portland. (John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, June 11 - The Storm's Sonja Henning
outraces Portland's Sylvia Crawley for the ball.
(John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, June 11 - Kamila Vodichkova, left, and
Simone Edwards surround the Fire's Alisa Burras.
(John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, June 11 - The Storm's Kamila Vodichkova
tangles up Portland's Stacey Thomas.
(John Froschauer, AP)

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Sorry, Ms. Jackson

SEATTLE, June 9 - Lauren Jackson's return wasn't
enough for the Storm, who dropped a 71-68
decision to Utah. (John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, June 9 - Seattle's Semeka Randall
(21 points) went at it all night with Utah's Marie Ferdinand
(13 points). (John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, June 9 - The Storm's Kamila Vodichkova
(7) and Utah Starzz's Natalie Williams watch the ball sail
out. (John Froschauer, AP)

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Seeing Redd

SEATTLE, June 6 - Simone Edwards celebrates
the Storm's 65-59 victory over the Charlotte Sting.
Teammate Jamie Redd scored all 13 of her points
off the bench during the game's final 11 minutes.
(Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 6 - Sue Bird had 17 points and 7
assists for the Storm. (Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 6 - Charlotte's Dawn Staley (5)
tumbles backward as the Storm's Sonja Henning
gets a grip on the ball. Adia Barnes (32) looks on.
(Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 6 - The Storm's Adia Barnes puts
the clamps on Charlotte's Charlotte Smith.
(Elaine Thompson)

SEATTLE, June 6 - Seattle's Sue Bird and Sonja
Henning lock up Charlotte's Dawn Staley.
(Elaine Thompson)

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Working (It) Overtime

SEATTLE, June 4 - Sue Bird, center, jokes
with former Connecticut teammates and now
Minnesota Lynx players Tamika Williams, left,
and Svetlana Abrosimova. (Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 4 - Sue Bird then went about carving
up the Lynx and her former UConn mates with 27
points and seven assists during a 78-68 OT victory
for the Storm. (Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 4 - With Lauren Jackson still out with
an ankle injury, Kamila Vodichkova (No. 7) was
huge with a double-double and the go-ahead
bucket in overtime. (Elaine Thompson, AP)

SEATTLE, June 4 - Sue Bird's second career pro
victory is sweet. (Elaine Thompson, AP)

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Poignant in Portland

PORTLAND, June 2 - The Storm's Semeka Randall
scores two of her 11 points over the defense of
Portland's Stacey Thomas. (Don Ryan, AP).

PORTLAND, June 2 - Seattle's Sue Bird takes on
Portland's Jackie Stiles. (Don Ryan, AP).

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A Stormy Opener

SEATTLE, May 30 - Sue Bird had 18 points in her
WNBA debut, but it clearly was a frustrating
evening during the 78-61 loss to New York.
(John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, May 30 - Sue Bird finds some daylight
against New York's Crystal Robinson.
(John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, May 30 - The Liberty pressure made it
tough on the young Storm, including the
surrounded Felicia Ragland. (John Froschauer, AP)

SEATTLE, May 30 - Simone Edwards defends New
York's Crystal Robinson here, but the Storm's
interior defense was otherwise lacking.
(John Froschauer, AP)

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Twin Powers

The Storm's season will hinge on the development of
back-to-back No. 1 overall picks Lauren Jackson (left)
and Sue Bird (Elaine Thompson, AP)

Seattle Storm Roster 2002
#	Player	Pos	Ht	Birth	From	Exp
32	Adia Barnes	F	5-11	02/03/77	Arizona ‘98	2
10	Sue Bird	G	5-9	10/16/80	Connecticut ‘02	R
4	Simone Edwards	C	6-4	11/17/73	Iowa ‘97	2
34	Sonja Henning	G	5-7	10/04/69	Stanford ‘91	3
15	Lauren Jackson	C	6-5	05/11/81	Australia	1
41	Takesha Lewis	C	6-2	07/10/79	Louisiana Tech ‘02	R
3	Michelle Marciniak*	G	5-10	10/29/73	Tennessee ‘96	2
5	Danielle McCulley	F	6-3	01/18/75	W. Kentucky ‘98	1
14	Kate Paye	G	5-8	03/06/74	Stanford ‘95	2
33	Felicia Ragland	G	5-9	02/03/80	Oregon State ‘02	R
21	Semeka Randall	G	5-8	02/07/79	Tennessee ‘01	1
11	Jamie Redd*	G	6-1	11/05/77	Washington ‘99	2
7	Kamila Vodichkova	F/C	6-4	12/19/72	Czech Republic	2

* Injured List

Head Coach: Lin Dunn (Tennessee-Martin ’69)
Assistants: Carrie Graf (RMIT ’91 – Australia), Gary Kloppenburg (UC-San Diego ’81)
Basketball Operations: Missy Bequette (Missouri-Columbia ’85)
Head Athletic Trainer: Sheri Hedlund, A.T.C. (Ohio State ’83)
Individual Player Development: Chris Bown (Washington ’00)
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Daniel Shapiro (Seattle Pacific ’00)

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Bird, Ragland Stand out in Home Debut
SEATTLE, May 19, 2002 - It was only a preseason game, so it didn't matter much that Felicia Ragland's jumper from the lane banged off the rim as time expired.

Or that Coach Linn Dunn's timeout nullified Lauren Jackson's swish from the corner with eight seconds to play, set up by Sue Bird's control, penetration and court sense.

No, none of that meant as much as Ragland's 15 points and six rebounds and Sue Bird's trio of three-pointers, four assists and two steals.

The Storm's future took a big, hopeful step forward with the play of the playful rookie backcourt. Those two, attached to Aussie All-Star Jackson, plus an energetic defense that produced Ragland's last gasp, gives the franchise much to build upon.

Bird, like Jackson a No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, of course came with high expectations in tow. A day after attending her graduation at the University of Connecticut, she didn't disappoint, dropping all her bombs in the second half and tossing dimes for which her teammates were not always prepared.

The pleasant surprise has been Ragland, no stranger to Pac-10 fans who watched her lead the conference in scoring (19.9) and steals (2.47). The spindly former Oregon State standout has impressed the coaching staff with her defensive energy and ability to put the ball in the bucket. She and Bird give the Storm an electric, albeit inexperienced, backcourt.

In fact, the duo, as well as another Pac-10 contribution, Adia Barnes (Arizona), are providing such a strong combination of offense and defense that veteran stalwarts Sonja Henning and Michelle Marciniak are probably expendable. The Storm already have jettisoned one former mainstay, Charmin Smith.

Storm Box Score: Click Here

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