Storm Prepares for Detroit, H-O-R-S-E

The Storm took two of the last three days off with their first extended break from action in the last couple of weeks. The team was back on the court today, preparing to take on the league-leading Detroit Shock tomorrow night at KeyArena.

Donovan is expecting Detroit to have Cheryl Ford back in the lineup after she's missed two games - including the Shock's only loss - with a sprained left knee.

With the defending champs bringing almost everyone back (losing only center Ruth Riley, and adding Katie Feenstra and Pee Wee Johnson), nobody in the Storm camp was surprised Detroit was off to an 8-1 start.

For Storm guards Sue Bird and Betty Lennox, it was their first practice since Friday's win over Houston. They sat out on Sunday to rest. Bird is still dealing with swelling in her left knee, which is not serious enough to limit her during games but still needs occasional rest from practice. Lennox has nagging soreness in her right Achilles, but looked shocked when it was suggested that might have affect her availability for tomorrow's game. She's looking at changing her shoes to help alleviate any pain.

The real story today is the game of H-O-R-S-E scheduled for later today between Jim Moore of the Seattle P-I and Sue Bird. The Storm is currently in a meeting, allowing Jim a chance to warm up. He just missed an over-the-backboard attempt such that it landed on top of the backboard. Jim has actually made three of those attempts, however.

"I don't worry about Jim," said a confident Bird, while Coach Donovan said she "will absolutely watch."