Notebook: Light Workday for Storm

With a trip to Phoenix scheduled for the afternoon and only one day in between games, the Seattle Storm held a relatively light practice session Wednesday morning at The Furtado Center. During the portion of practice open to the media, the Storm's starters were on the sidelines watching reserves and players from the practice squad play 5-on-5.

"Real light day today," said Head Coach Brian Agler afterwards. "Want to keep them as fresh as possible. We've got two games coming up in three days and we're traveling on top of it. It was a very competitive game last night; some of these people put up big minutes. It would really defeat the purpose if we wore them out in practice. We've got a long season ahead of us."

Included in the group doing limited work was guard Sheryl Swoopes, who tweaked her ankle late in Tuesday's win over Sacramento. Agler said after the game that Swoopes asked to go back in after having the ankle retaped, but with the game in hand she stayed on the bench.

"She's doing fine," Agler said Wednesday. "She was out there moving around. I don't know if we had gone live if she'd have been able to go, but I think she's doing better."

The starting lineup Thursday in Phoenix will include forward Swin Cash, who came off the bench against the Monarchs but still played 28 minutes and tied for the team lead with 17 points. Agler reiterated after the game that he started Tanisha Wright in Cash's place simply because the team had been unable to prepare with Cash, who was not with the team for Monday's practice because of a death in her family.

- Reigning MVP Lauren Jackson offered some thoughts on the slow starts that have affected her (and the team as a whole) in the Storm's first two wins. Jackson has gotten going in the second half of both games, but is still shooting an atypical 37.5% from the field for the young season.

"For me at the moment, I'm just trying to get used to the play and figure out where I'm wanted or needed or whatever," she explained. "I think everybody's going to get opportunities to score and make shots and things like that. It's just a matter of thinking about when it's going to be. Maybe I'm overthinking it. It's a very, very good offensive system."

Agler Audio After Practice