Notebook: Cash On Her Way

The Storm is anticipating the arrival of forward Swin Cash on Wednesday after Cash's 10-week checkup with her doctor went well on Monday. Cash will undergo her physical tomorrow and then could begin working her way back into practice.

"She had a good report from the doctor and I think we're going to move forward," said Storm Head Coach Brian Agler. "There's no red flags. We anticipate her gradually getting back in the practice situation."

The Storm should also have Tanisha Wright back in camp by this weekend. Wright, whose final game in France was on Sunday, is traveling from Paris to her hometown of Pittsburgh and then to her offseason home in Charlotte. She's got some details to attend to there after purchasing a home. From there, Wright will make her way to Seattle. Because Wright is experienced in the Storm's system and coming off a long season in France, Agler doesn't mind her getting an extra couple of days off.

The players who are in camp focused on the defensive end during Tuesday's practice, the third of four the team will have before Thursday's preseason finale. They wrapped things up by going 5-on-5 against the male practice squad during the portion of practice open to the media, primarily working on offense but also testing their transition defense.

"By the end, when you guys get in," explained Agler, "that's trying to get some conditioning - get up and down the floor, incorporate the things that we've worked on."

Generally, Agler has split the team up into two squads - a black unit made up of veterans Sue Bird, Shannon Johnson, Katie Gearlds, Camille Little, Ashley Robinson and Janell Burse and a white team of rookies Mara Freshour, Aja Parham and Ashley Walker; newcomers La'Tangela Atkinson, A'Quonesia Franklin and Kasha Terry; and Kimberly Beck. Today, a variety of players from both teams worked together against the practice squad.

The format does make it a challenge to work everyone in.

"It's hard the way we like to run practice against the guys to keep everybody on the floor and those types of things," Agler said. "I like playing against the guys. As we move forward and our roster shrinks, we'll get a lot more reps for our key people and get more cardio."

- The starting lineup for the preseason opener figures to come from the group of veterans. Bird will not play in that game to rest and give other players Agler needs to evaluate more time on the court.

- Next week, the Storm will spend a day in Las Vegas scrimmaging behind closed doors with the Sacramento Monarchs and the Phoenix Mercury. The Monarchs, whose owners (the Maloof family) own the Palms where the teams will stay, have organized the event. For Agler, it's a chance to work against an unfamiliar opponent in a controlled setting - more than a typical practice, but less formal than a preseason game.


A'Quonesia Franklin attacks from a pick-and-roll. Aaron Last/Storm Photos


Sonics legend and Storm fan Slick Watts stopped by practice, chatting with Coach Agler after its conclusion. Aaron Last/Storm Photos