West Coach Up for Grabs

If you're anything like me - and I sincerely hope, for your sake, that you are not - you've been wondering how the WNBA would pick the coach of this year's Western Conference All-Star team. League rules dictate that it is the coach of the previous year's WNBA Finalist from the conference, but with Sacramento's John Whisenant stepping down to work solely as a GM, this year is different.

The WNBA announced today that this year's coach will be picked as the NBA does it - by best record in the conference at a date prior to the All-Star break, in this case July 1. So there's a little extra incentive for teams to get off to a good start.

Bird's MRI Negative

The results of the MRI on Sue Bird's left knee came back negative, and she's day-to-day. We'll know more Wednesday when the Storm returns to practice.

Good reading material this morning: a New York Times profile of Bill Laimbeer and the Shock.

Walker Out

When Sacramento forward DeMya Walker was carried off the court in a stretcher on Saturday night, it was pretty clear her season was over. An MRI conducted today confirmed that, revealing a torn patella tendon and a sprained MCL in her right knee. Walker's season is over.

This latest setback has got to be tough for Walker, who sprained a ligament in the same knee in 2005, missing 12 games of an All-Star campaign. She returned to help Sacramento to the WNBA Championship. Walker missed the early part of 2006 after giving birth.

The Monarchs have learned to play without Walker over the last few years, but she certainly will be missed. Depth has always been key for Sacramento, and this cuts into it. The Monarchs still have Rebekkah Brunson and Yolanda Griffith up front, backed up by Adrian Williams. Sacramento signed Linda Frolich as a free agent after the news, and Nicole Powell has the ability to play power forward if the Monarchs go with a slightly smaller lineup.

Sacramento still has plenty of talent, but in the competitive Western Conference, a small drop-off could be the difference between the playoffs and the lottery.

In the extreme short term, Brunson has a strained right shoulder which kept her out of Saturday's game. If Brunson is unable to play on Thursday against the Storm, that would leave Sacramento with Griffith and Williams as their primary frontcourt players.

Bird, Jackson Miss Storm's Practice

The Storm practiced Monday without All-Stars Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. Bird did go through some 5-on-0 dummy offense early in the practice, but was scheduled to sit out later. Instead, she went to the doctor when a spot opened up to have her left knee examined. She has experienced some swelling in the knee.

"She was limping," when she practiced, said Storm Head Coach Anne Donovan. Bird had previously sat out Sunday's practice because of a right quad contusion suffered late in Saturday's loss to San Antonio.

Jackson was at practice, but feeling under the weather.

"Don't know what it is, but she's not feeling well," said Donovan.

The Storm will have tomorrow off and will use Wednesday's practice to prepare for Thursday's game with Sacramento.

H-O-R-S-E Postponed

With Sue Bird still not 100% after leaving Saturday's game early with a right quad contusion, her H-O-R-S-E matchup with the P-I's Jim Moore, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed.

H-O-R-S-E Monday

In Thursday's column questioning coverage of the WNBA in Seattle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Jim Moore challenged Storm guard Sue Bird to a game of H-O-R-S-E. As Moore updates today, that matchup will take place after Monday's practice. Storm.wnba.com will, of course, have complete coverage.

Also: Tune in to New York Vinnie on 710 KIRO at 7:35 p.m. tonight to hear Izi Castro Marques in her first-ever live radio interview in Seattle!

LJ Gets Another Look at the Three

A significant portion of the part of practice the media watched this morning featured, again, Lauren Jackson playing small forward in a big Storm lineup. Clearly, Anne Donovan is interested in putting this lineup on the floor at some point. She didn't know when that opportunity might come.

Jackson at small forward obviously creates mismatches in the post, and it was interesting to see Donovan emphasize the importance of hard cuts and good picks away from the ball when Jackson screens for another post player, which would force a different mismatch.

After four practices in five days, the Storm is ready to get back on the court against an opponent. This mini-training camp allowed Donovan to work on many different things.

"We'll actually find out how much we got accomplished," she saisd, "when we take the floor."

Plenty of news around the WNBA today. In Washington, Richie Audbato has resigned with the Mystics off to an 0-4 start. Kudos to Alan Horton for noticing this makes Donovan (123) the active career WNBA wins leader. She's just 11 wins back of Audabto (134) for the second-most wins in WNBA history, though Michael Cooper (121) is close in the rear-view mirror.

"Tree" Rollins, in his second season on Aduabto's staff, will take over on an interim basis. Earlier this week, forward Crystal Robinson retired to join the coaching staff.

In Houston, Sheryl Swoopes will miss the next 2-4 weeks with a bulging disc in her lower back. There was plenty of talk that Swoopes was hurting, but it's a bit of a surprise that Swoopes will be out for an extended period. This should mean plenty of action for newly-signed Barbara Turner. For the Comets, however, it's not a great way to work out of an 0-3 start in the competitive West.