Storm Waives Swoopes

The Storm's decision Saturday to waive guard Sheryl Swoopes came down to maintaining flexibility. Swoopes' contract called for her 2009 salary to become guaranteed if she was on the roster on Feb. 1, forcing the Storm to make a decision on her future in the midst of putting together a complicated free-agent puzzle with multiple moving pieces.

With Swoopes' salary on the cap, the Storm would have limited its options in addressing other needs in free agency.

"It was a very tough decision to release Sheryl," explained Storm Head Coach Brian Agler in a statement. "Our free agency priorities right now are to secure depth both at the post and point guard positions."

The Storm continues to negotiate to re-sign incumbent starting posts Lauren Jackson and Yolanda Griffith while also attempting to secure Janell Burse's return to the WNBA after she decided to sit out the 2008 season. The additional flexibility makes it possible for the Storm to retain all three players while also looking to add depth at the point-guard position behind All-Star Sue Bird.

Agler was appreciative of what Swoopes brought to the Storm during her season in Seattle.

"We were fortunate to be able to add Sheryl to our roster last year as her leadership and experience were a key part of our 22-win season. We are thankful for her contributions to the Storm on and off the court and wish her the best as she moves on to the next step in her career."

Swoopes, Doppler Ring Bells for Salvation Army

Storm Photos

Seattle Storm star Sheryl Swoopes and mascot Doppler donned Santa hats and headed to the downtown Nordstorm Tuesday afternoon for a good cause. Swoopes and Doppler joined other Seattle sports figures, media members and local celebrities as part of the Salvation Army's Celebrity Bell Ringing Day.

Working alongside the Mariner Moose, Doppler offered hugs to kids and plenty of smiles besides exhorting passers-by to donate. Swoopes was a hit even with the other bell-ringers when she arrived shortly later, chatting with Seahawks Head Coach Mike Holmgren and Hall of Famer Warren Moon (at right), amongst others, in addition with fans who wanted an autograph or just a chance to talk to the three-time WNBA MVP.

Despite the persistent seasonal Seattle rain, the event was a major success. Doppler, Swoopes and company raised a grand total of nearly $20,000 for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle holiday campaign. While it's too late to donate to Doppler and Swoopes, you can still do so at local retailers throughout the holiday season.


Storm Photos

Swoopes' Breakout Game

Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE/Getty Images

This was a game six months in the making. When the Seattle Storm signed Sheryl Swoopes in March, Head Coach Brian Agler was hoping for a performance like this. And when Swoopes decided to join the Storm and work to return from back surgery, it was with the big stage of the playoffs in mind.

It was a vintage effort on both ends of the floor from Swoopes in the Storm's 64-50 Game 2 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. She scored 16 points - one shy of her regular-season high - knocking down a pair of three-pointers, a bank effort and a trademark hit from NBA distance. At the other end, Swoopes reminded why she is one of the few players in the league who can take over a game defensively, playing the passing lanes and coming up with four of the Storm's 10 steals. She came up with deflections or played a part in turnovers on several more plays.

"For me personally, I would say definitely this was one of the games that I wanted to have all year long," Swoopes said afterwards. "To be able to come out and do it in the playoffs in a game like this obviously did a lot for me, but on top of that just for us to be able to walk out with the 'W,' that's the most important thing."

All season long, Swoopes has had to hear from the critics that she's too old at 37, that she's over the hill. Surely Swoopes is no longer the player she once was, but when you're one of two players in the history of the WNBA to win MVP three times, there's a lot of room to drop off and still be a very productive player. In the regular season, despite the occasional time she missed due to injury, Swoopes was still one of less than 50 players in the league I rated as worth at least two Wins Above Replacement Player.

The month since the Olympic break had been especially frustrating for Swoopes. An extremely painful heel injury cost her a game and a half. Just when Swoopes seemed to be getting going again, she suffered the freak concussion that finished her regular season.

Swoopes responded to every setback by redoubling her hard work. Fans saw Swoopes' play on the court, but what few people realize is the extent of her dedication and hard work throughout the season. Swoopes spent hours before and after practice working on her game with the Storm coaching staff, putting up shots and getting in the kind of intense workouts that prepared her to play. Swoopes was motivated in no small part by the desire to, as she put it, not "be just another body on the floor." Don't underestimate Swoopes' pride.

That some pride came into play going into this playoffs when Swoopes, watching at home during the Storm's nationally-televised regular-season finale in L.A., heard ESPN2's analysts question the team's ability to win in the postseason without Lauren Jackson. More than anyone else on the Storm, Swoopes seemed to take that criticism personally and channel it into her performance.

"Especially when we went down the first game, a lot of people counted us out," she reiterated today. "Even though we were playing at home, I don't think a lot of people thought we could win this game."

Swoopes' performance was one of the biggest reasons the Storm silenced any critics. She came out strong, and so did the team.

"Tanisha (Wright) said to me before the game started, 'Sheryl, you have to be aggressive, you have to attack,'" Swoopes recalled. "She said the energy I had to start the game was kind of contagious and everybody else felt that.

"It doesn't matter whether I'm scoring points or not - I feel like my leadership on the floor and getting out and being aggressive defensively and talking and trying to lead the team, I feel like that's why I was brought here. If I'm putting points on the board, then that's just a little extra."

Swoopes' experience will again be critical going into Tuesday's winner-take-all Game 3 (6:00 p.m., ESPN2, 1150 AM KKNW, TIX). She's been here countless times before, and I thought she struck the perfect note when she was asked by reporters whether she is confident about the game.

"Why not?" she responded. "L.A., again, they are a very good team. At the same time, I think every single player in this locker room feels like we have everything we need in order to beat them.

"Not only do we have to bring what we brought today, we're going to have to bring a lot more. But I think we have what it takes to get it done."

If Swoopes comes up with another big effort, like the triple-double (the first ever in the WNBA Playoffs) she unleashed on an unsuspecting Storm squad in Game 3 in the first round three years ago, it will be no surprise. Still, it might be tough to top today's game. There have been any number of highlight performances in Swoopes' playoff career, but I can't help but suspect that because of all the extenuating circumstances this one might have been as satisfying as almost any she's played.

"I couldn't ask for a better situation or a better game than what I personally had today," she said. "Hopefully I can bring that and a lot more on Tuesday, because we're definitely going to need it."

Swoopes Q&A/Update

I had a chance to chat with Sheryl Swoopes this morning at the Storm's shootaround in her first interview since Saturday's scary fall left her with a concussion. Swoopes made it clear she really felt great about the support shown by fans after her injury, saying, "We definitely feel the love." She's also feeling better and looking forward to getting back on the court in the near future.

Storm.wnba.com: How are you feeling?
Swoopes: I'm alright. That's all I can say. I'm just alright. I feel a lot better than I felt a few nights ago, a lot better than three or four nights ago or whatever it was.

Do you remember the play at all?
The only thing I remember was getting hit in the head and waking up in the hospital. I don't remember anything between that time.

What kind of progress have you made?
I guess the good thing is I've actually been able to function a little bit without taking all the drugs and medications they have me on, so that's a pretty good sign. I guess the telltale sign will be when I'm able to get back on the floor and start doing some running and sweating and yelling and screaming and really get back in the flow of it. My focus right now is just to get better from that. Obviously taking time off has helped my foot a lot. Next week's a big week for us, so I want to do everything that I can do individually and personally to be as healthy as I can come playoff time next week. If that means not playing tonight, not playing Sunday and getting ready for our first playoff game, that's what I'll do.

Is the plan still to get on the court a little this weekend?
I hope so. It's a lot different just sitting and watching and walking around and then getting on the floor and running and playing a sweating a little bit. The doctors have put me on some medication that hopefully will help a lot of that. To me, it's important to get back out on the floor so that I can come back come playoff time. I don't want to come back our first game and start playing not having done anything on the court prior to that. Just talking to Tom, that's kind of what our plan is, to try to get on the bike a little bit tomorrow and slowly start progressing where I'm able to get out and start going 5-on-5 again.

Do you have a sense of the concern for your condition in the arena?
I don't know where I got hit, I don't know who did it. I just know what people have told me. Just from talking to Scottie and Jordan, they were telling me how quiet the entire arena was. Everybody was very concerned. It will make me feel good to be able to come out tonight for the game and it's fan appreciation night and really show fans how much I appreciate their care and their concern. Obviously it is, it's a very scary moment. Thankfully it was nothing serious - nothing torn, nothing broken, anything like that. It's nothing that I can't deal with and be able to come back when the time is right for me to come back. I'm just looking forward to getting back out on the floor with my teammates. I don't like being out on the side - not at all.

Swoopes Out Tomorrow, Return Uncertain

Sheryl Swoopes is out of the hospital and resting at home, but did not join the Seattle Storm when the team traveled to Sacramento this afternoon for tomorrow's matchup with the Monarchs (7:00 p.m., 1150 AM KKNW).

"Tests were all negative," said Storm Head Coach Brian Agler, "so she's just going to be home resting here. She'll have another doctor's appointment tomorrow and then we'll have a better idea of what timetable we're talking about."

Swoopes suffered a concussion when she took an elbow to the head from Minnesota's Candice Wiggins during Saturday's Storm win over the Lynx. Because Swoopes was knocked unconscious by the blow, medical staff took extra precaution, taking Swoopes off on a stretcher.

Though the timetable for Swoopes' return is uncertain, Agler is anticipating being without her for a while.

"I kind of think she'll be out for the rest of the regular season," he said.

Swoopes had been coming off the bench because of a painful sore right heel. In her absence, however, the Storm is thin at guard. Katie Gearlds, who has primarily played both forward spots this season, saw time at shooting guard during the Storm's road trip when Swoopes left one game early and missed another entirely because of the heel.

- The Storm has an opportunity to sweep the season against Sacramento with a win. The two teams could end up playing in the first round of the playoffs, but Agler downplayed regular-season results being a factor. His main concern at this point is seeding.

"It's just a matter right now of trying to get first place in the Western Conference," Agler said. "We need one more win to secure second and we need to try to find a way to get ahead of San Antonio, so every game is very important."

- Storm center Yolanda Griffith is making her third trip back to Sacramento this season (including one during the preseason) after playing nine years with the Monarchs. At this point, going back isn't a big deal outside of the fact that she still makes her home in Sacramento.

"It's just basically going to see my family, spending time with my family," Griffith said. "I'm going home to get me a home-cooked meal and when the game comes, I'm going to be ready for the game."

Swoopes Battles Sore Left Knee

Storm guard Sheryl Swoopes came off the bench during Tuesday's win at Sacramento, the first time this season she has not been in the starting lineup. After injuring her right knee in practice last week, Swoopes has been dealing lately with swelling and soreness in the other knee.

"It feels a little better, but it's bothering me," Swoopes said after working out Wednesday following practice. "It's just one of those things. I tried to warm up and it wasn't feeling very good. If I can't go out there and give 100 percent where I feel like I'm going to help the team, it's better for me to sit and be the best cheerleader I can be - which is what I kind of had to do last night. Taking yesterday off and coming back and doing a little bit of stuff today, it feels better than it's felt in a couple of days. Hopefully I'll be able to go tomorrow."

There's no structural damage to Swoopes' knee. Her suspicion is that it's simply fatigued a little over halfway through the season. Only playing 10 minutes against the Monarchs should help, and after Saturday's game the Storm will have five days off. Swoopes will get far more rest when the WNBA breaks for the Olympics at the end of the month.

"I said the other day that the break can't get here soon enough for me personally," she said. "I think it's tired and to be able to take a couple of days off is probably what my whole body needs."

Tanisha Wright stepped in to make her third start of the season, each in place of a different player. Wright had 11 points, a season-high six assists and five rebounds in a season-long 34-minute outing. She was one of five Storm players to score double-figures.

"She's played exceptionally well this season," said Swoopes, "regardless of whether she's starting or coming off the bench, how many minutes she's playing. Offensively and defensively, she's played really well. It's not like I felt like we were losing anything with her starting."

While Storm Head Coach Brian Agler would prefer to have Swoopes available, he's comfortable going with Wright if Swoopes is unable to play Thursday when the Storm hosts Phoenix on Kids Day (12:00 p.m., 1150 AM KKNW, TIX).

"If (Sheryl's) able to go, then she'll start," said Agler. "If not, we'll go with Tanisha."

Tomorrow's Noon start will present a change from the Storm's usual routine.

"I think they're good for the league," Agler said of kids days around the WNBA. "You get a different demographic - I'm sure we'll have a lot of kids in there tomorrow and exposed maybe to their first WNBA game. That's good. I think it's good from a player and coach standpoint that you don't have to sit around all day worrying about the game. It just hits you right off the bat. It's different and you're always concerned about how you prepare."

That's the downside for the Storm, which got to The Furtado Center at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon after flying in from Sacramento. That left time only for some film and a walkthrough. The early start means no opportunity for a pregame shootaround.

"If we didn't play yesterday and had yesterday and today (to practice) and then played at Noon on Thursday," said Agler, "that would be great."

Swoopes Interview

Check out SlamOnline.com's interview with Sheryl Swoopes, in which Swoopes touches on coming back from her back injury, her future and the fact that she's not ready yet to begin that post-playing future.

“Sitting here, talking to you today and being able to just move and do things and not hurt, oh my gosh, I feel so good. I can’t sit here and say, ‘Yeah, next year I see myself coaching or in a front office.’ I don’t know that because I feel really good right now and I just want to continue to work hard, get better and take it one day at a time. Just kind of wait and see what happens.

“Let me just say this. If everything goes well and, God willing, this is definitely where I want to come back and play next year.”

Swoopes Day-to-Day

Good news from Storm practice today, as Sheryl Swoopes was able to shoot around after practice wearing a brace on her right knee. Yesterday's tests, including an X-Ray and an MRI, came out negative. Swoopes is dealing with some soreness in the knee and remains day-to-day, but hopes to play tomorrow when the Storm hosts New York (7:00 p.m., 1150 AM KKNW, TIX).

Look for more details later this afternoon in our full story.

Swoopes Leaves Practice Early

The Storm finished practice today without guard Sheryl Swoopes, who left early after suffering a knee injury.

"Don't know yet," said Brian Agler after practice, asked about Swoopes' status. "Tweaked her knee.

"I didn't really see what happened. It was away from the ball. I think she was planting and cutting. I asked (Athletic Trainer) Tom (Spencer) if it was a contact-type thing, and it wasn't a contact type of injury. She didn't run into anybody or hit anybody. So we're just sort of waiting to hear back."

Notebook: Swoopes Back on the Court

When she went down to the ground with an injury early in Friday's Storm exhibition at Sacramento, Sheryl Swoopes probably could not have imagined that she would be back out on the practice court three days later. However, Monday marked her return to the court after being limited to conditioning work during Sunday's Storm practice. Swoopes went through all the team's drills during the portion of the practice open to the media and showed no sign of being limited.

"I think our main focus was not to try to push it and do too much," Swoopes said after practice. "The good thing is it's not my shoulder, so I felt much better about that. I have a little pain in my neck, but my focus right now is to come out and do as much as I can possibly do because I don't want to lose what I've gained the past three weeks. As practice went on, I started feeling much better. Overall, I would say I probably feel about 85 percent right now."

When Swoopes first was injured, doctors feared a possible dislocated shoulder.

"Initially when it happened I had a really bad pain in my shoulder," said Swoopes. "They initially had said that it was my shoulder and thought that it was my shoulder. Obviously, I was concerned with that.

"I was probably more frustrated than anything, because I felt like I was just getting to a point where I was close to 100 percent and I was comfortable and I was confident and my body was feeling good - didn't have any aches and pains - and then that happened."

Further examination revealed no damage to Swoopes' shoulder, and she woke up Saturday morning feeling much better. Ultimately, Swoopes was diagnosed with a strained neck, allowing her to accelerate her return to the court.

"I think as the day went on she loosened up, got moving up and down the floor," added Storm Head Coach Brian Agler. "She was looking real good Friday before she was injured, so I'm hoping we can get back to that point some time this week, which I think we will."

- Agler said the Storm is expecting guard Tanisha Wright to arrive in camp on Thursday. Wright wrapped up postseason play in Israel last week, but her team delayed her final payment.

Agler Audio After Practice

Swoopes Update

After further examination, Storm forward Sheryl Swoopes has been diagnosed with a strained neck. She is listed as day-to-day.

Swoopes Odds and Ends

Observation No. 1 from this afternoon's press conference introducing Sheryl Swoopes to the Seattle media: I walked away feeling like I had enough material for at least two or three features, though alas time for only one. Surely we'll get to the rest over the next few months, but for now the odds and ends go to the blog.

Observation No. 2: Not sure if anyone else remembers "The Chris Farley Show" from Saturday Night Live, where the late Farley stumbled his way through fawning interviews, but I felt a little like that before interviewing Swoopes and Brian Agler in the latter's office just before the press conference began.

Me: Hey Sheryl, remember that time you had the first triple-double in WNBA history?
Swoopes: Yeah, I do.
Me: That was awesome!

I mean, come on, it's Sheryl Swoopes. Not that we've lacked for elite talent with the Storm; far from it, even this off-season with the addition of Swin Cash. Still, you look at what Swoopes has accomplished in her career and it's simply remarkable.

On a more serious note, here's some quick video of the press conference shot by my boss:



And here's Swoopes showing off her new jersey:



To the notes:

- It's incredibly rare to have two multiple-time MVPs as teammates. Swoopes actually has been involved in the other such pairing in WNBA history, playing with Cynthia Cooper in Houston. To get a sense of the historic natue of the pairing of Swoopes and Lauren Jackson, I looked at other sports.

I found only one set of multiple-MVP NBA teammates, Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Same with the NFL, which is less surprising because quarterbacks so frequently win MVP. So Joe Montana and Steve Young were teammates in San Francisco, but obviously they never played together.

With one MVP in each league and more multiple-MVP winners, baseball has the most sets of teammates. I found five, but I can't be certain my list is exhaustive. Joe DiMaggio was part of a pair of sets, overlapping at the start of his career with Lou Gehrig and at the end of it with Mickey Mantle. Mantle played in the same outfield with Roger Maris. Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan played together for the Big Red Machine and Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams were teammates for the Red Sox.

- Storm COO Karen Bryant and Agler are headed to Russia next week to see Jackson and Sue Bird and take in the Euroleague All-Star Game. The trip will give the Storm a chance to negotiate with Bird, one of the team's two core players (Janell Burse is the other). That guarantees Bird a one-year contract at the max salary, but there is the potential for the two sides to come to agreement on a long-term deal.

- Swoopes said she is still in the process of making a decision on whether or not to play for the U.S. Senior Women's National Team in this summer's Beijing Olympics.

"My number one focus is to come back to the WNBA and be the best player that I know I can be," she said. "If the National Team thing happens, then I'll do that, but that's not my focus."

- Can't remember where I had read it, but Agler confirmed that the new WNBA CBA has loosened the restrictions around training-camp contracts. You'll remember last year that the Storm carried few players in camp in large part because of the fear that a camp invitee would be injured and count against the team's salary cap, a problem with the WNBA's hard cap. The new system allows more flexibility, so look for larger camp rosters.