Roster Battles Begin to Take Shape

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Kevin Pelton, storm.wnba.com | April 24, 2006
With the Seattle Storm's starting lineup of guards Sue Bird and Betty Lennox, forwards Iziane Castro Marques and Lauren Jackson and center Janell Burse relatively set, the most interesting battles as 2006 training camp gets underway will be for spots on the team's final roster.

In addition to the starting five, top reserves Tanisha Wright and Wendy Palmer are also penciled in to the rotation. And while she faces competition to back up Castro Marques at small forward, first-round pick Barbara Turner will likely make the final roster. That leaves nine players, including the Storm's six training-camp invitees, battling for three or more likely four spots on the Storm's final roster.


Lindsey Yamasaki is one of six players invited to training camp by the Storm.
Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty
"With the salary cap, it [the roster] could go to 12, as it could have last year - but only if I feel like 12 are going to play and/or develop down the road into players that can help us," said Storm Coach Anne Donovan at Media Day. "Right now, when I look on paper, I think potentially 12. But last year I thought 12 as well and we ended up with 11. So it really does depend on how competitive we are."

The most important battle will likely be at point guard, where the Storm must find a new backup for Bird after losing Francesca Zara to Chicago in the Expansion Draft. The Storm drafted Texas Tech guard Erin Grant in the third round of this month's Draft, and signed free agents Leah Metcalf and Toccara Williams. However, the competition was dealt a blow when Williams decided last week that she will not attend camp with the Storm.

"I was disappointed in her decision not to come to camp," said Donovan. "(She was) somebody that I saw on another roster that I had always liked her game, thought she had the skill to be in this league. So many times with these players, it's just about the fit, where you end up, whether you're successful or whether you don't have a job.

"I think it really would have helped us. It gave us complete comfort that we had three point guards and we were going to be able to choose from those three point guards. Now it puts the heat on Leah and Erin. We'll be putting Tanisha and Shaun Gortman at point guard some in camp just to have some versatility there. But we will be looking at what players get released and if there's some other possibilities out there."

A year ago, Zara came into camp late after finishing her season in Italy to beat out Shaquala Williams for the backup point guard spot. While the Storm is unlikely to go overseas this year, a similar scenario could play out depending on what happens in other training camps.

Another good competition is up front, where five players - Storm original Simone Edwards, second-round pick Dalila Eshe and invitees Jordan Adams, Tiffani Johnson and Lindsay Taylor - are battling for what will likely be two spots on the roster.

"We've got three post players set - we've got Wendy, Janell and Lauren set," Donovan said. "The rest of that's wide open. Simone, Tiffani Johnson, Dalila Eshe, (Lindsey) Yamasaki can slide in there, Adams. We've got two more post players I'd like to see come out of that group."

While the Storm has some flexibility in terms of the salary cap, the fact that Edwards and Johnson are veterans under the WNBA's salary structure, while the other players have not yet attained the four years of experience necessary to be classified veterans, could come into play. Donovan hinted that Edwards and Johnson are probably in competition with each other.

Gortman and Yamasaki have been invited to camp at the wing positions. In particular, Donovan raved about Gortman's athleticism and defensive ability.

"We talked about trading for her at one point of her career in Minnesota," said Donovan. "Very athletic, versatile, so she can play a number of different spots for us. She excites me."

A positive about the players the Storm has invited to camp is that while only Johnson is a veteran from a salary-cap perspective, all but Metcalf has WNBA experience, including three years for Gortman and two years for Yamasaki.

24 (Seconds)

One of the more interesting aspects of the 2006 season in the WNBA will be the league's move to a 24-second shot clock, down from the 30-second clock used during the first nine years of the league's existence.

"Rosters have to have people who can create their own shots," said Donovan. "This is going to be interesting with all these NBA coaches that are in our league, how they coach this game now, because we are not the NBA in terms of players and talent. It certainly came into play for us in some of our decisions this off-season."

The good news is that the Storm already played at an up-tempo pace, averaging a shot every 19.8 seconds last season, the fastest trigger in the league. Still, Donovan will have to slightly adjust her motion-based offense.

"Not re-invent it, but definitely have to tweak it," she said. "No longer are the long continuity plays a thing to go to."

Jackson, who like many Storm players has played with the 24-second clock internationally, doesn't think the transition will be that significant.

"Mate, I've played with the 24-second clock since it was introduced with FIBA," she said. "Only in America we played with 30."

Besides, Jackson already knows a great play with the clock running down:

"Give me the ball now!"

International Affair

While the relationship between coach and star player remains as strong as ever, it's clear that Donovan has yet to get over being defeated by Jackson and the Australian Opals earlier this month in Australia while coaching the U.S. Women's Senior National Team. Donovan grimaced when asked about Jackson's outside shooting in the game.

"They asked me what the highlight of my off-season was," said Jackson, "and I was going to say beating the USA, but then I thought that might stir up unwanted memories and unwanted badness toward me, so I'm not bringing it up. Actually, I'm not bringing it up at all."

The win culminated an excellent run for Jackson over the last couple of months.

"We won a (WNBL) championship in Australia, we won the Commonwealth Games, we beat America ... I didn't bring that up again," she said to laughter from the media.

"Maybe this is my lucky year."

  • Lennox's primary observation from Media Day?

    "A lot of people my size!" she said. "I've been in a lot of training camps and I've never seen so many people my size."

  • Donovan isn't factoring Wright into the battle to back up Bird at this point.

    "She will play point guard in camp, but that's not her best spot," Donovan explained.