Since coming to the Storm before the 2004 season in a multi-player deal with the Minnesota Lynx, Janell Burse has made great strides in her game. The runner-up for the WNBA's Most Improved Player in 2005, her first full year as a starter, Burse improved her performance again in 2006 to establish herself as one of the league's top post players. The Storm confirmed that after the season, opting to core Burse and take her off the free-agent market. She was a core player again in 2008, but decided to sit the season out to get a break from the grind of year-long play and rest her body. Burse will return to the Storm for the 2009 season after re-signing in February, reuniting her with Head Coach Brian Agler, who originally drafted Burse in Minnesota.