Seattle Storm a global threat

Their collective accomplishments flicker like coins at the bottom of a freshwater well.

Gold, silver and bronze medals have hung from their necks, so many that it leads one to wonder: If three of the best global Olympians are placed on the same WNBA team, shouldn't it win the championship?

It's definitely one way to look at this season's Storm lineup.

International stars Lauren Jackson (Australia) and Iziane Castro Marques (Brazil) join American Olympians Sue Bird and coach Anne Donovan in another quest for a WNBA title. It's a unique summer where the four will work together for a common goal before jetting off to Castro Marques' native land to compete against each other in the World Championships in September. "It's strange," said Castro Marques of lining up with future rivals. "But the World Championships will be in my country with my friends and family, so it'll be very fun and easy for me."

Because Brazilian guard Janeth Arcain of the Houston Comets has opted to train with her national team, the Storm is the only team in the league with three international Olympians in its starting five. Other teams are peppered with global talent, however.

"It should be easier this year with Izzy's second season," Donovan said of differences in her 2005 and 2006 teams. "I think it [championships] really comes with comfort more than anything. We have elite talent, but it's that training together that makes it work. That's what championships are about for us, people becoming more comfortable in their roles and more familiar with whom they're playing with. But certainly three star players from their country says a lot about this organization."

The surroundings helped center Tiffani Johnson feel at ease despite arriving late to training camp. She was cut from the Comets' roster before the 2005 season, but lined up with Olympians Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Arcain in 2000 when Houston won its fourth consecutive championship.

There's one glaring difference between the Comets and Storm, outside of Seattle having won only one title, in 2004. The Comets, comprised of players in their late 20s to mid-30s, never spoke about winning the title. It was implied once a player slipped on the cherry-red jersey.

The Storm, meanwhile, is still having meetings and side chatter about focusing on winning.

"It was understood; everybody knew," said Johnson, who averaged 4.2 points and 4.7 rebounds while starting 29 games during the 2000 championship season. "Sue and Lauren have experience, but they're younger. They still have the same expectations, but you have to sit down and talk about it. And they [the Storm] didn't win last year, so it's kind of hard to step in and say, 'Hey, this is what should happen,' because it didn't last year.

"We have to work out the wrinkles so they can get back to where they were because the talent is crazy — from the first five to the last man on the bench."

Ironically, it was the Comets who quashed the Storm's plans of being the third team in the league to win sequential titles.

An energized Storm flew into Houston to hand the No. 3 seed a 75-67 loss in the series opener.

In Game 2, Seattle, coping with injuries, could have ended the series with a home win at KeyArena, where the team won a record 14 games during the regular season. Instead, leading by 10 early in the second half, the Storm allowed Swoopes, the reigning MVP, to lead her team back into contention.

Guard Dawn Staley assured the Comets' victory by swiping a potential game-winning play from Storm center Janell Burse in the closing seconds. Houston won 67-64 and Donovan commented later that she knew that was the end of the series.

In Game 3, the Storm lost 75-58 to end its postseason run. Swoopes recorded the first playoff triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in that game.

Since the September loss, Bird has been communicating with Donovan about what she needs to change in order to assure the team is in better position to win. The coach believes Bird looks to pass eight of 10 times when charging down the court.

While Bird has talented options in Betty Lennox, Jackson and Castro Marques, Donovan said the team's success depends on Bird looking to shoot more.

Bird averaged 10.5 shots in her previous four seasons, having her best showing as a rookie when she averaged a career-high 14.4 points and 5.9 assists. Donovan wants the scoring to return and the attempts to increase to about 14.

"Talk about aggressiveness, I didn't have any," Bird said of her postseason play, where she averaged 9 points on 9-of-33 shooting. "The third game sucked because it was the third game and that's when you're supposed to play [your hardest], but they just played amazing. Looking back, the minute the ball was tipped, I felt like we were down 20. They just picked us apart.

"[Being offensively aggressive] is something that I'm going to work my way up to, though. It can't happen overnight. A lot of people throughout the game of basketball in their careers have to sacrifice things. For some, that might be giving up an aspect of their game. For me, I have to add something.

"Or get something back that I had maybe earlier on in my career. I don't think my offense was that horrible the last couple of years; it's just a matter of looking for it. And I learned this the hard way a bunch of times; things do start with me, whether it's defensive intensity or offensive intensity. I need to bring it every time."

The Storm also has made changes to its depth chart and leadership roles.

Gone is the worldly flavor that reached a franchise-high six international players last season. Now the team has more of a Southern feel with the addition of guard Shaunzinski Gortman (South Carolina), Johnson (North Carolina) and forward Wendy Palmer (North Carolina).

The Storm drafted Connecticut star forward Barbara Turner (Ohio) 11th overall to help defensively, and Palmer, 31, has taken over the vocal leadership role to whip the team into shape at practice and in games — action Bird and Jackson were reluctant to take in the past.

The combination appears to twinkle light from another silver championship trophy.

"At the moment it's just mental," Jackson said of winning the title. "Talent-wise and depth-wise we definitely have what it takes. We just can't be as inconsistent as we've been before."

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com

Storm roster
The Storm players with their respective 2005 scoring averages:
The Starters	Pos	Ht	Wt	Ppg
Lauren Jackson	PF	6-5	185	17.6
I. Castro Marques	SF	6-0	140	8.2
Janell Burse	C	6-5	199	10.0
Betty Lennox	SG	5-8	143	12.4
Sue Bird	PG	5-9	150	12.1
The Bench
Barbara Turner	SF	6-0	172	11.8*
Wendy Palmer	PF	6-2	165	9.6
Tanisha Wright	G	5-11	165	3.6
S. Edwards	C	6-4	164	2.0
S. Gortman	G	5-10	158	NA**
Tiffani Johnson	C	6-4	195	NA**
* — College stats from 2005-06 season. ** — Did not play in 2005.