Sonics Notebook | Westhead has no interest in Storm

Sonics assistant Paul Westhead, who coached the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA championship in September, dismissed any notion that he's interested in either the Storm's head-coaching or general-manager positions vacated Friday by Anne Donovan.

"It's a clear conflict of interest," he said Saturday. "I would only have an interest if I didn't have this job. But I have a job that I'm very happy with."

Westhead, who has a three-year contract with the Sonics, said it's impossible for him to coach the Sonics and Storm simultaneously.

"This is a full-time job," he said. "No possibility. Can't happen."

Westhead joined the Mercury in 2006 and spent two seasons in Phoenix where he compiled a 41-27 record. In his first season, the team set the league scoring record with an 87.1 average. The next season, he led Phoenix to a 23-11 regular-season record. The Mercury swept the Storm and the San Antonio Silver Stars in the first two rounds of the playoffs before beating the Detroit Shock 3-2 in the Finals.

Donovan, who led the Storm to a WNBA title in 2004, posted a 5-2 regular-season record against Westhead.

"Coaching against her for two seasons, they always gave us a hard time, they had a good team, they were well prepared," Westhead said.

Westhead, 68, didn't rule out a return to the WNBA.

"Well I never say never to anything," he said. "I coached in college and went back to the NBA. And when I was in the NBA, went back to college."

Sonics get tough

The Sonics played their best defensive game of the season in Friday's 95-93 win over Indiana when they held the Pacers to a season-low 35.9 field-goal percentage. The game was a stark improvement from Wednesday's 110-94 blowout loss to the Orlando Magic when Dwight Howard scored a career-high 39 points.

The difference in the games was better post defense and Seattle's ability to contain Indiana point guard Jamaal Tinsley, coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

Despite the improvements, the Golden State Warriors, tonight's opponent at KeyArena, present different challenges.

"When you play Golden State they are unlike anybody else, they truly are," Carlesimo said. "Last night helped us a little bit because we played a team that often had four three-point shooters."

The Warriors (8-7) have the NBA's highest scoring offense (108.6 points per game). They're also first in points in the paint (49.0), second in points off opponents' turnovers (19.0) and fourth in fast-break points (15.9).

Note

• C Kurt Thomas sat out the final minutes of Saturday's practice, but he's expected to start today.