Storm
Notebook: Donovan savors coaching at Garden

By Jayda Evans
Seattle Times staff reporter

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NEW YORK — The voices filled her dark bedroom with color.

Unable to watch the New York Knicks on television and unable to afford the trip from her home in Ridgewood, N.J. to Manhattan, the radio became Storm coach Anne Donovan's connection to the famed Madison Square Garden.

She'd trick her mother into believing she was asleep before tuning in to hear how her favorite player, Dave DeBusschere, was doing.

"I had to listen in my bed because I wasn't allowed to stay up," Donovan remembered with a laugh.

With family in the stands, Donovan took a moment before last night's game to soak in the aura of the Garden for the first time as a Storm coach. She was 3-6 at the Garden with Charlotte and Indiana.

Up in the rafters hung DeBusschere's jersey and on the court her team handed the Liberty its second-worst home loss in franchise history.

"To me, there's no better place to play," Donovan said. "I thrive off that environment. It is, really, like a black-and-white movie. It's what this game is all about."

Donovan isn't the sole Storm member with connections to the area. Center Simone Edwards' mother used to live in New York, forward Chelle Thompson was once a Liberty player and all-star Sue Bird is a Long Island native.

Bird had about 20 family members and friends in the crowd to see her play her third game at the Garden, one being last season's All-Star Game.

Solid line
 
Donovan wanted consistency from her players and she's getting it — albeit from her starting rotation.

The Storm hasn't changed its starting five. In Seattle's inaugural season, former coach Lin Dunn used 17 different starting lineups. The number declined to 14 the following season, nine in 2002 and six last summer, Donovan's first season in Seattle.

Around the league, three other teams have the same consistency. Minnesota (4-4), Detroit (5-3) and Phoenix (4-4) haven't tweaked their lineups.

"I like to establish player roles and I think they appreciate that," Donovan said during training camp.

Curse weakening

It started out with four teams, but now there are two arenas where the Storm hasn't won. And they happen to be Seattle's final two stops on this trip.

The Storm defeated the Liberty at the Garden for the first time in three attempts last night, after defeating Sacramento at Arco Arena for the first time in eight tries earlier this month.

Seattle is 0-7 in Houston and 0-2 at San Antonio, sites of its next two games.

The Comets (6-4) will be without Olympic forward Tina Thompson (calf strain), but Bird said that doesn't matter.

"I know if one of our players went down, everyone would really step it up," she said. "I'm expecting them to be fired up."

The Silver Stars are on a six-game losing streak.

Game at a glance

Player of the game: Reigning MVP Lauren Jackson swallowed the Big Apple whole, recording her 24th career double-double in the first half. The Storm forward finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Digits: The 24-point win was the Storm's third victory by 20 points or more and the Liberty's first double-digit loss this season.

Turning point: The Storm, which led 37-32 at halftime, opened the second half with a 20-4 run.

Next: Friday at Houston, 5:30 p.m.