Storm
Capsule preview: Seattle at Minnesota

Sue Bird

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What: Game 1, 11 a.m. today.

Where: Target Center.

Records: Storm (20-14), Lynx (18-16).

Reglar-season series: Storm won 2-1. TV/radio: NBATV; KJR (950AM).

Point guard

Storm: Sue Bird is one of the league's smartest and most talented guards. She can score inside and out and has the wits to find the open player. In this series she'll need to score more as reigning MVP Lauren Jackson is sure to be the focus of Minnesota's defense. Bird averaged 14.7 points and 4.7 assists against the Lynx this season.

Lynx: Helen Darling is a thick-bodied guard with great passing vision. But Darling isn't that quick and averaged 2.2 turnovers this season. Against the Storm, however, she had 10 assists in the final game to average 5.3 for the season series. She's not a scorer, using all her energy to play Minnesota's scrappy defense.

The matchup: Bird can hear defenders shouting to get in her head and frustrate her, and after three seasons of this strategy, she's getting the hang of annoying coverage. Given the knowledge she picked up playing behind Dawn Staley at the Olympics, Bird should be ready to guide her team past the Lynx.

Advantage: Storm

Shooting guard

	Betty Lennox

Storm: Betty Lennox still feels snubbed from Minnesota trading her. The chip works, though, because Lennox is the team's leading rebounder (7.0) and second-leading scorer against the Lynx (16.3 points). Missing a long-range shot to possibly tie the score in the final game of the series is another dose of motivation.

Lynx: Back in the ABL, it was nothing for Teresa Edwards to drop 40 on the defunct Seattle Reign. Now that she's 40, she uses her smarts to sizzle Lennox's soft defense, scoring 18 points against Seattle on Sep. 10 without Katie Smith in the lineup. A five-time Olympian, she knows what to say to teammates.

The matchup: Lennox was torched by Edwards in the final meeting with the latter scoring a WNBA career-high 18 points. Don't think Lennox doesn't remember. If both are on, this could be the highlight undercard to Jackson versus rookie Nicole Ohlde. It could be the difference-maker in the series, too.

Advantage: Lynx

Small forward

	Sheri Sam

Storm: Will the real Sheri Sam please stand up? Sam is the X-factor, but is that marking good or bad? Sam has been all over the board this season, but can do everything on the court. Having played in the playoffs, her attitude changed dramatically this week. We're guessing the 21-point Sam will show, making today's game a blowout.

Lynx: Russian Svetlana Abrosimova was second to Edwards in turnovers during the season series (4.5). Although she redeems herself with a nice outside shot, she can make some sketchy decisions, too. Abrosimova has shooting range and has played well as of late, but can easily be taken out of her game.

The matchup: With a newfound mentality, Sam should easily dominate Abrosimova on both ends of the floor. Plus, the way the Lynx like to play Jackson, Abrosimova can leave Sam often to help double-down inside. A little pressure on offense and she'll cough up the ball or make a bad pass out of bounds.

Advantage: Storm

Power forward

	Lauren Jackson

Storm: Lauren Jackson was the most frustrated toward the end of the season. Missing three games because of a foot injury and an ailing grandmother in Australia, she never felt like she was in form. She learned yesterday that her grandmother, Irene Benney, 83, had died. Jackson said she would still play today.

Lynx: Nicole Ohlde commented that it's "crazy to think she's only a year older than me" when talking about her matchup with Jackson, 23. These youngsters are just beginning their rivalry, and Ohlde even stole a few Jackson-esque tricks to help Minnesota win the final game. She's strong and is only lacking experience.

The matchup: Jackson doesn't want to start any new rivalries, commenting that her hands are full with Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie, but as a fourth-year player, she's not going to let a newbie steal the show. If the Storm's perimeter players can free her up by making some shots, this will be a fun battle to watch.

Advantage: Storm

Center

	Kamila Vodichkova

Storm: Here's where officiating could play a factor in the series. Kamila Vodichkova fouled out of the last meeting at a critical moment. Often Vodichkova is called for phantom calls, which has made this season a struggle. She is strong enough to be a contributor inside.

Lynx: Tamika Williams led the league in field-goal percentage for the second consecutive season (54.0 percent). If she gets the ball near the hoop, it's going in. She's a solid help-defender against Jackson and can pick up rebounds, second on her team with 5.3 during the series.

The matchup: Since Vodichkova is easily taken off the court with fouls, this matchup is more with Storm reserve Janell Burse, Williams' former teammate. Both Vodichkova and Burse tend to make silly mistakes against the Lynx, but keep Williams in check on defense.

Advantage: Lynx

Bench

	Tully Bevilaqua

Storm: Seattle coach Anne Donovan is learning how to dip into her reserves. Guard Tully Bevilaqua has regained her offensive confidence while forward Adia Barnes removed the brace from her knee earlier this month and is almost 100 percent recovered.

Lynx: Minnesota coach Suzie McConnell Serio has been close to throwing out the kitchen sink, it seems, with her fast substitution schemes. Rookies Vanessa Hayden and Tasha Butts have made quality impacts, especially Hayden playing off Ohlde.

The matchup: Without Smith, Minnesota has relied heavily on following whoever is feeling it. Since it varies, who knows what this matchup will be? The Lynx bench has outscored Seattle's in the past, but it didn't affect the outcome. Both benches will be key in letting the starters decide this game.

Advantage: Storm

Coach

	Anne Donovan

Storm: Anne Donovan joined former Cleveland coach Dan Hughes as the only coaches to take two teams to the WNBA playoffs. She's 4-6 all-time in the postseason, taking Charlotte to the WNBA Finals in 2001. A former Olympic roommate of McConnell Serio, these two play a chess match that Donovan often wins.

Lynx: McConnell Serio will most likely be awarded coach-of-the-year honors today, earning the accolade because she's winning with rookies and without leading scorer Katie Smith (knee). It seems like a frenzied mess, but McConnell Serio has a system that has led the Lynx back to the postseason.

The matchup: The two don't stay in contact during the season, but know each other's style well. Donovan has the better team, but McConnell Serio's scrappy defense can help Minnesota sneak a win or two if the Storm isn't careful. Seattle has worked on defense this week and is focused.

Advantage: Storm

Jayda Evans

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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