Blaine Newnham / Times associate editor
Storm uses bad break to its advantage

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Forty-year-old Teresa Edwards knew what had happened the minute her jaw collided with Sue Bird's nose.

What she didn't know was how the Seattle Storm would play without its undisputed leader.

"They played liked a veteran team," said Edwards of the Storm after its series sweep last night of Minnesota. "They play like a team that can win a championship."

Bird ran toward the Storm bench after she felt the burgeoning bump on the side of her nose and saw the blood in her hands. She ran past stunned teammates, she ran straight to the dressing room.

"It hurt," she said of the broken beak. "But, honestly, I was more upset than hurt. I knew I couldn't play. I'd never seen that much blood that belonged to me.

"I filled up a couple of towels with blood."

Bird said she knew the worst of the pain was ahead, when the nose was to be reset.

"I've heard that is terrible," she said.

Even though she mopped away bits of blood well after the game, she was upbeat and looked pained only when the light of a television camera flicked on in her face.

"No," she motioned. "I really don't want a camera here."
 
But given the three days the Storm has before its first game in the next series — against either Los Angeles or Sacramento — Friday, Bird said she plans to be on the court.

"I'm hurt," he said, "but there is nothing wrong with my body, my arms and legs."

It was amazing the Storm could win without her, amazing because Bird has been a different player since the Olympics — tougher, more focused on defense, more determined to be a leader.

"I've seen a fire in her," Storm coach Anne Donovan said. "She is single-minded now. She is not about to let us lose a lead, and if we do, she has us crawling to get it back.

"She obviously studied Dawn Staley in Athens. Her leadership on this team is outstanding."

And then barely two minutes into the game, she goes out, not just out, but crying, bloody, leaving teammates wondering if she would live, let alone play again.

"It makes you sick to your stomach," Donovan said. "Our players were all stunned. I had to call Tully (Bevilaqua) three times to snap her out of it."

Whatever Bird learned from Staley — the hard-nosed U.S. point guard who is so respected that she was elected to carry the flag into Olympic Stadium in Athens — she had passed along to teammates.

Bevilaqua, the 32-year-old spot player from Australia, took on the role as if it were a crusade, not only flying around on defense but handling the offense with such an efficient touch that the Storm had only four second-half turnovers.

"It reminded me of the game against L.A. last year when Sue got hurt," Bevilaqua said. "Only that time I didn't step up. This year has been different for me."

She made 4 of 6 shots for nine points. She had five rebounds, four assists, four steals and no turnovers in 27 minutes.

"I don't play that much very often," she said. "I have to play full out every minute I'm out there, or I'm worthless."

She had 27 worthwhile minutes.

Bevilaqua made a steal and a layin for a five-point Storm lead in the second half. Then she took a pass from Adia Barnes for another layup, and followed that with a jumper.

She kept up her charge far longer than she thought she could. Far longer than Donovan thought she could.

But there was help everywhere. Chelle Thompson made the big shot of the game — a three-pointer from the corner to give the Storm a 52-48 lead.

And then Janell Burse burst on the scene, scoring six second-half points, pulling in two rebounds, blocking two shots and stealing two passes.

"We definitely wanted to finish this thing now," Donovan said of the sweep, the only one accomplished in the first round of these WNBA playoffs.

"I've been watching the Los Angeles-Sacramento series — watching them getting tired, watching them wearing each other out — and just loving it.

"We can use some extra rest. We can use time to get Sue back."

In her early years with the Storm, Bird had been a pretty face on a billboard, the team's first pick in the draft, the celebrated caddie for Lauren Jackson.

You never thought about her being the toughest player on the team.

But that was before the Olympics.

"She initiates the pressure we play on defense," Bevilaqua said. "She is our leader."

The lessons have been learned well — first by Bird, then by her followers.

"It was a heck of a team effort," Donovan said.

It certainly was, a break for Bird, a breakthrough for her teammates.

Blaine Newnham: 206-464-2364 or bnewnham@seattletimes.com