Storm
Notebook: Football? Final kickoff tomorrow

By Jayda Evans
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Behind the Storm bench, a fan held up a sign, "Will ref for food," and waved it every time the officials missed a call.

Which, according to the groans from the audience, was often.

Seattle's Lauren Jackson agreed with every moan. Only 31 fouls were called and no player fouled out, yet both sides griped about the physical play.

"It's like football out there," said Jackson. "It's hard, but I just have to adjust."

Both teams will have weary bodies for tomorrow's decisive Game 3. Connecticut may be a little more prepared, however, since it gave most of the hits and has the bulkier bodies.

In the Western Conference, players are taller but lighter than the Eastern Conference.

"We had to play more physical, and we knew that," Storm coach Anne Donovan said. "I think we had to expect more contact and play through it. That was the key."

Yesterday's game at a glance Player of the game: Guard Betty Lennox scored 16 of her season-high 27 points in the second half to push Seattle into a deciding Game 3. Reserve of the game: Forward Chelle Thompson was big off the bench, hitting critical three-pointers and jump shots to keep the Storm ahead. Thompson finished with 8 points. . Digits: Connecticut's Nykesha Sales scored 15 of her team's final 18 points, finishing with a Finals-record 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting. The previous high was 31 points, set by Houston's Sheryl Swoopes in 2000. Next: Game 3 at KeyArena, tomorrow, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)

Original return

Former Storm coach Lin Dunn, an assistant at Indiana, was joined at the game by franchise originals Jamie Redd, a Washington alum, Charmin Smith and Edna Campbell. Former assistant coach Carrie Graf, who's now coaching Phoenix, and player Katy Steding were also seated with Dunn and Co. in the stands last night. The bunch received a standing ovation when introduced.

While Campbell is still playing with Sacramento, Redd said she's trying to work her way back into the league. She tried out to play in Greece and is currently training to become a correctional officer. Smith, who was an assistant coach at Boston College last season, accepted the same position at Stanford.

"I'm not ready to give up the game yet," said Smith, who has a degree from Stanford in civil engineering. "This is my passion still. I went on a couple interviews for my degree and I was looking right through them, I love the game so much."

All of the players marveled at the Storm's first official sellout, pulling back the upper-bowl curtains to fit a record 17,072 into KeyArena. The Storm averaged a padded 8,912 in its inaugural season in 2000, finishing 6-26.

"I can't believe the upper deck is open and full," Smith said at halftime. "Seattle is the best place for women's basketball in my opinion, and I hope they keep it up."

Clock's ticking

Jackson couldn't believe a possible WNBA championship was one victory away last night.

"This is what I've been training forever for," she said. "Normally I would have been depressed for four months (about losing the gold medal at the Olympics) and then gone back to playing. ... Winning would make it all worth it."

After the season Jackson might have surgery on her right foot, which has been bothering her since the Olympics. She'll have to make a decision before joining her Australian league team, which has already begun play.

Yesterday's box

CONNECTICUT
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Palmer	14	0-2	0-0	0-2	0	1	0
Sales	35	14-22	0-0	0-5	0	3	32
McWilliams-Fr.	32	1-11	0-0	4-7	1	2	2
Douglas	37	5-10	2-3	2-5	0	1	14
Whalen	30	3-9	3-4	0-1	7	4	9
Brungo	7	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0
Jones	21	0-2	1-2	1-2	2	1	1
Black	12	1-3	0-0	0-3	0	2	2
Willingham	12	2-5	1-1	1-4	0	0	5
Totals		26-64	7-10	8-29	10	15	65

Percentages: FG .406, FT .700. Three-point goals: 6-13, .462 (Sales 4-6, Douglas 2-4, Palmer 0-1, Whalen 0-2). Team rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 16 (14 PTS). Blocked shots: 4 (Sales 2, McWilliams-Franklin, Palmer). Turnovers: 16 (McWilliams-Franklin 3, Jones 3, Sales 2, Douglas 2, Palmer 2, Black 2, Whalen 2). Steals: 9 (Sales 4, Douglas 3, Jones, Whalen).

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Jackson	37	5-15	4-4	2-11	2	1	15
Sam	29	1-6	0-0	1-4	3	4	2
Vodichkova	22	2-9	1-2	4-5	2	2	5
Bird	31	2-6	6-7	0-3	1	0	10
Lennox	31	11-16	5-5	0-2	1	3	27
Burse	12	0-4	0-0	1-3	0	0	0
Edwards	8	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	2	0
Bevilaqua	14	0-2	0-0	0-1	1	2	0
Thompson	13	3-3	0-0	1-3	0	2	8
Barnes	30	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Totals		24-62	16-18	9-32	10	16	67

Percentages: FG .387, FT .889. Three-point goals: 3-6, .500 (Thompson 2-2, Jackson 1-1, Bird 0-3). Team rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: 16 (14 PTS). Blocked shots: 4 (Vodichkova 2, Jackson, Burse). Turnovers: 16 (Lennox 4, Jackson 2, Bird 2, Vodichkova 2, Sam 2, Thompson 2, Bevilaqua, Burse). Steals: 10 (Bird 3, Burse 2, Sam 2, Jackson, Lennox, Thompson).

Connecticut	30	35 — 65
Seattle	35	32 — 67

Attendance: 17,072 (9,686). Time: 2:10. Officials: Bob Trammell, Sally Bell, Tina Napier.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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