Storm hands backup guard job to Wright

Tanisha Wright shifted in her seat and gave a surprised look.

"Say again?" she responded when asked about cementing a spot on the Storm roster.

Despite Wright's forgettable second WNBA season last summer, Storm coach Anne Donovan saw enough improvement in training camp to designate her the backup to point guard Sue Bird.

Turnovers are still a concern for Wright, a natural shooting guard. She had six in the Storm's exhibition win over Connecticut on Tuesday, and Sacramento's noted white-line defense will be a challenge in tonight's exhibition finale at KeyArena.

"That's always going to be a sore subject with me, especially with the situation last year," said Wright of the turnovers. "One positive I can take from it is, yes, I did have six turnovers, but last year I would have dwelled on that and it would have affected the rest of the game. I was just able to let them all go."

Wright played 36 minutes against the Sun, more time than she'll see during the season. But with Bird still playing overseas, Wright has to run the team.

"I'm not that concerned because it is exhibition, but six turnovers is definitely something we're talking about," Donovan said. "Once we get everybody back and everybody gets in their roles, a lot of these things are going to take care of themselves."

The lone spot still being contested in camp is reserve small forward. Free agent Shyra Ely is the leading candidate, mainly because Barbara Turner is currently playing in playoffs in Turkey.

"We've been telling her [Turner] all along, the longer she's late, the less time we have to look at her," Donovan said. "Her advantage is that we played with her for a summer, so we know her capabilities. But Shyra's had a great camp."

Ankle angst

There was a slight scare when guard Betty Lennox tweaked her right ankle in practice on Thursday. It was the same ankle that caused controversy while she was playing in Poland.

Lennox sprained the ankle and said that because the injury caused her to miss a few of her team's championship series games, her coach opted to keep her out altogether. Because she was not playing, Lennox left a day earlier than the team's other Americans, and her team lost the title.

Back with the Storm for the final season of her two-year contract, Lennox is just trying to get acquainted for now.

"I don't even know everybody's name on the team," she said. "I need more time to see what we've got and what we're working with. What I can see so far is that we can be really good, we've just got a lot of work to do."

Returning champs

Bird and Lauren Jackson are expected in Seattle tonight, fresh off leading Spartak Moscow to the Russian Superleague title.

They will not arrive until midnight, missing the exhibition finale. And they could miss the practice at 11 a.m. Saturday at KeyArena. They need to complete physicals to participate in camp.

Donovan said the results of the physicals will help her determine how to play Jackson this summer. Donovan shaved about six minutes off the forward's normal playing time and limited Jackson's practice time in 2006 because of shin and foot injuries.

Jackson, who turns 26 today, was supposed to cut back on year-round play, but joins the Storm after playing in Korea and Russia.

Note

• G Francesca Zara will not report to training camp due to Italian national team obligations. Seattle will retain her WNBA rights.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com