Injured Storm center Janell Burse might miss entire season

Janell Burse will miss part and possibly all of the 2008 season due to multiple injuries, according to her agent.

Boris Lelchitski said Burse is returning to Houston from Prague on Tuesday and will not immediately join the Storm because of injuries to her shoulder and foot. Lelchitski said the 6-foot-5 center has been "debating about taking some time off and this is the time [she's] going to do it."

Burse, a Storm starter the past two seasons, re-signed with Seattle on April 13. She was expected to report to training camp by this week, but coach Brian Agler, who is also the team's director of player personnel, said he'd make an announcement stating differently.

"She got hurt again," said Lelchitski of what happened between April 13 and Sunday. "If this [WNBA] season is possible for her to come back, that we'll probably know in a week to 10 days. I don't have an exact date. Janell will have to make it depending on her condition plus it's also going to be an issue with the team [Storm] — if they would want her to come back."

Burse missed games in Prague due to the injuries. She has played in the city the past three seasons. But she has had nagging injuries for about five seasons, according to Lelchitski. Her most recent injuries are a partial tear in her left shoulder suffered in 2006 and undergoing left wrist surgery in 2007. While playing in Czech Republic, Burse discovered a stress fracture in her foot in December 2006.

Burse wore a cast for the foot injury but chose to rehabilitate the shoulder, opting not to have surgery. She entered the 2007 training camp complaining of "lingering" pain, but declared herself healthy. Lelchitski, however, said it "takes more than that [rehabilitation]" to really correct the shoulder injury.

Whether Burse now has surgery remains in question.

Although signed, Burse will not count against the Storm's salary cap. Players have to pass a physical in order to sign their contract. The Storm also was reaching its salary cap because Burse played for the veteran maximum last summer ($93,000) and would need to be paid near that this season.

Now the Storm, who Lelchitski described as "understanding," has a surplus to find another center. In addition to returning center Ashley Robinson, Agler signed veteran Yolanda Griffith, the league's second all-time leading rebounder (2,248). But the 38-year-old is recovering from injuries suffered in 2007 and is in the twilight of her career.

"The truth and reality is that unfortunately all of the players have to go overseas to make their living," Lelchitski said of players who can make up to $500,000 overseas. "This makes a nonstop season and Janell has been doing that for quiet a while. It's kind of hard to do this, especially when you have injuries following you. At some time players decide this is the time to take a break and this is her turn. She felt like she was not able to give to the team what they expected her to do."

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