Injuries may force Storm's Janell Burse to miss entire season

Storm center Janell Burse will miss part and possibly all of the season due to multiple injuries, her agent said.

Boris Lelchitski said Burse returned from Prague, Czech Republic, to Houston on Monday and will not immediately join the Storm because of injuries to her shoulder and foot. Lelchitski said Burse 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.

"She got hurt again," said Lelchitski, referring to Burse aggravating a foot injury recently in Prague. Burse had suffered a stress fracture of the foot in December 2006.

Lelchitski said he and Burse expect to know within 10 days if she would be able to return this season. "I don't have an exact date," he said. "Janell will have to make it depending on her condition plus it's also going to be an issue with the team — if they would want her to come back."

Burse missed games due to the injuries in Prague, where she has played the past three seasons. She has had nagging injuries for about five seasons, Lelchitski said. Her most recent injuries are a partial tear in her left shoulder and the stress fracture in her foot in 2006, and a wrist injury in 2007 that required surgery.

Burse wore a cast for the foot injury but chose to rehabilitate the shoulder, opting not to have surgery. She entered 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 will have surgery remains in question.

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

Seattle, described by Lelchitski as "understanding," now will start Yolanda Griffith at center, with Ashley Robinson as her backup. Griffith, 38, is the league's second all-time rebounder (2,248), but is recovering from injuries suffered in 2007. Griffith and Burse would have competed for the starting position.

"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."

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