Storm stars get started with win

It's so typical of superstars, showing up late to their own party.

At least that's the hopeful explanation of the Storm starting a highly anticipated season by shooting 29.4 percent in the first half of its season opener, then coming on as a threat at every position in the second to defeat the Chicago Sky 67-61 on Saturday night at KeyArena.

"We're all going to have to hold ourselves accountable for that first half," Storm center Yolanda Griffith said. "Everybody has to know our defensive assignments. It's tough, because we've only had two or three practices. But I think this victory is a great victory for the highs and the lows — for a while, they were doing things for us that was upsetting."

Amid wafting smoke, one glitzy name after another climbed the ladder to a platform stage during playing introductions — reigning MVP Lauren Jackson, former MVPs Sheryl Swoopes and Griffith, All-Stars Swin Cash and Sue Bird. Yet the glitter seemed to be fool's gold — Jackson was 1-for-10 shooting in the first half; Swoopes, the WNBA's fourth all-time leading scorer, attempted only one shot; and Cash, a two-time league champion, was 1 for 4.

The Storm trailed 35-29 at halftime, buoyed only by Bird's nine points and Griffith's six points and five rebounds.

Although worse than expected, it was a pretty predictable start. With Bird and Jackson returning from Russia to Seattle only this week, the Storm — which is under new ownership and coaching — had just three full days of practice to pull itself together.

"When you get to this point, there's always things you wish you would have said or gone over," new Seattle coach Brian Agler said before the game. "I'm happy that we got everybody here and got to practice for a couple of days."

A reminder of the need to play defense and a personal demonstration by Swoopes, the league's 2005 Defensive Player of the Year, snapped Seattle out of its funk.

Agler called a timeout with Seattle down 38-29 with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter and laid into his players, according to Swoopes. The reminder sparked a 25-9 run.

With the score tied at 47, Swoopes swiped the ball from dribbling Sky forward Chasity Melvin. She dished it ahead to a racing Bird for a layin that gave the Storm its first lead since 15-14. Swoopes later made a 5-foot bank shot, grabbed a key rebound and helped Cash get a layup to end the third quarter on a 7-0 run and give the Storm a 54-47 lead.

"In that third quarter, it was almost scary at a point," said Swoopes of the team's play. After allowing the Sky to shoot 45.2 percent in the first half, Seattle held Chicago to 25 percent shooting and two offensive rebounds, outscoring the Sky 18-2 in the paint.

"It didn't even seem like it," said Cash of the spurt. "Our defense went to another level, and the ball was hopping. To me, that was something to build on."

Jackson, who averaged a career-best 23.8 points last season, scored eight points in an 11-1 run to open the fourth quarter, finally taking control of the game for Seattle. She finished with a team-high 14 points and six rebounds.

"That little spurt in the third and fourth quarter is what we envisioned when we put this team together," Agler said.

Melvin scored a game-high 15 for Chicago, which also got 12 points from Jia Perkins and a game-high 10 rebounds from Candice Dupree.

After the game, the players walked over to the owners' courtside seats and brought them to halfcourt to be included in the postgame huddle. With 12,079 rowdy fans standing and cheering for the team, Swoopes told the group, "We want to thank you guys for keeping us here."

Force 10 Hoops, composed of four local businesswomen, purchased the team from Sonics owner Clay Bennett for $10 million, preventing its possible relocation to Oklahoma City.

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