Storm Notebook | Brazilian Santos signs on for national duty

The Storm will be without reserve forward Kelly Santos for a few weeks.

Santos, who averaged 2.4 minutes in the Storm's first five games this season, left Saturday to join the Brazilian national team in Spain. Her country is participating in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women, which will fill the final five slots in the Beijing Games.

The 6-foot-3 Santos didn't originally plan to participate in Brazil's efforts to qualify for the Olympics. According to a source close to the player, her dream is to play in the WNBA and she didn't want to risk the opportunity the Storm gave her by missing games to play for Brazil.

But after countrywoman Erika de Souza, a forward-center for the Atlanta Dream, suffered a stress fracture last week that will prevent her from competing, Brazil asked Santos to fill in.

Santos is not slated to return to the Storm until June 16, so she will miss six Seattle games. But Storm coach Brian Agler, who is also the team's director of player personnel, said Santos may take longer to return because she will also try to extend her visa for the upcoming year while in Spain. She received her original visa there and already has an appointment to help expedite the process.

"I hope it's no impact at all," said Agler of the Storm being without Santos. "It took us by surprise a little bit. But if a player gets a chance to represent their country and they were asked to do that, then we have to welcome that and encourage that. It doesn't help us, but it's good relations to keep."

The Storm dressed just 10 players against Houston on Sunday. Agler considered signing former University of Washington standout Kristen O'Neill to fill out the roster because the team doesn't have to pay Santos while she's away. But Agler hesitated to make a move.

"Instead of trying to rush into something for one game, we decided to roll the dice and see if we could absorb it," he said, adding the team could add another player in the upcoming weeks depending on how it would affect the salary cap.

Swoopes gets record

Storm forward Sheryl Swoopes set numerous league records as a Comet. On Sunday, she set one against her former team.

With 8:33 remaining in the first quarter, Swoopes swiped the ball from former teammate Michelle Snow for her 600th career steal.

Despite turning the ball over on the ensuing play, Swoopes became the first WNBA player to reach the plateau. Sacramento guard Ticha Penicheiro is second with 595.