Storm player bios

Probable starters

Lauren Jackson

Position: Forward

Height: 6-5

Age: 28, born May 11, 1981 in Albury, Australia

High school: Murray

Acquired: Selected No. 1 overall in 2001 draft.

Hometown: Canberra, Australia

The word: Jackson missed 13 games during the 2008 season because of the Beijing Olympic Games and surgery on her right ankle. She rehabilitated while playing in Russia and took a month off from basketball, proclaiming herself ready for the 2009 season. The Aussie worked on building strength. She ranked third in the league in scoring (20.2) before her injury.

Fish tale: It's not that Jackson doesn't like seafood, she just won't eat it unless she knows it's fresh. Her family takes annual trips to fish, traveling to the Gold Coast while she was home and her mother reeled in a big one deep-sea fishing. "I don't know what it was called, but we brought it back to the hotel where we were staying and the guy said it was $50 (AUS) per pound to buy and it was a really heavy fish. My mom prides herself on being the best fisher in our family and my dad will shoot me for saying it, but when we go, we pull in all this stuff — octopus, stingray, and all sorts of fish. It's the best thing ever."

Favorite bookmark: www.PerezHilton.com

AKA: LJ

Camille Little

Position: Forward

Height: 6-2

Age: 24, born Jan. 18, 1985 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

College: North Carolina

Acquired: Traded on June 22, 2008 from Atlanta in exchange for a second-round pick in 2009 draft.

Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.

The word: Little burst from obscurity when acquired in 2008, replacing Jackson in the starting lineup to average 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13 games. Little nearly had fans asking, "Lauren Who?" Her play could move her into the starting small forward position until Swin Cash is ready to take the spot back. Little worked on her three-point shooting to be more effective on the wing. She attempted just 15 three-pointers last season.

'Toon head: Sure, Little likes regular television programs like "The Closer" and as a former high school prom queen, she can get into "The Hills," but she'd rather be watching "SpongeBob SquarePants." "It's funny and I'm a kid at heart, so I like cartoons," she said.

Gamer: Little has "Wheel of Fortune" on her iPhone and can be caught playing to kill time. "If I could be on the show, I think I do pretty well because I play it a lot," she said.

AKA: Mille

Janell Burse

Position: Center

Height: 6-5

Age: 30, born May 19, 1979 in New Orleans

College: Tulane

Acquired: Traded with Sheri Sam on April 14, 2004 from Minnesota for Amanda Lassiter and the 2004 first-round draft pick.

Hometown: Houston.

The word: Burse missed the 2008 season due to shoulder and foot injuries, opting not to have surgery for either. She rested and played in Russia to test her strength. While overseas, Burse worked on extending her offense, primarily playing the power forward position. A member of the 2004 Storm championship team, Burse averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 boards as a starter in 2007.

New crib: After Hurricane Katrina, Burse decided to sell her Slidell, La., home and relocate to Houston, where her immediate family also lives. "New Orleans isn't going to be the same and it doesn't make sense to live outside the city if the city isn't the great one I remember. My church has a branch in Houston, but the main thing is the residents. The neighborhoods [in New Orleans] are still empty," she said.

Favorite bookmark: www.TMZ.com.

AKA: JB.

Sue Bird

Position: Point guard

Height: 5-9

Age: 28, born Oct. 16, 1980 in Syosset, N.Y.

College: Connecticut

Acquired: Selected No. 1 overall in 2002 draft.

Hometown: Seattle

The word: Always a deadly shooter, Bird had the chance to display more of those skills when Jackson was out last season. Bird averaged 17.5 points without Jackson and led the team to an 8-5 record during the 13 games Jackson missed. Seattle added more ballhandlers this season, so Bird has flexibility to continue scoring, but who knows where her numbers will rank. The good news is she won't have to play extended minutes at the point. Bird also continues to improve defensively.

My site: A listener of hip-hop, Bird discovered a new Web site while trying to stay entertained overseas: www.Hotnewhiphop.com. "They let you listen to the whole song and then you can purchase it legally on iTunes, if it's there, wink, wink," she said. Of Bird's new purchases, however, "I thought John Legend's CD was bomb. And if Citizen Cope ever came to Seattle, I don't care if we had a game, I'd miss it to go see him. That's how much I love him," she said.

AKA: Birdie

Tanisha Wright

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 5-11

Age: 25, born Nov. 29, 1983 in West Mifflin, Pa.

College: Penn State

Acquired: Selected 12th overall in the 2005 draft.

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

The word: Averaging her most minutes as a pro (23.8), Wright was never comfortable at the point guard position. The Storm signed a veteran to help Bird with the ball this year, moving Wright back to her role as a shooter. The option in ballhandlers should open up Wright's game. She started a career-high 14 games last season and shot 43.2 percent, averaging 7.9 points and 3.4 boards.

Online purchase: While playing in France, Wright made her first big purchase — a home. She knew of the neighborhood and liked the floor plan, so she put the money down sight unseen. But Wright didn't buy anything French for her new digs. Instead, she picked up a taste for wine. "Just red wines. I don't know what kinds. I would just taste them and like them. Maybe I'll start having wine with my dinners here now," she said.

AKA: T

Off the bench

Shannon Johnson

Position: Guard

Height: 5-7

Age: 34, born Aug. 18, 1974 in Hartsville, S.C.

College: South Carolina

Acquired: Signed as a free agent on Feb. 23, 2009.

Hometown: Hartsville, S.C.

The word: A 10-year veteran of the WNBA, Johnson was signed to give the Storm backcourt depth and leadership. She considers coach Brian Agler an inspiration for her career, playing for him in the defunct ABL and with the San Antonio Silver Stars. Johnson, an Olympian, has solid ball-handling skills. She averaged 7.7 points and 5.1 assists as a starter for the defunct Houston Comets last season.

Trash talking: You may recognize Johnson's voice if you're into "Call of Duty," "Madden" or "NBA 2K2." She regularly has her Bluetooth in her ear, talking to virtual competitors. "I'll be on there giving it to them. It's a lot of fun because you play against so many people and you don't know who they are," she said.

My tat: Johnson has a tattoo of two elephant trunks on her wrist, symbolizing her friendship with Sheri Sam, a former Storm forward. They got the tats while playing in Turkey and plan to add to the design when Sam visits Seattle.

AKA: PeeWee

Ashley Robinson

Position: Center

Height: 6-4

Age: 26, born Aug. 12, 1982 in Dallas

College: Tennessee

Acquired: Traded from Chicago on June 29, 2006 for Cisti Greenwalt and 2007 second-round draft pick.

Hometown: Grand Prairie, Texas.

The word: Robinson spent the offseason coaching a youth basketball team, and says she began to understand how frustrated coaches get when unable to pull obvious talent out of a player. She said it changed her mentality and motivated her for this summer. Robinson played briefly in Turkey, shooting more to regain offensive confidence. Robinson averaged 0.9 points on 30.2 percent shooting from the field last season. She also averaged 2.2 rebounds.

Real housewife: After playing, Robinson would like to sell Mary Kay like her sister. For now, she gets her makeup and fashion fix by watching the "Real Housewives" series on Bravo. "The New Jersey ones are funny. I'm real girly-girl. I think all women should dress up and wear makeup and be prissy. Natural is better, but just a little bit of makeup — even mascara — makes everyone look better," she said.

AKA: A-Rob

Katie Gearlds

Position: Guard/forward

Height: 6-1

Age: 24, born Oct. 10, 1984 in Beech Grove, Ind.

College: Purdue

Acquired: Selected seventh overall in the 2007 draft.

Hometown: Beech Grove, Ind.

The word: Gearlds was inconsistent last season and had troubles on defense. The Storm needed her three-point shooting with an injury-plagued roster, but statistics kept by the team showed the Storm offense moved well with her in the lineup. Gearlds played in Greece, which isn't as competitive as Russia, but she worked on her defense. Gearlds averaged 5 points and 1.3 rebounds last season.

New pups: While playing basketball overseas, Gearlds' family had to put their golden retriever down. Peyton, named after her favorite quarterback, was diagnosed with Stage 5 cancer in September 2008. The Gearlds feel as if they're ready for a new puppy, however, adding two within the month. "We're thinking about names," she said.

Kicking back: Gearlds didn't have too much time to explore Greece while she played in Athens, but the one beach she did vacation on quickly became her favorite: Kalymnos. "The best thing about Greece is the people, I don't feel like I'm in a foreign country," she said.

AKA: KG.

Suzy Batkovic-Brown

Position: Center

Height: 6-4

Age: 28, born Dec. 17, 1980 in Lambton, NSW, Australia

High School: Australian Sport Institute

Acquired: Signed as a free agent on Feb. 20, 2009.

Hometown: Newcastle, Australia

The word: Batkovic is returning to the WNBA after being drafted by the Storm in 2003 and proclaiming she'd never play again in the league after her lone season in 2005. But, following a few years playing in Europe and for her Australian national team, Batkovic wanted to return. She averaged 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds as a reserve and had more personal fouls (85) than made field goals (76) in 2005. The Olympian will again play off the bench, but could work her way into the starting five.

New bride: The center position isn't solidified because Batkovic missed training camp in order to marry longtime beau Mat Brown in Sydney, Australia. Jackson, who served as a maid of honor, said Batkovic "looked like an angel." The couple is returning from their honeymoon and Batkovic is expected in Seattle on Sunday.

AKA: Batgirl

Swin Cash

Position: Forward

Height: 6-1

Age: 29, born Sept. 22, 1979 in McKeesport, Pa.

College: Connecticut

Acquired: Traded from Detroit on Feb. 19, 2008 for the fourth pick in the 2008 draft.

Hometown: Pittsburgh

The word: Cash is livelier on the court after undergoing outpatient back surgery in March to repair a broken bone. She said she had three cortisone shots in 2008 in order to play, averaging 11.3 points and 5.4 boards. Cash didn't participate in full-contact practice until a week before Saturday's season-opener, but onlookers noticed a change in her play. The Storm needs her offensive production to alleviate pressure on Bird and Jackson.

My soaps: SoapNet has been saving Cash's life since college. An avid watcher of ABC soaps since childhood with her grandmother, she became hooked on the replays to stay connected even if she has an afternoon practice. "If I was somebody, I'd say Carly off 'General Hospital' and Blair off 'One Life to Live.' They're both real tough cookies, strong about their families and will fight for what they believe in," Cash said.

Follow me: Cash will provide updates about the season and her life via Twitter. Click @SwinCash to follow her.

AKA: Swin

Ashley Walker

Position: Forward

Height: 6-1

Age: 22, born Feb. 24, 1987 in Stockton, Calif.

College: California

Acquired: Selected 12th overall in 2009 draft.

Hometown: Modesto, Calif.

The word: Walker doesn't know what it's like to sit on a bench, having played nearly every minute in leading California to its first Sweet 16 appearance last season. She'll sit on the bench and learn for now, though that might not last long. The sole rookie on the roster has a knack for grabbing rebounds and uses her quick feet to score around the basket. Walker added to her game by shooting more three-pointers and focusing on her ball-handling. Having former Storm guard Charmin Smith as an assistant coach at Cal helped prepare, too.

Heart the Eighties: Walker loves the 1980s. She wears neon-pink finger nail polish and her all-time favorite movie is "Dirty Dancing" from 1987. She's also a sucker for musicals like "Singin' in the Rain," "The Sound of Music," and enjoyed "Gone with the Wind" because she used to watch those repeatedly with her mom. Just don't ask Walker to dance. "I'm not a good dancer, but 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner,' " she said, quoting "Dirty Dancing."

AKA: A-Dub or Rookie