Storm will be without Cash, Jackson, Bird for final two games

The Storm is facing a future without All-Stars Lauren Jackson, Swin Cash and Sue Bird, who all have circumstances that prevent them from playing.

The positive is that it may only affect Seattle's final record, not playoff positioning. The Storm (19-13) remains second in the Western Conference and Cash and Bird are expected to return in time for the postseason.

Jackson, the team's leading scorer (19.2), is doubtful. She confirmed last week that she has an acute stress fracture and older stress fracture in her lower back. Jackson has been resting and undergoing ultrasounds, massage and icing to heal the area, but is unlikely to play in Seattle's final regular-season games.

Coach Brian Agler didn't sound optimistic about Jackson playing in the postseason.

"I don't even want to go down that path," he said. "I'm going to stay the same and say she's out indefinitely. I do think she's feeling a bit better, but I don't know if that's enough to get back out on the floor. My strong opinion is her health first. With her, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon."

An Australian Olympian, Jackson missed 13 regular-season games and the postseason in 2008 because of an ankle injury suffered while training for the Beijing Games. She had cortisone shots to play during the Opals' run to the gold-medal game against Team USA, but it appears unlikely the Storm would approve the same treatment.

Cash said she had three cortisone shots last year to continue playing after injuring a herniated disk in her lower back. She averaged 2.7 points and 14.7 minutes during the playoffs and underwent offseason surgery in March.

"There's a lot of opinion on what she could do but masking the pain doesn't always solve the issue," said Agler of Jackson.

The two-time MVP has missed four games so far, remaining in Seattle as her team concluded a three-game trip 1-2. The Storm is 17-21 all-time without Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward.

"They gave me a time frame, but I'm taking it day by day hoping that it starts to feel better and give it a go myself," said Jackson, who was told the older fracture could have happened as a youth. "At the moment, I'm not allowed to do anything physical at all.

"I've felt better the past couple of days, which is encouraging to me. Originally when it happened it was pretty painful. I've been out for two weeks and the last two days it has decided to really come along and I'm pretty happy with that."

Cash, the 2009 All-Star MVP, is attending her grandmother's funeral, missing the Storm's final two games. She died Saturday, before the Storm lost to Minnesota, and Cash left for Pennsylvania after the matchup to be with family.

Bird could miss her second consecutive game because of a neck injury. The league's assist leader (5.8) was evaluated by team physicians and there isn't a concern, but Bird said she still feels pain when trying to move her head.

She had another doctor's appointment Tuesday. Depending on the results, Agler could add two players via seven-day contracts to help Seattle complete the regular season. Seattle, which could be down to seven players, is eligible to add at least one because forward Katie Gearlds remains out with a knee injury.

"Luckily we did our work earlier in the season and we've gotten second place," said Bird, whose Storm secured the position due to Los Angeles' loss to San Antonio on Saturday. "There's not so much pressure in terms of having to win in the next two games. But I want to play because you want to stay in rhythm."