My first Storm game at KeyArena was actually the year before, during Sue Bird’s rookie season, when I had a press pass to track defensive statistics for a project that ended up in the book Basketball on Paper. It took me approximately two games to get hooked. During the Storm’s second game of 2002, Bird led a comeback to beat the Minnesota Lynx (with Brian Agler and Katie Smith) and that was all it took. I soon had an account on StormFans.org, was calculating WNBA ratings and listening to David Locke and Elise Woodward on the radio.

When I was hired by the Sonics & Storm as a web intern that fall, I was ready to make covering the Storm a priority. Ten years later, I’m proud of our track record of bringing you as much content and analysis as possible here on StormBasketball.com. It’s exciting to see other teams follow our lead by investing in their websites.

The past decade has brought a lot of highlights. It’s easy to take the Storm’s success with Bird and Lauren Jackson for granted, but I’ve gotten to cover nine playoff teams in 10 years (the other missed on a tiebreaker), three MVP campaigns from Jackson and, of course, two championship teams. Thanks to the hard work of players and coaches, I’m the proud owner of two WNBA championship rings, and I was thrilled to share in those special nights at KeyArena and Philips Arena in Atlanta.

I have so many people to thank for helping make my job easier. Without exception, the players and coaches have been great. Bird and Jackson deserve special credit for patiently answering so many of my questions over the years, and both Anne Donovan and Coach Agler and their coaching staffs made me feel like part of the family as opposed to an outsider. I’ve learned a great deal about basketball from all of the coaches that I will take with me throughout my career.

I wouldn’t have lasted 10 years without the support of Karen Bryant, who made web content a priority, which is no small thing for an independent franchise. The same applies to the members of Force 10 Hoops, without whom none of us would be following the Storm. Dick Fain and Adia Barnes welcomed me to the broadcast doing stats, as did David, Elise and Alan Horton before them. Fans might not know the names of everyone else within the organization, but I could not have asked for a better group of coworkers, many of whom have become lifelong friends.

Most of all, thanks to all the fans and readers. Your interest in Storm news and analysis justified my salary, and your feedback was a key reason why my work was always so rewarding. The KeyArena stands are truly a community, and I hope I was successful in trying to serve as the eyes and ears of fans behind the scenes at practices and games.

While the NBA will be now be my sole professional focus, I will still be watching and analyzing the Storm and the rest of the W. You can follow me on Twitter @kpeltonWBB, and I’m sure I’ll find someplace to share my thoughts and advanced statistics by the time the upcoming season tips off.

The Storm organization is hard at work finding a replacement to provide the level of coverage you’ve come to expect from StormBasketball.com. Stay tuned for more on that. I hope you’ll treat whoever comes next as well as you’ve treated me.

”More than anything it was just frustration not knowing what it is, and that it could potentially end my career, [which] was something I had to deal with,” Jackson explained to the Canberra Times. I feel like finally I know exactly what it is, we all do and we know how to treat it.

”It’s real relief. I’m with the best people and they know me well enough to know I was really scared, and now I’m not so scared any more.”

In news of a different sort, Jackson is one of six Aussie sporting “icons” picked by Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Sydney for a fan vote on which player to be replicated in wax.

“This is a great honor to be recognized as a nominee for this activity and I’m most grateful,” Jackson said. “There really are some great sporting legends in Madame Tussauds and it would be amazing to have my figure alongside them.”

Voting will last through Jan. 18 via the Madame Tussauds Facebook page.

CHINA

Shanghai (8-7) moved back above .500 with Saturday’s 83-66 win over Yunnan. Camille Little (23 points, 14 rebounds, five steals) and Storm camp invitee Lindsay Taylor (23 points, 13 boards) played more or less to a draw, but teammate Xiufeng Shi scored 25 points to lift the Baoshan to victory.

ISRAEL

Ramat Hasharon suffered a 63-53 setback Monday to Elizur Ramla, dropping to 3-3 in league play. Stats were not yet available.

RUSSIA

On Saturday, UMMC Ekaterinburg handed Nadezhda an 84-64 defeat behind 22 points and 13 assists from Diana Taurasi. Sandrine Gruda scored 18 points and Candace Parker and the Storm’s Ewelina Kobryn had 11 apiece. Taurasi was 5-of-7 from downtown and Kobryn added another three as UMMC shot 7-of-10 as a team.

Svetlana Abrosimova contributed six points, five rebounds and three assists in Dynamo Moscow’s 59-52 win over Rostov-Don. Kristi Toliver’s 14 points led all scorers in the defensive battle, which saw Rostov-Don shoot 39.1 percent as a team.

SOUTH KOREA

Thanks to Tina Thompson, Woori Hansae has been pulling out close games lately. Last Monday, Woori defeated Winnus 65-64, overcoming 16 points and 16 rebounds from former Storm center Ashley Robinson with 23 points and 10 rebounds from Thompson, who shot 11-of-17 from the field. Earlier today, it was a 69-64 win over S-Birds that moved Woori two games ahead in the battle for the top spot in the WKBL. Thompson had 28 points and 16 rebounds and shut down WNBA counterpart Cathrine Kraayeveld, who finished with just 10 points.

TURKEY

No problem for Galatasaray (8-1) in an 81-48 victory over Mersin. Ann Wauters had 13 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes of action, while Sylvia Fowles scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards. Elsewhere, Homend Antakya improved to 4-5 with a needed 106-61 blowout of lowly Edremit. Antakya did not need scoring from Shekinna Stricklen, who had 11 points and attempted just seven shots in 22 minutes (making three of her four tries beyond the arc). Naile Cirak led the team with 22 points and Jolene Anderson scored 18.

Lisa Brummel

“I am truly honored to be inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and also proud to represent Yale University,” Brummel told YaleBulldogs.com. “During my college career I had the opportunity to play with great teammates who made me better as a player. Basketball is a team sport and I am grateful to have been on the Ivy League Championship team in 1979 and to have our team make the postseason tournament each year during my time at Yale.”

The Class of 2013 will be inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame next April 24. Brummel will be joined by Honorary Inductee Chris Dailey, the associate head women’s basketball coach at UConn, as well as former prep stars Karen “Pie” Draughn (Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven; Cheyney State) and Patty Costa (Andrew Warde High School, Fairfield; Fairfield University and University of Bridgeport), high school coach Nick Chaconis (Portland High School), and fellow collegian Amy Matthews McKenna (Thomaston High School, Western Connecticut State University). The Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame will also induct a college coach, who will be announced at a later date.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to honor individuals who have contributed to the enhancement of women’s basketball in the State of Connecticut

Abrosimova had five points and five rebounds while teammate Crystal Langhorne exploded for 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting as well as 10 reobunds. Irina Sokolovskaya added 21 points and three other players reached double figures for Dynamo, which advances to face another French side (BLMA) in the quarterfinals, which will be played on Jan. 17 and 24.

While Dynamo is through, the other Storm player in the EuroCup was eliminated. Shekinna Stricklen and Homend Antakya got off to an excellent start with a 79-61 win at home, but that margin wasn’t enough to withstand a 73-46 blowout loss Thursday to Chevakata in Russia. Stricklen led her team with 18 points but was held to 7-of-18 shooting with five turnovers. Former Tennessee teammate Glory Johnson did not go easy on Stricklen’s club, pacing Chevakata with 21 points and 12 boards.

- The most noticeable difference is the three-point line moving back from its current distance of 20 feet, 6 1/4 inches to 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches, the new line used by FIBA in international play. This is the second time the WNBA has moved the line; in 2004, the league went back from 19 feet, nine inches, the line for amateur women’s basketball, to match what was the FIBA standard at the time.

As WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Renee Brown noted in the release announcing the moves, three-point shooting actually went up then, though my analysis found attempts went down. This change is more substantial – 19 inches as compared to seven – but also matches what players are used to when they play overseas or for national teams.

In the short term, I would anticipate both lower three-point percentages and fewer attempts, though I eventually expect the trend toward more three-point shooting to continue. The change will not be felt equally by all players; those that have practiced shooting precisely from the former line could suffer, while players who already like to shoot well beyond the line (I can think of one example) should be just fine.

- For the first time, the WNBA will enforce a defensive three-second rule like the one the NBA enacted when zone defenses were legalized in 2001. The implication here is obvious: In presumptive No. 1 pick Brittney Griner, the WNBA is getting a presence in the paint unlike any before in league history, with the possible exception of the late Margo Dydek. For most centers, camping out under the rim hasn’t proven effective, even within zones, which is why the league has never had a rule. Griner could be the exception that forces the rule.

The other thing worth watching is how this affects teams like the Storm that use help-heavy defensive systems while playing man-to-man defense. Brian Agler’s defense asks weak-side defenders to be in the paint to provide help. They’ll now have to make sure they either stay no longer than three seconds or are within arm’s reach of an offensive player, which could require a bit of an adjustment.

- Lastly, the league will follow the NBA’s lead in cracking down on flopping. So far, the results seem to be nothing but positive, with a little less acting – at least of the egregious variety – going on. No complaints here, as with expanding the use of replay to determine the severity of flagrant fouls.

… from the Storm and Edna Campbell, Belinda Snell and Ann Wauters. (Apologies to Tonya Massaline, the other No. 12 in franchise history.)

Credits: Otto Greule/Getty Images Sport (L), Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE/Getty Images (C/R)

Ann Wauters played just 21 minutes as her team cruised, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds. Sancho Lyttle’s double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds paced four players in double figures.

Elsewhere in Russia, undefeated UMMC Ekaterinburg (7-0) got a surprisingly tough test from Dinamo Kursk before winning 77-66 despite Epiphanny Prince’s 35 points in the losing effort. Diana Taurasi led the way with 22 points for Ekaterinburg, which got a nice run from Ewelina Kobryn off the bench. Kobryn had four points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes.

AUSTRALIA

Rough weekend for the Canberra Capitals, who were swamped 96-50 by Sydney Uni on Friday to slip to 5-7 without Lauren Jackson. April Sykes of the L.A. Sparks led the rout with 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting, featuring three triples. Brigette Ardossi, with 21 points and nine rebounds, was the only Caps player to score double digits.

CHINA

While the WCBA’s attention was on the anticipated first showdown between Liz Cambage and Maya Moore, Camille Little helped Shanghai above .500 (7-6) with Saturday’s 79-63 win over Bayi. Little had 18 points and nine rebounds, drawing nine fouls. Moore (53) and Cambage (49) combined for more than 100 points, but Cambage’s team got the win to move within a game of first place.

ISRAEL

Herbalife Ramat Hasharon crushed Elizur Holzon 108-64 on Monday to improve to 3-2. Alysha Clark had 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, and added five rebounds. Alexis Gray-Lawson paced Hasharon with 26 points as five players reached double-figures in the lopsided win.

KOREA

Behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from Tina Thompson, Woori Hansae rolled to a 67-51 win over Bichumi on Sunday, bouncing back from a loss to KB Stars on Thursday and staying on top of the WKBL standings at 13-4.

TURKEY

Galatasaray (7-1) keeps on rolling. On Saturday, Gala dispatched of Canik Belediye by a 71-56 final. Ann Wauters finished with 12 points and four rebounds, taking a bit of a step back on offense with the return of Sylvia Fowles (10 points, six boards) from a leg injury. A balanced Galatasaray attack featured five double-figure scorers, including Sancho Lyttle (14 points, 12 rebounds).

Homend Antakya fell to 3-5 with a tough 82-76 loss to Kayseri Kaski. Shekinna Stricklen scored 19 points in defeat. Antakya still has a good opportunity to advance in EuroCup play after toppling Chevakata 79-61 at home in last week’s first leg of the two-game aggregate series.

So humbled to have been a part of tonight with such amazing people. @markberetta @kkeneally @itsstephrice @katelundy

— Lauren Jackson (@laurenej15) December 4, 2012

CHINA

Shanghai (6-5) went on the road to defeat Henan 76-72 Saturday behind 32 points and eight rebounds from Camille Little, who went to the free throw line 15 times, making 12. Little got the best of San Antonio’s Jayne Appel, who finished with 28 points and 16 boards.

KOREA

Asia-Basket.com named Tina Thompson Player of the Week for Round 14 in the WKBL. Thompson earned the honor with 25 points and 10 rebounds in Woori Hansae’s 68-65 win Monday over KB Stars. With the win, Woori (12-3) is now first in the league. Thompson is averaging 18.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in five games since arriving in Korea.

TURKEY

Galatasaray moved to 6-1 in TBBL play by knocking off Adana Botas 67-54 on Saturday. Ann Wauters led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds. Sancho Lyttle had 14 points and five rebounds. Courtney Paris had eight points and nine rebounds for Botas.

Homend Antakya snapped a slump with a 68-56 victory over Samsun Basketball. Shekinna Stricklen did not play, but four Antakya players scored double figures, including 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Jana Vesela and 14 points for Jolene Anderson.

Forward Alysha Clark is one of eight players the Storm has signed to contracts for training camp to try to make the team. She’s blogging about the experience for StormBasketball.com. You can follow Clark between blogs on Twitter @Alysha_Clark and stay tuned for future installments!

May 8

Hey hey, everyone!

So I’ve waited a few days to write because I wanted to have something more to share with y’all! The first week of training camp has come and gone so fast! The main theme Coach has been emphasizing these past few days is defense. He’s so passionate about us playing defense and being a great defensive team!

Over the weekend we got a day off so I got a chance to see Seattle a little bit. My aunt and cousin told me to make sure I ate at Ivar’s, so I went there for lunch before I went to the aquarium. The aquarium was pretty cool, I just wished there were some sharks! I also got a chance to visit the antique mall right across the street and there was a lot of really cool old stuff in there!! For dinner I went to the Space Needle and that was by far one of the coolest experiences! The view was gorgeous and the food was delicious!!

Today we scrimmaged the Chinese National team. It was good to scrimmage against another team and have to guard some players and plays we weren’t used to. But we all got better today!! Tomorrow we have Media Day and then a scrimmage against the Canadian national team, so it will definitely be a long, but fun day:-)

Oh I almost forgot! I went to the EMP museum too! I learned a lot about some artists that I’ve never listened to and got a chance be an Avatar! :-) it was a lot of fun!

Until next time,
Alysha