The Returning Players

So I thought that I knew enough about our vets to focus on the new additions - wrong. All of our returning players (except Quacy and Simone) looked faster, stronger and more intense than they did last year. Contributing factors? 1/ Their roster spots are not for sure. With the addition of Sue Bird in particular, all of our returning players have something to prove. 2/ Productive offseasons. Not only did Michelle, Jamie and Charmin start working out in January, but Semeka, Simone and Quacy had strong play in Israel. Add in some much needed rest and they all look ready to go.

Simone Edwards and Quacy Barnes - I said that Simone and Quacy didn't look much better than they did last year. I think Simone may be hurt. In addition to the normal knee braces she wears, she was also wearing ankle braces. Also, at the Fan Fest, she passed on dancing with the kids. That alone got me thinking that she may not be 100%. It may sound mean, but Quacy didn't look that good today. She played like she normally does and I'm not sure that is enough this season. I'm not sure that Quacy will be on the team for opening day.

Sonja Henning - Everyone has relegated Sonja to the bench and a mentoring role for Sue Bird. Sonja looked so smooth and under control out there today that I don't think she is ready to step back at all. Not only was she hitting her shots, but she had her squad under complete control. For a good part of the practice, she wore a long sleeve T-shirt over her uniform and seemed to not even be sweating. All of her movements were precise and efficient. She took the T-shirt off and from the total soaking, she was working just as hard as everyone else. Chances are that Sonja may be traded - at least that is the forum opinion. I hope she doesn't go to a Western Conference team (please God, not Portland) because I have a feeling that she will be burning us nightly.

Semeka Randall - Also looking the smooth and seasoned veteran is Semeka. Maybe a better description would be focused. Semeka has taken her talent and focused it to the point where she is under control, makes good decisions and hits her shots. The guard competition has been focused on Michelle and Sue, but do not underestimate Semeka. I think she will surprise us this year. I also think she wants everyone to be sure and remember that Sue Bird isn't the only 39-0 NCAA champ in a Storm uniform.

Jamie Redd - Jamie is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. I'll be honest with you, last season I was unsure about Jamie. She seemed aloof and uncomfortable at times. She also liked to drive to the basket at times when she should be passing out to an open player, which often got us into trouble. On the other hand, Jamie went off for a couple 20+ games and she liked to drive to the basket when she should be passing out to an open player, which was often exactly what we needed. Well, now Jamie is loose, looks comfortable and confident, and is showing off a killer sense of humor. I think she too may surprise some people this year. During the practice today, she may have gotten more rebounds and loose balls than anyone else. She was slapping and pushing and not taking any crap, but was also playing in the flow of the game. She still went 1 on 2 a couple of times, but I think she hit both layups.

Charmin Smith - Already a fierce defender, Charmin has stated that her offseason development centered on her confidence and shooting. As with the other players, her intensity is up and it shows in her defense. I didn't watch Charmin too closely, but the few times I did see her, she was shooting with a smooth rhythm and high accuracy.

Michelle Marciniak - Michelle is one of the most competitive players on our team. She has had to maybe work harder than other players simply because she has bounced around so many teams over the last few years. Until now, she hasn't been the front runner to be the starting point guard (I may be wrong about that) because she hasn't been on a given team for more than a season or so. Michelle has not been able to get comfortable. Today, instead of just fighting with veteran Sonja Henning for the starting spot, she is also fighting with rookie Sue Bird. By watching her play, I can see that this challenge is pushing her to play harder and smarter. Michelle may not win the starting point guard spot, but because she is pushing herself and her competition so hard, whoever it is will be that much better.

Lauren Jackson - Of course it's hard to say anything about LJ because she wasn't sure what day, country or planet it is right now due to a nasty case of jet lag. If her stats from her Canberra season tell any kind of story, she is back and so much better than last year. Stormrocks has officially given Lauren the nickname "The Big Bad." Happy 21st birthday - now how about that double-double average this year?

Kamila Vodickova and Alessandra Santos de Oliveria - Both are still playing overseas and are reportedly healthy. This is good because Special K went out with a bum shoulder and Ally came in hurt last season. For Ally it was very disappointing because we never got to see what she could do on a consistent basis. We are all eager to have them back and to see what they can do this year.

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