Final score: Storm 75 – Lynx 63 (W) (14-13)

Attendance | 9686 (Second consecutive sellout!)

Anthem Xtra Notes | Sign, yes

Anthem High Note | Yes, but the kids didn't do it

Anthem Style | Gospel Kids Choir

Fan Noise | Very loud, but not painfully so

Signs | The most ever?

Fan Psyche | Beat LA!

Halftime | Mascot violence posing as musical chairs

The Storm's stated goal for the end of this season is to go 9-0 and into the playoffs. After their 4th win in a row, their confidence is up and they are making a serious run at accomplishing that goal.

Before that last home loss to the Comets (still fuming about that one I tell you), the Storm's modus operandi was win a big important game one night against a league powerhouse and then lose the next night to a team they should be pummeling. They seemed to have a hard time sustaining any momentum or putting together more than a 2-game streak, winning or losing. The team was having problems keeping leads and finishing off games (I point to the OT loss to Miami and the home loss to Houston). But, they also beat the Sparks and even though they lost twice to the Comets, the Storm were in both of those games.

I think those two Houston losses woke the Storm up. I think they started believing in themselves just that little bit more. It has given them the edge in the games since. Over these last four games, the Storm have been finding ways to win. They have been able to confidently get momentum-sustaining baskets and scoring runs to get the lead, keep the lead and finish the game. In many ways, they are playing like the team we were all looking for about a month and a half ago.

This game was not necessarily pretty, but the Storm built a lead, withstood the late-game Lynx push, overcame their own difficulties (fouls, turnovers, and lazy rebounding) and found a way to keep the Lynx at arm's length.

A couple points to worry about: 3 point shooting and rebounding. The Storm have fallen in love with the 3 point shot lately and it could be argued that they are a little too quick with the perimeter shots. True, Sue, Kamila, Lauren, Kate S. and Amanda have all shown that they can hit the 3, but long shots mean long rebounds that all seem to go to the opponent. The Storm aren't shooting in the mid 30's anymore, but they are still missing enough that the other players should still be actively looking for the rebound. I've said it before and I'll keep pointing it out - only a couple of our players go after rebounds with any aggression. Most seem to focus more on trying to box out the other players than putting 2 hands on the ball. Both of these points could rise up and bite us hard against a higher quality team than the Lynx (and hey, look who we are playing tomorrow - the Sparks). The Storm seem to be gaining confidence offensively. Now they need to go after rebounds with the same aggression and confidence and they really will be playoff contenders.

After the game, David Locke talked to Sue Bird about the game. He asked her about her role as a scorer and how that is different than her role in the past. She basically said that they all are looking to score and are taking the open looks. Sue was being a modest of course. Watching her play lately, it seems that she is able to turn it on anytime she wants and has been able to hit baskets at exactly the time that the team needs it the most. It almost seems that she has been holding back offensively (yeah, I know she's scoring more than she did at UCONN) and that she is very deliberately picking the time to shoot or pass. Well duh, you are thinking, that's what a point guard is supposed to do. Yes, but I think she could be scoring a lot more if she turned it on sooner. Every time the other team gets off a small run, it is Sue who drives to the basket, pulls up for a jumper or hits the three that keeps the Storm in the lead. I know it's not supposed to be the Sue Bird show - but it could be if she really decided to take over a game.

Lauren is also playing extremely well lately and has developed a lightening quick first step (or did she already have it and is just now putting it to use?) that is leaving defenders in the dust. Her shot is flat, she uses glass almost all the time, and it looks like she is heaving the ball at the rim with too much force - but they keep going in. I think too many people dismiss her as being soft or too laid-back. Lauren has been showing a lot of power and it is a lot of fun to watch her play.

Kate Starbird made her Seattle WNBA debut and didn't put up the numbers she has in the last three games. Maybe it was nerves or solid defense from the Lynx forwards, but Kate didn't have a huge offensive impact. Except of course for the first half buzzer beating half court shot that got the crowd on their feet and screaming. That shot also produced another of those spontaneous displays of team joy that we all like to see. Kate was mugged at mid-court by the rest of the team (Kamila got popped in the face by someone throwing their arms around Kate) and they went into the locker room up 13 instead of 10.

Speaking of Kamila, she has faded a bit since her big time scoring and rebound days early in the season. She is still putting up solid dependable numbers, but she's not quite the threat she was. I wonder if the other teams have decided to focus on shutting her and the non Jackson or Bird players down on the theory that Lauren and Sue aren't enough to win the games alone. Kamila certainly has been getting beaten up lately. She and Katie Smith collided hard under the south basket and both players limped away. Kamila seemed to almost not be able to shoot the free throws.

Notes:

The lunchbox is pretty darn cool. Some of the many kids' groups at the game were actually putting food in the lunchboxes - a good sign that they might get used (and not end up on a shelf - the destiny for my lunchbox). I'm sure the Storm marketing gurus will be happy if a decent percent of these giveaways make it into area schools on a daily basis. Nothing like (almost) free advertising. And, they are a nice going away souvenir for Semeka Randall. I'm sorry Michelle, but your "I say go, you say Storm" routine just wasn't the same.

Just to show that the Diva isn't the only WNBA player with the ability to throw down, on the way off the floor after the pre-game warm-ups Takeisha Lewis jogged up to the basket in front of the Storm bench, leisurely jumped up, grabbed the rim and pulled down on it. Maybe now that She Who Must Not Be Named has dunked (and come on now, that was a wimpy dunk. If you're going to be first, do it with some style, not a glorified layup), maybe other players will feel more comfortable doing it (Crawley, DyDork, and you too Takeisha).

Even though there were more kids at this game than any other, including the preseason game with all the Girl Scouts, the noise level wasn't as eardrum splitting as many worried it would be. That Girl Scout game was straight up painful and had all of us wincing and checking our ears for that telltale trickle of blood. Today's game was loud, but I don't think anyone was worried for their health because of the volume.

There were signs a plenty. I would say, unscientifically of course, that there may have been more signs at this game than any other. You can always trust the kids to come strong with the signs.

Several WNBA mascots made an appearance purportedly to support Doppler's third "birthday." They were pretty funny and mascot violence is one of my top 5 favorite things. There were body slams, groin shots, bodies being dragged to and fro - it was a beautiful thing. A couple of notes about the confluence of felt - anyone who thinks Doppler is the weirdest mascot just needs to take a look at some of the other mascots around the league. Freddie Fever beats Doppler on the just plain freaky scale, while the Mystics' Rabbit thing (I didn't catch its name) is certainly more of a head-scratcher than our lovable doofus. Of course, on the scale of good and evil, the saintly to the diabolical - there can be no more nefarious a character than Spot the Fire Dog. He was here too. Every time I saw him, all I could think was, "YOU!" He acted all nice nice with the crowd, but we know what kind of heart beats in that plush black and white skin. During the halftime musical chairs act, Doppler did a ninja hip throw that sent Spot sprawling across the floor. I was in heaven. One fan told us that she saw Spot before the game and told him that we are going to beat them (Portland) and beat them good. He growled at her. Spot - the nemesis of stormfans.org.

Last item - a small "Beat LA" chant started up a couple of times towards the end of the game. I'm not going to get my hopes up too high, I know how hard that game is going to be - but damn it would be fantastic to beat them in their house and use that win to tie us with Portland for the 4th playoff spot (because Washington is going to put the hurt on the Fire). Beat LA!!