The Olympian

Storm starts training camp

By TIM BOOTH | The Associated Press • Published April 22, 2008

SEATTLE — Sheryl Swoopes looked down at the piece of paper, gave a quick scan of the roster and made quite the pronouncement.

“When I look at this roster here, top to bottom, with the exception of the USA (basketball) team, I’ve never been a part of a team that had so much talent,” Swoopes said Monday.

With that, the already lofty expectations for the 2008 Seattle Storm were raised even more — and training camp only started Monday.

The Storm began camp under new coach Brian Agler with a thinned roster while many of their stars continued playing overseas. Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird are still competing in the Euroleague tournament with their team in Russia, while new forward Swin Cash is playing with the U.S. team in a tournament in China.

That meant most of the attention was left for Swoopes, who missed most of last season with a back injury, new center Yolanda Griffith and Agler, all adjusting to the start of their first training camp in Seattle.

For Swoopes and Griffith, it’s a stark change from the past. Both were mainstays in Houston and Sacramento, respectively, spending their entire WNBA careers with one team. They won titles and were MVPs with the teams they became associated with, then jumped at the chance to join Jackson, Bird and Cash and create a roster in Seattle that looks more like an Olympic or All-Star team than a typical WNBA lineup.

“It does feel different. I have to get used to the uniform,” Griffith said. “I’m excited about it. I did so much in Sacramento and I felt it was time for a different change and it was a good move for me.”

While Monday was a get-aquatinted session for the 12 Storm players that are in camp, it was also a celebration of the team’s secure future in Seattle. In January, Force 10 Hoops LLC purchased the Storm from Seattle SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett for $10 million, assuring the Storm would be in Seattle for the 2008 season and beyond.

The purchase closed six weeks ago, creating a hectic March and April for the new ownership group getting ready for the May 17 season opener against Chicago.