Notebook | Summer of discontent may have taken root during 2006 season

LOS ANGELES — For some critics, the problem with Storm coach Anne Donovan extends back to her coaching USA Basketball during the national team's performance at the FIBA World Championship in Brazil last fall.

America's streak of 50 consecutive World Championship and Olympic wins ended as the team lost to Russia in the semifinals.

The loss also cost the U.S. women the winner's automatic berth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Team USA's next opportunity to qualify is a tournament in Chile in September.

Some wonder how that may affect the Storm. During the 2006 Storm season prior to the World Championship, those close to the WNBA team felt pressure to perform as Donovan managed both duties for the first time. She was an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor for the 2004 Olympic win in Athens.

No person who has served as USA Basketball head coach — a voluntary position — has ever been fired, but according to a USA Basketball spokeswoman, it could be done. The Olympic coach doesn't have to work in a pro league.

"We have every confidence in Anne, we couldn't have picked a better person for the job," said Val Ackerman, USA Basketball president and former WNBA president, commenting on the pressures Donovan faced last season.

Miscommunication

Contradicting a previous Donovan statement, team sources said there was no team meeting in which a Times article about discontent within the team was mentioned.

In Minnesota on Friday, Donovan told The Times, "We have our typical game-day meetings, and we talked about the article. It's not my style to point fingers or place blame. So it's done."

Yet, when sources were asked about the meeting for their reaction, the response was that no such discussion took place. Donovan would not offer an explanation for the discrepancy.

Finally

Donovan said forward Wendy Palmer's three-point shot was the last part of her game that needed to return after a season-ending partial left Achilles tear last summer. Palmer, who had been 0 for 6 from three-point range this season, clenched her fists after hitting her first three of the season. It came with 7:12 remaining in the second quarter against Los Angeles on Sunday. Palmer was a 42.9 percent three-point shooter in 2005.

Sunday's box

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Jackson	32:25	14-22	5-5	3-10	1	3	35
CstroMrqs	30:02	3-13	0-0	0-5	2	2	7
Burse	27:14	3-7	6-9	4-6	1	1	12
Bird	36:05	3-6	0-0	0-2	5	0	7
Lennox	30:58	2-8	8-8	3-9	6	3	12
Plmr-Dniel	17:32	3-5	3-3	3-8	0	3	10
Wright	12:57	0-3	0-0	0-2	1	0	0
Gearlds	9:58	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0
Robinson	2:50	0-0	0-0	0-1	0	1	0
Totals		28-65	22-25	13-43	17	14	83

Percentages: FG .431, FT .880. Three-point goals: 5-22, .227 (Jackson 2-3, Bird 1-3, Palmer-Daniel 1-3, Castro Marques 1-7, Gearlds 0-1, Wright 0-2, Lennox 0-3). Team rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 24 (26 PTS). Blocked shots: 3 (Burse 2, Palmer-Daniel). Turnovers: 21 (Lennox 5, Bird 4, Castro Marques 4, Wright 4, Burse 2, Jackson, Palmer-Daniel). Steals: 10 (Burse 2, Castro Marques 2, Bird, Jackson, Lennox, Wright, Gearlds, Palmer-Daniel). Technical fouls: None.

LOS ANGELES
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
McW-Frkln	36:17	4-11	2-2	3-7	1	3	10
LThomas	14:44	2-6	2-2	1-2	2	3	7
CThomas	13:56	2-3	5-6	0-2	0	3	9
Fernandez	34:48	4-12	1-2	1-4	2	1	9
Mabika	22:29	1-6	0-0	0-1	3	5	2
Moore	6:01	0-3	0-0	0-1	0	1	0
Baker	29:51	6-12	2-4	1-4	8	1	15
Spencer	27:09	5-10	0-0	0-2	2	2	15
Page	12:44	2-2	0-0	0-1	0	2	4
Brown	2:01	0-1	0-0	0-1	0	0	0
Totals		26-66	12-16	6-25	18	21	71

Percentages: FG .394, FT .750. Three-point goals: 7-18, .389 (Spencer 5-6, L.Thomas 1-3, Baker 1-3, Mabika 0-1, McWilliams-Franklin 0-2, Fernandez 0-3). Team rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 18 (16 PTS). Blocked shots: 4 (Spencer 2, Fernandez, McWilliams-Franklin). Turnovers: 17 (Baker 5, Fernandez 4, Mabika 3, Page, C.Thomas, McWilliams-Franklin, Spencer, L.Thomas). Steals: 11 (Baker 5, Spencer 3, Mabika 2, Fernandez). Technical fouls: None.

Seattle	22	24	21	16 — 83
Los Angeles	12	22	18	19 — 71

Attendance: 8,127 (13,141). Time: 1:56. Officials: Lamont Simpson, Scott Twardoski, Denise Brooks-Clauser.