Lauren Jackson visits with Seattle Storm

Storm forward Lauren Jackson caught a whiff of the controversy her decision to have surgery on her right ankle created, especially since she was able to push through the Olympics, but not the remainder of the WNBA season.

She crawled slowly out of her Jeep on Thursday in anticipation of the response she'd receive when she finally returned to the Storm's practice facility — her first appearance since she left to train for the Olympics nearly two months ago.

"I saw her in the parking lot when she first came in, and you could tell she was looking to see how everybody was going to look at her," Storm forward Swin Cash said. "But she had a big smile still and is the same Lauren."

Jackson, the team's leading scorer (20.2), is back after having surgery Aug. 28, which caused her to miss the past six games. Cash also practiced after missing the Sacramento loss due to lower back pain. And forward Sheryl Swoopes was at the facility, but did not practice, after being released from an area hospital due to a mild concussion suffered Saturday.

The team re-signed guard Kimberly Beck, the team's third-round draft pick, for the remainder of the season. Because Swoopes is not expected to play the final two games of the season, Cash is listed as day-to-day and point guard Sue Bird is dealing with an aggravated right ankle, coach Brian Agler wanted depth in the backcourt.

Since Beck is a rookie, Agler said he can carry 13 players under the maximum $772,000 salary cap. But forward Kristen O'Neill's sixth seven-day contract expires today and the coach was vague about whether she'd be retained for the remainder of the season. Seattle would have to sign O'Neill permanently because Sunday's game at Los Angeles is the only remaining matchup before the postseason.

Rosters are due Wednesday. O'Neill could not be signed today and then added for the postseason.

San Antonio earned the top seed in the Western Conference by defeating Connecticut, 78-74, on Thursday. They own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Seattle, defeating the Storm 2-1 in a regular season series that ended in June.

Seattle clinched second place in the West after Los Angeles lost to Atlanta, 83-72, Thursday.

It'll be an emotional home finale as KeyArena welcomes back Dream stars Betty Lennox and Iziane Castro Marques. Lennox was the Storm's Finals MVP in 2004 while Castro Marques was part of the past three playoff teams.

"Betty will probably get a little more love," Storm guard Tanisha Wright said of the former fan favorite. "They'll probably cheer for her every time she touches the ball."

Yet none of the applause will probably top the cheers for Jackson. She arrived late Wednesday and had yet to take her physical, but her Australian doctors have been in communication with the Storm.

A bone spur chipped while training for exhibitions against Brazil before the Olympics. She thought treatment would correct the problem, but after needing cortisone injections that numbed her ankle in order to play in the Games, Jackson said she knew she needed surgery.

She still has two weeks before she can run and do movements on the court, keeping her projected return at the WNBA Finals — should the Storm (21-11) advance.

"I've got to be smart with this for longevity reasons," said Jackson, who had about five chips of bone removed during surgery. "I definitely feel better and I'm moving better. I don't have any of the pain that I had before."

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067