The Storm opens its 13th training camp Sunday enshrouded in more mystery than predicting the day's weather. There are two gaping holes in the starting lineup and a group of players with their own question marks eager to fill them.

At the helm is coach and general manager Brian Agler, who in his fifth season aims to revamp the roster while pursuing a fifth consecutive 20-win season. He might be better off cooking a holiday dinner in a kitchen as it's renovated.

"What we're trying to do is very difficult — maintain a high level of competitive drive and success by striving to win championships but yet still get younger with the roster," said Agler, whose Storm has reached the WNBA playoffs a league record-tying eight consecutive times. "Those two things really don't work together sometimes. We're trying to do it."

The opening week of camp could feel like an open tryout. Veterans Camille Little and Katie Smith are the only Storm returnees to report on time. Three-time MVP Lauren Jackson will not show until after the London Olympics in order to prepare and compete for her native Australia, while backcourt cohorts Sue Bird (Russia) and Tanisha Wright (Israel) are wrapping up overseas play. Bird helped UMMC Ekaterinburg win the Russian championship and Wright's Elizur Ramla plays a Game 3 against Maccabi Ashod on Monday.

Gone are Swin Cash, Ashley Robinson, and Le'coe Willingham. The trio were trade casualties that culminated in more than $200,000 in salary-cap space to gain youth in forward Victoria Dunlap and No. 2 draft pick Shekinna Stricklen among other pickups like Spanish point guard Silvia Dominguez.

They'll filter into camp vying for bench roles or to fill Jackson's vacant slot, like free-agent signee Tina Thompson and unproven camp invitees from USC's three-point specialist Ashley Corral to forward Alysha Clark.

"It's exciting because you want to see some of the people you traded for or drafted, how that plays out and what they can bring to the table," Agler said. "Obviously we know Katie, Camille and Tina are going to play on our team, so we'll give them a really good focus in getting them up to speed.

"But in reality, there are some players on your team initially that aren't going to be on your final roster. That doesn't mean you don't coach them. Our job is to bring a very competitive training camp and bring the best out of everybody."

One of the positions that will get an early look is point guard, especially since Bird isn't expected until the week of May 7. In exit meetings, Bird and Wright have spoken about the desire to have a true point guard on the roster similar to when Olympian Shannon Johnson wore a Storm uniform in 2009.

Another strong ballhandler could open up Seattle's offense, filling another void created this offseason — the loss of the top two scorers from 2011. Jackson, the team's all-time leading scorer (5,915), will return. But when Agler traded Cash with Willingham and a draft pick to Chicago, he shipped Cash's 13.3 points, too.

The Storm averaged just 71.6 points last season, missing Jackson for 21 games due to injury. The team's output is down from averaging 81.8 points during its 2010 title season.

In the midst of unknowns, Agler and his staff have to find offense along with teaching a system former players said took two years to grasp comfortably. A candidate to help could be veteran Ann Wauters. She's not expected to arrive until Seattle opens exhibition play at Tulsa on May 11.

"Let's face facts. When you lose somebody like Lauren, you've got holes to fill," Agler said. "Obviously having somebody like Ann helps that immensely. But we still traded Swin away and that was a starter for us. I can't tell you right now that we've answered that question. But we do have people in training camp as of today that we can work to play that position."

Note

• Storm signees Jackson, Dominguez, Wauters and Jana Vesela helped Ros Casares Valencia win the Spanish Liga Femenina championship last week.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter @JaydaEvans