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Storm-Monarchs Preview

Jul 17, 2009 - 12:45 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Seattle (8-6) at Sacramento (3-11), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Seattle Storm haven't endured a three-game losing streak in 13 months.

After a pair of surprising home defeats, they will try to avoid extending their slide without the services of star forward Lauren Jackson on Friday night when they visit the last-place Sacramento Monarchs.

Seattle (8-6) saw its franchise-record 15-game home winning streak halted with Sunday's 86-81 loss to Chicago. The Storm followed with a 66-63 defeat to Detroit on Wednesday to drop consecutive games for just the second time this season.

"The bottom line is they made plays at the end of the game to take the lead and we couldn't counteract that," said Storm guard Sue Bird, who had 10 points and six assists against the Shock.

"But beyond that, our first half was terrible, and that's where we lost the game, in my opinion. We were able to fight back in the second half, but if we don't go down (so far), maybe it's a different story."

The Storm, losers of four of seven on the road, last dropped three in a row from June 13-16, 2008, with two of those defeats coming as the visitor.

To avoid a similar fate, Seattle will have to withstand Jackson's absence after she was injured in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss.

The veteran forward-center is out indefinitely after an MRI Thursday revealed a strained Achilles tendon. She did not travel with the Storm on Thursday to Sacramento and will remain in Seattle for treatment.

"We're going to measure the best treatment she can get to get back on the court," Storm coach Brian Agler told the team's official Web site.

Jackson, voted as a starter along with teammates Bird and Swin Cash on the Western Conference All-Star team, is fifth in the WNBA in scoring (18.9), third in blocks (1.9) and leads Seattle with 6.7 rebounds per game.

Jackson has been key in three victories over Sacramento (3-11) this season, averaging 19.7 points and 2.7 blocks. The seven-time All-Star blocked four shots in a 66-55 win over the Monarchs on July 9.

With Jackson out, the Storm will rely more on Cash, who had just eight points against Detroit after averaging 16.8 over the previous four games, including 18 last week against Sacramento.

The Monarchs, owners of the worst record in the league, are looking to end a three-game slide. They fell 100-81 at Phoenix on Wednesday to get swept in a home-and-home series.

Forward Nicole Powell is certainly doing her part to help Sacramento, scoring 23 in each of the last two games. She leads the Monarchs with 15.5 points per contest.

Powell, however, has struggled in three losses to the Storm, averaging 9.0 points on 10-for-32 (31.2 percent) shooting.