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Storm-Silver Stars Preview

Jul 27, 2009 - 6:30 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Seattle (11-6) at San Antonio (7-8), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Making her first All-Star appearance in four years, Seattle Storm forward Swin Cash turned in a record-breaking performance and claimed MVP honors.

When the Storm resume regular-season play Tuesday night, Cash will try to snap her team's nearly four-year road drought against the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Voted in as a starter with teammates Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird, Cash scored an All-Star record 22 points to lead the Western Conference to a 130-118 win on Saturday in Connecticut.

"This afternoon was just great," said Cash, one of five former University of Connecticut players in the game. "I was humbled to win the MVP. I want to thank my teammates not only for passing me the ball, but encouraging me in the fourth quarter to go out there and keep being aggressive."

Now, the Storm (11-6) will be looking for a season-high fourth straight win and a chance to move closer to regaining the lead in the West.

Seattle led the conference from June 19-26 before dropping four of six, and Phoenix surged past thanks to a six-game win streak. The Storm, who averaged 68.7 points over those contests, have scored 79.7 points per game in their past three wins and are 1 1/2 games back of the Mercury entering Tuesday's play.

That scoring increase came as Jackson, averaging a team-best 18.9 points, sat out two games after straining her left Achilles' tendon.

She returned to score 18 points in Wednesday's 98-87 triple-overtime victory over visiting Los Angeles, but was ejected with 2:51 left in the second extra period after scuffling with the Sparks' DeLisha Milton-Jones.

Cash also suffered through her worst shooting performance of the season, making just four of 21 field-goal attempts. Bird - another former UConn star - hit a season-high seven 3-pointers with three coming in a 13-0 run in the final overtime.

Bird was 7 of 14 from behind the arc and paced Seattle with 23 points. She'll try to lead the Storm to their first victory in San Antonio since Aug. 23, 2005.

The Silver Stars (7-8) have won eight of 11 meetings since then, including five in a row at the AT&T Center, but Seattle held San Antonio to a season low for points in the lone matchup this year - a 66-53 victory July 7 that was part of a franchise-record 15-game home win streak.

The Silver Stars, however, defeated East-leading Indiana 84-65 on Thursday as they held top All-Star vote-getter Tamika Catchings scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting while San Antonio's Sophia Young scored 24 points in 25 minutes.

"It was great to see us come out with intensity against a good team," Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. "That was the easiest basketball game so far for us."

Hughes' club has posted consecutive wins only once this season from June 23-26.

The teams meet again Saturday in Seattle.