Knee surgery keeping Sue Bird out of training camp
By Mike Peden
Sunday marked the first day of training camp for WNBA teams. However, the Seattle Storm may encounter an unfortunate blip in their proverbial radar.
In a statement released by Alisha Valavanis, Seattle’s president and general manager, Sue Bird had a left knee scope in early April. As a result, the Storm will conduct training camp without their veteran point guard for now.
“Her rehab and progression are on schedule. Her timetable for participation in camp is not set, but we are expecting her back at full strength soon,” Valavanis said.
The Storm have a pair of preseason games in the next couple of weeks. Since the exhibition games are used in part to determine who makes the cut, Bird’s absence would have little impact. Should Bird miss any time in the regular season, Jewell Loyd would likely spell for Bird at the point. In her 2nd season, Loyd ranked eighth in the WNBA in scoring at 16.5 points per game. Loyd also developed a nice tandem with Breanna Stewart, and the two can uphold Seattle’s flow if Bird isn’t available.
Another player who could potentially move up the depth chart is Alexis Peterson, Seattle’s second-round draft pick from this year. Peterson, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, could prove to be a gem in future seasons. In her senior year at Syracuse, Peterson set single season records in scoring and assists.
Whatever happens, Seattle possesses plenty of talent at the guard position. Even if they have to wait for Bird to take the floor, the Storm have great potential to build on their playoff appearance from last year.