‘Seattle Huskies’: Former UConn women’s basketball players embracing shared connection on the Storm
Sitting alongside fellow former UConn women’s basketball players Sue Bird and Evina Westbrook on Tuesday, Breanna Stewart jokingly pegged the WNBA’s Storm as the “Seattle Huskies.”
The Storm have had multiple Huskies leading the way for some time now, including three last season with Bird and Stewart alongside Katie Lou Samuelson. That number bumps up to four this year with the addition of Westbrook through the draft as well as the acquisition of Gabby Williams through a trade with the Los Angeles Sparks for Samuelson. It’s the most UConn players on any roster in the WNBA.
“We do all kind of have the same background, that pedigree, and we always look out for each other,” Bird said. “So I think it’s a great spot for (Westbrook) to come into a place that has other UConn players. And the program, I know they haven’t won in a couple years, but one thing they do is get people ready for the WNBA.”
Bird and Stewart both said they were excited when the Storm selected Westbrook with the 21st pick.
“I think that she’s a player that can obviously affect the game on both ends,” Stewart said. “She’s smart, she’s kind of been through it all on and off the court and just gives us a new presence that we need. And there is a UConn connection because no matter if we play together or not it’s a family, and just wanting to continue to help her along in this process as she helps us.”
Westbrook said the first three days of training camp have “been a huge adjustment so far.” As is the case for many rookies, the 6-foot guard has felt a bit out of sync at times as she gets the hang of each drill and how the team operates. But having familiar veterans like Bird and Stewart (Williams is still finishing her season overseas) has helped the process.
“They’ve been rookies once so they totally understand what it’s like,” Westbrook said. “Like Sue said, we have the same type of pedigree coming from Connecticut. Coach [Geno Auriemma] does get us ready with everything that we’ve been through. … So I definitely felt ready to come in, I just knew it was gonna be a big change. And it has been, but it’s just about adjusting each and every day and they’ve been telling us that.”
Bird believes that Westbrook’s versatility will help the Storm this season, adding that there is a lot in the rookie’s game that she hasn’t even tapped into yet.
Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Bird, who has often talked publicly about how much she’s grappled with the decision of when to retire, is about to enter her 19th season in the league.
“Of course I want to win,” Bird said. “That’s where the good stuff is, right? Like that journey with a team trying to get to the finals, trying to get to the championship trophy so you can hoist that thing up.”
The WNBA’s all-time assist leader said she didn’t change too much in terms of her conditioning over the offseason, but she has had to be more aware of how her body is changing to fine-tune certain areas.
“That’s really it, just trying to be in the best shape possible,” Bird said. “But nothing (is) like playing basketball. So just like everyone else, I’m getting tuned up in training camp.”
Stewart has been easing back into training camp after undergoing a minor preventative Achilles procedure last October, according to an ESPN report.
“Just really trying to get a lot of reps, a lot of game action, scrimmage action, and taking it one day at a time and just doing what I can to get back out on the court,” Stewart said. “I think I’ve been doing five on five since March. Now it’s a little bit quicker, the ramp up, but I’ll be ready when the first game starts.”
The Storm are set to play another UConn-heavy squad in their final preseason game on April 28 when they face the Phoenix Mercury, led by Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles — Kia Nurse is also on the roster but recovering from a torn ACL.
Lila Bromberg can be reached at lbromberg@courant.com and @LilaBBromberg on Twitter.
