By Seth DahleClean slate. New skill. Fresh Sunday, the Seattle Storm embarks on a brand-new journey under first-year head train Dan Hughes. The franchise business will begin its mission for a third-straight playoff look when it tips off the 2018 season against Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury at 6 p.m. PT during First night provided by period, the Storm has its views set much greater, as the https://www.wingssportsshop.com/collections/kalani-brown-jersey  group aims for its initial winning period because 2011 and very first title considering that 2010. Seattle is already off to an excellent begin, having grabbed preseason sway Phoenix metro, its initial clean preseason slate since 2013. The Storm's 'large three' of Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd are back this season to lead the way. Seattle went 15-19 general in 2017, however put with each other a crucial four-game winning streak down the stretch to earn a postseason bid. The Storm eventually lost at Phoenix in the initial round by a 79-69 margin but will certainly want to avenge that obstacle on of the opener vs. Phoenix az, right here's a check out the Tornado's position-by-position breakdown. Factor GUARDSPer typical, Bird will certainly be at the center of the Tornado's offense this period. She's the queen amongst point player in the world, along with the WNBA's all-time help leader with 2, 610 pennies. Last period, Bird balanced a career-best 6.6 helps per competition en course to winning the WNBA's Peak Performer honor for the classification, and the 10-time All-Star likewise balanced 10.6 factors per video game. With Bird guiding the Storm violation, followers have every reason to think Seattle will certainly once again be in contention for a solid postseason guard Jordin Canada has already gone far for herself in the WNBA, tape-recording 32 factors, 6 swipes and six cents in the 2 preseason gains the Mercury. The 5-6 flooring general left both UCLA and the Pac-12 Seminar as the all-time help leader, registering 831 cents in her occupation. She also established the program's single-season criteria for aids with 248 in her senior season and balanced 7.1 pennies per game in 2017-18, great for seventh in the NCAA. The skill and composure are absolutely there for Canada, meaning the newbie ought to see extensive mins in 2018. Noelle Quinn returns to the wood for her 12th period in the WNBA, and her experience needs to verify important in 2018, as well as the included depth to the pivotal '1' placement. She backed Bird last season, making four begins in 32 games and balancing 2.8 assists off the bench. Additionally, Quinn nailed 95.2 percent of her complimentary tosses and had a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. Must the Tornado make a deep run in the playoffs, its backcourt management and deepness at the factor will certainly play a vital aspect in title GUARDSIt certain has actually been enjoyable viewing Loyd broaden her currently explosive video game in her first three seasons. Loyd's points-per-game standard and three-point capturing percent have actually raised drastically because her 'Rookie of the Year' campaign in 2015, and there are numbers to support those claims. Last period, she balanced a career-best 17.7 factors per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the flooring and 38.6 percent from past the arc. Loyd had nine games with 25 factors or more last period, so consistency will certainly be type in 2018. Mentioning rapid growth, take a quick peek at Sami Whitcomb-- fast because the round will certainly be gone from the sharpshooter's hands in the blink of an eye. Renown for among the fastest releases in the organization, Whitcomb enters her second WNBA season in 2018 and will look to play a much larger function this year. After signing a training school contract and earning a place on the 2017 lineup, the former UW-product became a ruthless hustler who gave prompt crime off the bench, racking up averages of 4.5 factors and 1.7 rebounds per game. The Storm's included inside existence this season should liberate several more three-point try to find No. 33. SMALL FORWARDSWith the offseason enhancements of Courtney Paris and Natasha Howard, the Tornado will certainly currently have the possibility to move Stewart to the '3' setting, which will certainly permit the climbing superstar to function around the border along with the paint. In the past, the Storm's lack of bodies within compelled Stewart to play the '4' or '5, ' yet with included inside depth, opponents need to have their hands complete while dealing with the 6-foot-4, 2017 All-Star. It was quite the year for Stewart in her second WNBA season-- she broke the Storm's franchise business document for 20-point games with 21, ended up being the fastest gamer in the league to reach 1, 000 factors and 500 rebounds, and finished second in the WNBA in scoring with 19.9 factors per video game to accompany 8.7 rebounds. Ought to the statistical fads continue, Stewart would certainly be due for one more dynamite year in 2018, hence making her a solid prospect for Most Valuable onward Alysha Clark returns to the schedule for her 7th WNBA period and is coming off a successful offseason in Poland. While playing for CCC Polkowice in EuroLeague, Clark balanced 15.3 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds per contest. She fired over 47 percent from the flooring and likewise tallied 3 dimes per game, so if Clark can bring that exact same consistency to the 2018 WNBA period, Seattle will be that much of the Tornado's most dangerous outside shooters, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis didn't see much action in 2017, mostly because of sticking around injuries. Despite the difficulty, Mosqueda-Lewis was a trigger off the bench-- at one point she racked up 13 points straight when driving at Connecticut on Aug. 8. During the offseason, she went back home to California, where she recuperated swiftly and later on took her abilities back to France to play for Charleville-Mezieres for the 3rd successive pick Teana Muldrow played multiple placements throughout her profession at West Virginia, however she has the possible to be a defensive possession and trustworthy shooter at the '3' area. Throughout her elderly season as a Mountaineer, Muldrow averaged 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per video game, every one of which were group highs. Hughes has often appreciated her protective habits, which should not come as a surprise considering she played for among the most lethal protective groups in the Big 12 FORWARDSThe Tornado's most consistent offending tool in 2017, Crystal Langhorne topped her own single-season basket percentage document with a 64.7 percent capturing clip, and Seattle had every reason to assign the 10-year expert as a 'Core Gamer' during the offseason. At one point, Langhorne made 21 straight baskets in 2017, consisting of a 9-for-9 effort vs. Atlanta on July 15, establishing a franchise record for many makes without a miss. She had four double-doubles last period and averaged 12.4 points per game. In spite of the Storm's added deepness within, Langhorne's function should not alter a lot this period, as she continues to be a reputable and long lasting racking up presence with 'Crystal-clear' shooting Storm acquired Howard https://www.wingssportsshop.com/collections/natasha-howard-jersey, a 2017 WNBA champ, in a profession with the Minnesota Lynx in very early February, and her athletic capacity and 6-foot-2 structure will be a huge boost for Seattle. She possesses profession standards of 5.6 factors and 2.9 rebounds per game in the WNBA, and Howard continued to establish her abilities in China over the offseason. A standout entertainer for Zhejiang, she published period averages of 24.9 factors and 12.3 rebounds, shooting 56 percent from the floor and over 72 percent from the line. In the Storm's 2018 preseason, she compiled standards of 9 factors, 4.5 boards and 1.5 blocks per a post-oriented league that has actually been dominated by huge names such as Brittney Griner, Tina Charles and Sylvia Fowles, the Tornado needed to update its indoor play, especially at the facility placement. Seattle did just that, signing 6-foot-4 center Paris to a multi-year contract in very early February. Paris, a two-time WNBA rebounding peak performer, spent the 2016 and 2017 periods with the Dallas Wings, putting together standards of 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per competition. During the 2014 campaign with the Tulsa Shock, she transported in a career-best 10.2 boards per trip. With her smart message moves and topline toughness, Paris ought to play a vital variable for the Tornado's success in 2018. WHAT HUGHES IS PHRASE." The first point I want to be is a winning basketball group. I suggest, there's a reality, we have not been a winning basketball team considering that 2011. So, I assume that's the initial outright goal which's things I'm driving in the direction of. You add some good players like we've had the ability to do the last few years, yet you've https://www.wingssportsshop.com/collections/kalani-brown-jersey  reached have the confidence that goes with winning even more basketball games."" To be elite, we're mosting likely to have to bolster the protective side of the ball, and we're functioning truly, actually difficult to do that. However, I intend to be a winning basketball group and see where that takes us."