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Lauren Jackson re-signs with Seattle
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After an agonizing wait, Seattle fans, players, and front office take a collective sigh of relief as Lauren Jackson decides to return 
for her 9th season with the Seattle Storm. Lauren Jackson, considered one of the top players in the WNBA, contemplated leaving the Storm to play for the Phoenix Mercury.
Phoenix head coach Corey Gaines has been courting the Australian forward and even took a trip to Russia to try to persuade Jackson to play with the likes of Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter in Phoenix.
The loss of Jackson would have been a blow to the Storm. Jackson averaged 20 points and 7 rebounds per game last season and is a cornerstone of the Seattle franchise. Jackson began her career with the Seattle Storm as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 WNBA draft and was an integral part of Seattle’s championship title in 2004.
Did Jackson make the right decision?
Despite 5 all-stars on the roster last season, Seattle failed to make it passed the first round of playoffs. An astonishing array of talent is not enough to bring a championship. Yolanda Griffith couldn’t withstand the rigors of playing a full 40 minutes. Swin Cash and Sheryl Swoopes were sidelined with injuries throughout the season. Jackson decided to forgo the rest of the season after the Olympic break to have ankle surgery.
Though Seattle lost two of it’s All-Stars in Giffith and Swoopes, Seattle’s future looks brighter with the return of Suzy Batkovic, the re-signing of Janell Burse and Ashley Robinson, and the acquisition of veteran guard Shannon Johnson from the defunct Houston Comets.
After winning the title in 2007, the Mercury finished out of playoff contention for the seventh time in eight years. Phoenix lost a major cog in its machinery when Australian forward Penny Taylor decided to forego the 2008 season. The loss of head coach Paul Westhead played another factor.
Recently, Phoenix has shifted its roster signing Temeka Johnson and trading veteran point guard Kelly Miller and forward LaToya Pringle for Nicole Ohlde. The Mercury also traded a 2009 second-round draft pick for Alison Bales. In essence, the Mercury exchanged a proven veteran point guard for a pretty decent one with team issues (When the Rookie of the Year gets traded after her first season, then gets traded again after her fourth season, there are some obvious problems) and acquired two unproven posts. Without Jackson, and most likely Penny Taylor, the Mercury have a gaping hole in its lineup.
Jackson’s chances of winning another championship will be greater with the Storm than with Phoenix. The Mercury did not make the roster changes it needed to create a better team than last year. In fact, I’m leaning toward the opposite. On the other hand, Seattle is moving in the right direction. And with the re-signing of Lauren Jackson, the Storm may prove to be a couple steps ahead of the pack.
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