Storm Waives Clinesmith and McCulley
 Clinesmith |
SEATTLE – The Seattle Storm today requested waivers on 5-5 guard Stacy Clinesmith and 6-3 center/forward Danielle McCulley, Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Anne Donovan announced.
The cuts come in advance of tomorrow's deadline that forces WNBA teams to cut down to 15 players in camp. The Storm had 15 in camp prior to the moves, but forward/center Andrea Gardner is expected to arrive tomorrow, meaning at least one cut had to be made. Centers Kamila Vodichkova and Simone Edwards remain overseas. They are expected to return on May 9 and May 12, respectively. The Storm will have to cut at least one player by the time Edwards arrives in camp.
Clinesmith, a native of Spokane, WA who was the Washington State High School Player of the Year in 1996, is a four-year WNBA veteran who previously had played with the Detroit Shock and the Sacramento Monarchs. Her chances of making the Storm's roster were hurt when it was discovered she was a four-year veteran, not a three-year vet, because she spent two days on the Shock's active roster last season. That bumped Clinesmith up to the veteran minimum salary, making her more difficult to fit under the WNBA's hard salary camp.
After Clinesmith's release, the once-crowded battle for the Storm's backup point guard role is now down to just incumbent Tully Bevilaqua. While Michelle Greco and Rita Williams can play the point, Bevilaqua and starter Sue Bird are the only true point guards remaining on the Storm's roster.
 McCulley |
McCulley's depth in the post became expendable with the arrival of Gardner and the expected returns of Edwards and Vodichkova.
The Storm will play their first preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, May 8 at America West Arena in Phoenix at 7 p.m. Seattle will play one home preseason game on Sunday, May 16 at 6 p.m. against the Phoenix Mercury at KeyArena.
Seattle will open the 2004 WNBA season against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, May 20 at KeyArena.
Single-game tickets for all Storm home games at KeyArena can be purchased by logging on to storm.wnba.com or by calling 1-877-WNBA-TIX or. For information on 2004 Storm season tickets, group tickets and ticket packages, call 206-217-WNBA or log on to storm.wnba.com.
