The Monarchs kept the score low and the game close early, but Seattle pulled away after halftime. Both teams resembled their 2004 incarnations: Bird and Jackson led all scorers, closing with nifty fast breaks, while Sacramento just couldn't find the hoop.

Bird says coach Donovan told her to take charge: "She said to me, 'All right, now is the chance to take control of the team, stay composed and not give up this lead... The last couple of games, we've been up going into the fourth quarter and we've let teams go on runs against us."

Barb Turner got her first-ever start and looked sharp.

Coach Whiz told Sacto columnist Ailene Voisin that all the distractions (his mother's death, the Kings' coaching search) have hurt his team: "The last few days I have been asking myself whether losing my mom and the Kings' situation has affected my performance. 'Am I emotionally ready to do this?' And I know that I have to be... The girls bought into our selfless style of play, and now I need to do my part."

Both the Storm and the Monarchs now sit amid the Western Conference with .500 records: the tie gets broken, one way or the other, when the Storm visit Los Angeles tonight.