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Friday 21 September 2018
No rest for WNBA champs Bird, Stewart and Loyd

By DOUG FEINBERG his first WNBA title after this
AP Basketball Writer two-week stretch is fin-
TENERIFE, Spain (AP) — It's ished, hopefully with a gold
been a whirlwind week for medal. For now, he's en-
Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird joying the chance to be
and Jewell Loyd. The trio an assistant to U.S. coach
won a WNBA champion- Dawn Staley.
ship with the Seattle Storm "It's fun for me, I spent 16
and then dashed off to years as a collegiate assis-
play for USA Basketball in tant and actually felt like
the FIBA Women's World that period was a good
Cup. period of my life. I enjoyed
"It's been busy, now we it, liked being an assistant,"
are turning the page," said he said. "It's fun to revisit it
Stewart, the WNBA MVP in that regard. How to be
of both the regular sea- helpful to Dawn as op-
son and the Finals. "We did posed to being the final
everything we wanted to. decision-maker."
Won a championship and The Storm players aren't the
had a parade. Now we are only ones from the Finals
switching gears. We'll have in the World Cup. Wash-
more of an appreciation of ington Mystics star Elena
what we did the last month Delle Donne is playing in it
when this is over. Now we're for the first time. For her, the
just focused on helping USA World Cup is a chance to
Basketball and do what we get back on the court and
can to win." move past the disappoint-
Seattle won the title on ing end to the season.
Sept. 12, sweeping Wash- "I was just dwelling till I got
ington in the best-of-five here," she said. "And now I
series. The team flew back In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, file photo, from left, Seattle Storm's Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd and have something new to fo-
from D.C. the next day and Breanna Stewart celebrate during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball finals against the cus on. It's nice to be able
then had a parade three Washington Mystics in Fairfax, Va. to compete again and win
days later to celebrate the Associated Press something."
championship. Delle Donne said the bone
The three players and to get ready for the world to wind down and you flip Seattle Storm teammate bruise in her left knee that
coach Dan Hughes were championship. the switch and start all over Sami Whitcomb also is in limited her during the play-
on a plane the next day to "You just do, there's no sci- again." Spain, playing for Australia. offs is getting better, but
Spain. ence to it. After we won While Bird is playing in her Bird joked that she warned she will talk to Staley about
"The last week has been in Washington, we had a fifth world championship, her American teammates her playing time.
insane, the fact we won good three to four days this is Loyd's first. before their scrimmage on "It's pretty much Dawn and
a week ago and now are to really enjoy it," Bird said. "It means a lot. Any time Wednesday that Whitcomb I talk it out and see how it
here," Stewart said Thurs- "The city did a wonderful you have a USA jersey on is could shoot extremely well, feels and go from there,"
day. job with the parade, the an honor," Loyd said. "To do and yet she still hit a few Delle Donne said. "I had to
It's not the first time Bird has rally. As a team we got it with the teammates who open looks. convince my doctors. I told
had to do this. The Storm to hang out pretty much I just won a championship "To see her get rewarded them I wouldn't be going
last won a title in 2010 and every night. The city was with makes it even more in this way, it's pretty cool," crazy minutes, I'd be smart.
Bird and then-teammate amazing, everyone was special. I'm excited for this Bird said. When this is done I have
Swin Cash had to fly to the buying us dinner and drinks new journey and to add to Hughes knows he'll have time to go rest and recover
Czech Republic soon after wherever we went. It starts my legacy." plenty of time to celebrate and be all right."q

Continued from Page 17 "I think it's just not words, it could make his preseason
General manager Jason was his actions," Botterill debut as early as Saturday,
Botterill said the key to Rein- said. "It's been evident that when Buffalo hosts Toron-
hart's turnaround was how Sam wants to be part of our to. NOTES: Botterill expects
he established himself as a solution here in Buffalo." The Sheary to be ready for the
player unafraid of playing two-time 20-goal scorer has start of the season despite
in front of an opposing net. 65 goals and 140 points in the forward suffering an
He said it's on both Reinhart 249 career games. Reinhart upper body injury on Sept.
and his coaching staff to rejoins a roster that was 14. ... The Sabres are buying
continue his development. overhauled this summer af- out the final year of Vaclav
Botterill was impressed with ter the Sabres finished last Karabacek's contract after
Reinhart's approach during in the standings for a third the forward cleared waiv-
contract talks. He kept in time in five years. Despite ers. Karabacek was Buf-
touch with the team over the additions of forwards falo's second-round pick
the summer and traveled Conor Sheary and Jeff Skin- in the 2014 draft and had
to Buffalo to take part in ner, Reinhart is being count- eight goals and 16 assists in
informal workouts with his In this March 2, 2018, file photo, Buffalo Sabres center Sam Rein- ed upon to reclaim his role 51 games split between the
hart (23) battles for the puck with Florida Panthers defenseman
teammates before camp Keith Yandle (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on one of the top two lines. Sabres' two minor-league
opened, then returned to in Sunrise, Fla. Coach Phil Housley said affiliates over the past two
Vancouver last week. Associated Press there's a chance Reinhart years.q