It is hard to repeat as champions in any sport, but 58 percent of the WNBA’s general managers say the Seattle Storm will do it again.
The annual GM surveys came out on Wednesday, and while they mean nothing in the overall scheme of things. They do provide insight as to how each team, and many of its players, is viewed going into the season.
For instance, the GMs picked the Phoenix Mercury as the most fun team to watch for a second straight season.
After Saturday, so far so good with the selections.
The Mercury were fun to watch as they faced the defending champion Storm at KeyArena on national television, but they also lost, 78-71.
Mercury guard Diana Taurasi scored 31 points, but the balance of the Storm was too much for Phoenix to overcome.
Incidentally, the GM’s also picked Taurasi, with 33 percent of the vote, to win the 2011 Most Valuable Player award.
The Storm were tops in other categories of the surveys. Reigning MVP Lauren Jackson was voted the top center and power forward, Sue Bird was voted the game’s top point guard and best player at making her teammates better and Brian Agler was selected as the best coach.
Seattle fans were honored as well, 91 percent of the general managers voted the Storm as having the best home court advantage.
The Minnesota Lynx, who had two of the top four picks in the WNBA draft (including University of Connecticut legend Maya Moore with the No.1 pick), were voted as the league’s most improved team. Moore was an overwhelming favorite to win rookie of the year.
The Storm will get a first hand look at the Lynx in their next game at 7 p.m. on Thursday at KeyArena.
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