The past, present and future of Seattle Storm basketball fully intersected on July 15. Three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson came back from Australia for her jersey retirement ceremony. Sue Bird, who won two WNBA titles with Jackson, stole the show with her hilarious and touching tribute to her former teammate.And the young duo charged with being the next Bird and LJ -- guard Jewell Loyd and forward Breanna Stewart -- smiled while watching the proceedings. But in their minds, you know the wheels had to be spinning just a little: Might this be us someday? Will we have this kind of legacy?Then, of course, it was back to the everyday work of the WNBA season, and for Stewart, the Rio de Janeiro Olympics too. But the second rendition of the same storyline in Seattle -- two No. 1 picks taken in back-to-back years and becoming a dynamic duo -- is in the early stages of playing out very well for the Storm.Seattle returns to the playoffs after a two-year absence, and as the No. 7 seed will visit No. 6 Atlanta in Wednesdays first-round single-elimination game (ESPNEWS, 8 p.m. ET).The Storm (16-18) won seven of their 10 games after the Olympic break. Stewart (18.3 PPG) and Loyd (16.5 PPG) are Seattles top scorers, and Stewart also leads the team in rebounds (9.3) and blocked shots (1.9). She and Loyd both average 3.4 assists.I think theyre doing great, and its only their first year together, Bird said. They still have a long way to go and so much to learn about their games, and how their games can relate to each other. But for the most part, you can see a lot of it already.Both are extremely athletic, both very dynamic; their highlights are going to be those alley-oop plays to each other. That right there paints of picture of what theyre going to bring.We know Stewart is quite the ace in regards to one-and-done games such as the Storm will face Wednesday. She and the UConn Huskies won four consecutive NCAA titles from 2013 to 16. Three of those came at the expense of Loyds Notre Dame team, which UConn beat in the 2013 national semifinals and the 2014 and 15 finals.Then Loyd opted to forgo her senior season with the Irish and declared for the WNBA draft, going No. 1 in 2015. When the lottery balls fell for the Storm to have No. 1 for the 2016 draft as well, the comparisons to Bird and Jackson began immediately.?Making the handoff actually tangible, is that Bird is still right there as the heart of the Storm, having one of her best seasons at the age of 35. She led the league in assists (5.8) and also had her career high in 3-pointers (72) and shooting percentage from behind the arc (44.4). Shes the Storms third-leading scorer at 12.8 PPG.It might sound too perfect a script. And to be fair, Loyd and Stewart should not always have to be thought in terms of how they relate to the duo that came before them, one of whom is still very much around.But the thing is, Loyd and Stewart dont seem to be worried about how theyre going to live up to such expectations. They get it: Theyre star players who are exciting to watch individually and as a tandem, and the league needs that. They are the present, and most definitely the future.Loyd was the WNBAs Rookie of the Year last season, and Stewart is a lock for that honor this year. In fact, Stewart was a legitimate candidate for MVP as a rookie.Shes fearless; shes not afraid of risks or challenges, Seattle coach Jenny Boucek said of Stewart. Shes a great teammate, and she wants to be coached. As good as she is, there are still areas where she can improve, and she knows that.The same was said last year about Loyd. The jump in her scoring showed how well she put into practice the things that she learned from her rookie year, when she averaged 10.7 points.Having Sue telling me to be aggressive, to keep going -- having her in my ear has made me feel more confident, Loyd said. The work I did overseas helped me, too. I think the game feels a little slower your second year; Im seeing things earlier, reacting sooner. I think my defense is better, and on offense I understand mismatches better and where I can get my shots.And whether this 2016 postseason is very short, or the Storm go on a run, Loyd and Stewart are aware theyve landed somewhere pretty special.Its been really exciting, Stewart said. We played against each other a lot. Now to be on the same team ... obviously shes a great young guard, and its nice being able to grow together. Throwback Steelers Jerseys . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Jaylen Samuels Stitched Jersey . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. http://www.officialsteelersnflauthenticshop.com/ . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Pink Steelers Jerseys . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Terrell Edmunds Stitched Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. NEW YORK -- It was almost a perfect day for Serena Williams. She coasted into the US Open quarterfinals with her most impressive performance of the tournament. She surpassed Roger Federer with an all-time record 308th Grand Slam match victory.Even the weather was unexpectedly glorious as she took the Ashe Stadium court.If only the groans hadnt just died down from big sister Venus loss in a dramatic third-set tiebreaker, eliminating any chance of an all-Williams semifinal, Labor Day would have been exactly as drawn up.Instead, Serena would settle for steady progress, another career milestone and a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Yaroslava Shvedova.I just feel like Im going out there doing what I need to do, Serena said. Im not overplaying, Im not underplaying. Im just trying to play my way into this tournament.Of course, few players but Williams can call a 68-minute, straight-set win in which she never faced a break point, had 11 aces, a 93 percent first-serve percentage and ripped 28 winners to Shvedovas 11, playing your way in.Williams also had the fastest serve of the tournament at 126 mph, another apparent sign that her right shoulder is pretty stable, and said afterward that she couldnt believe how consistently she served.I dont think I really served in the summer until I got here to New York, she said. It was a really tough summer for me. Maybe thats the key.However she got here, she is still looking ahead to Grand Slam title No. 23, which would be a new Open-era record, while now looking bacck at Federers all-time major match victory mark.ddddddddddddts a huge number, Williams said after some prodding. I think its very significant actually. I think its something that just really talks about the length of my career, in particular. Ive been playing for a really long time but also, given that consistency up there, thats something Im really proud of.As she approaches her 35th birthday later this month, she admits that she even amazes herself.I definitely never thought I would be playing still, she said. Now, I dont see when Im going to stop because Im just enjoying these moments out here, getting to break records that I didnt even know existed or I didnt know was possible.As she readies for a quarterfinal berth against No. 5 Simona Halep, her first seeded opponent in the tournament, Williams said she fully expects to get Haleps best.I just think with everyone I play, they play a step up and above their ranking, she said. To me, it doesnt really matter who I play because I have to expect theyre going to play the match of their life. Thats how I go into these matches now.The bad news for Halep, who has lost seven of eight meetings with Williams, is that Serenas comment the other day that I dont feel like Im Serena out there yet took on a more hopeful tone after Monday.Shes coming, Williams promised. She hasnt quite come out yet, though.Almost perfect. Wholesale NFL Hoodies Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap NFL T-shirts Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Discount NFL Jerseys ' ' '