Storm voted WNBA best; Aces at No. 4

NEW YORK — The Seattle Storm, healthy to begin the season with Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird back in the lineup, sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll.

The Las Vegas Aces are ranked fourth.

The Storm received all 16 firstplace votes from the national media panel Tuesday. It’s the first time Seattle was No. 1 in the preseason since the AP has been doing the poll.

“I’m not surprised. I say that because we have a full roster,” said Bird, the Storm’s point guard who missed last season while recovering from left knee surgery. “That gives us an advantage. We have a lot of people returning and a lot of players got valuable experience last year when Stewie and I were out.”

Stewart, who missed 2019 while recovering from a right Achilles’ tendon tear, was selected by the panel as the AP preseason player of the year. Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury and the Aces’ A’ja Wilson also received votes.

“It’s an honor. I think it’s people recognizing the fact that even though I was out and was out with a very serious injury, I still was able to put in the work I put in to get back to this point,” Stewart, 25, said. “I’m still on the younger end of my career and have the ability to bounce back from something like that.”

Los Angeles was picked second by the panel. The Sparks are led by Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray. They lost in the semifinals of the playoffs last season to Connecticut.

Phoenix is behind the Sparks, with the Aces fourth and Chicago Sky fifth. The Aces lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Washington.

Connecticut and Washington, who met for the title last year, were sixth and seventh in the poll. Both are missing key players from their playoff run last season.

Minnesota, Indiana, Dallas, Atlanta and New York round out the poll. The Liberty are led by No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu, who was selected by the panel as the preseason rookie of the year.

The WNBA tips off its 24th season on Saturday.