This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In WNBA, draft picks don't get a lot of guarantees.
The Seattle Storm are trying to whittle down their roster to 12, and they've already cut their third-round pick. But former Utah women's basketball star Michelle Plouffe is looking to seal her spot on the final dozen by showing her stuff in camp.
The Seattle Times posted a story Tuesday about the former Utes double-double machine, who is in a battle to make the cut. The Storm need to bolster their frontcourt, and Plouffe may fit the bill:
Plouffe, a 6-3 post, could also help turnaround Seattle's rebounding struggles and retain the organization's signature defensive aggression. She competed in the 2012 Olympics for Canada and had a solid senior season for the Utes, even though the team plodded through a 12-19 finish.
Plouffe averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds. She was ranked second in the Pac-12 with 3.5 steals, and ended her career with 2,100 points and a school-record 1,115 rebounds, earning All-Pac-12 and conference defensive team honors.
"Michelle has done real well with her post defense," Agler said. "She didn't play real well Saturday (in a closed scrimmage against the Australian national team), but she had a good practice (Monday). She's long, mobile and versatile. We like that kind of player."
You can follow Plouffe and the Storm on Jayda Evans' women's hoops blog on the Seattle Times website.
Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon