Greco signs with Seattle

Hamlet Nalbandyan

The greatest female basketball player in area history could have a

chance to play alongside one of the best guards in today’s

professional game -- if she makes the cut.

Michelle Greco, who holds the Crescenta Valley High school record

with 2,397 career points and is sixth all-time on UCLA’s career

scoring list with 1,707, signed a free-agent contract Tuesday with

the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.

The Storm, which is led by former Connecticut point guard Sue

Bird, entered Tuesday’s camp with 18 players. That number will have

to be shaved to 15 by May 4.

Terms of Greco’s contract were not disclosed. She will battle for

a shooting guard or back-up point guard position with Seattle. She

played both at UCLA.

Greco’s stock as a WNBA prospect rose considerably after two

stints overseas during the offseason.

Greco -- who was cut by the now-defunct Cleveland Rockers last

season after signing a free-agent contract -- averaged more than 25

points per game during a brief stay with Maccabi Raanana in Israel,

leading the league in scoring.

She then signed with Apollon Ptolemaidas in Greece, where she

averaged 18 points per contest to earn a spot in the league’s

all-star game.

In her last game with Apollon Ptolemaidas on Sunday, Greco tallied

20 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and four assists.

Both the Israel and Greek league’s featured several WNBA players.

With the Storm, Greco will have fair competition for one of the

guard spots.

The starting lineup will be hard to crack into, considering Bird

will be at the point and fellow all-star Betty Lennox will likely be

at the two guard.

But the bench spots are wide open, with Greco being in the mix

with Tully Bevilaqua, Stacy Clinesmith, Lindsey Wilson (who played in

the Greek League with Greco) and Rita Williams.

Sandy Brondello, who started for the Storm last season, will not

play this year, instead focusing on playing for Australia’s national

team in the Olympics.