Bird cleared to play despite broken nose

SEATTLE — Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird is expected to start Game 1 of the WNBA Western Conference finals today against Sacramento despite a broken nose.

Bird went through a full-contact practice Thursday wearing a protective mask, working with Seattle’s starting unit. After practice, coach Anne Donovan said Bird will start against the Monarchs.

“I feel really good about Sue and how proud I am with her,” Donovan said. “Other than a little slippage in the mask, she’s doing great.”

Bird broke her nose less than 3 minutes into Game 2 of Seattle’s first-round series against Minnesota when she collided with Minnesota’s Teresa Edwards.

Bird took a direct hit to the nose during practice, but the mask absorbed the blow, she said. Some of her vision looking down is affected by the mask, but that is the only drawback, she said.

“I virtually have no pain,” said Bird, who still has bruising under both eyes. “The hardest thing is just (the mask). I’m not worried about getting hit.”

Surgery will be needed to reposition Bird’s nose, but some of the swelling needs to go down before surgery can be performed. It tentatively has been set for Sunday, between Games 2 and 3 of the conference finals.

Bird averaged 12.9 points per game this season, including 15 points and 4.3 assists against Sacramento. Seattle took three of four games from the Monarchs during the regular season.

Sacramento is in the conference finals for the second consecutive year after knocking out the Los Angeles Sparks, who had the league’s best record in the regular season.

The Monarchs used a balanced scoring attack against the reigning three-time Western Conference champion Sparks, with the starting frontcourt of Yolanda Griffith, Tangela Smith and DeMya Walker combining to average 42 points.

In playoffs, Sacramento had never defeated Los Angeles, which won consecutive titles in 2001-02. The teams met three other times, including in last year’s conference finals.

Two of Seattle’s wins over Sacramento were by a combined five points. The Monarchs’ win came in the first game after the month-long Olympic break, when the Storm played without top scorer Lauren Jackson.