SEATTLE - The Seattle Storm announced Tuesday that 6-foot-5 veteran center Janell Burse has decided to sit out the WNBA 2008 season.

Her agent, Boris Lelchitski, told The Seattle Times yesterday that his client was suffering from shoulder and foot injuries.

Her agent says Burse returned from Prague, Czech Republic, to Houston yesterday. She has been playing for a Prague professional women's basketball team.

Burse averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Storm during the 2007 WNBA season. She set a league record for rebounds in a half with 16 and rebounds in a quarter with 10 against the Phoenix Mercury on May 23, 2007.

In four seasons with the Storm, she has averaged 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

The 28-year-old Burse is a seven-year WNBA veteran who played for a salary of $93,000 with the Storm last season.

Storm CEO Karen Bryant and Storm head coach Brian Agler say they're looking forward to having Burse back for the 2009 WNBA season.