The Seattle Storm are an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team based in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. The Storm competes in the
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
(WNBA) as a member club of the league's
Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerley and her husband
Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
ahead of the
2000 season. The team is currently owned by Force 10 Hoops LLC, which is composed of three Seattle businesswomen: Dawn Trudeau,
Lisa Brummel, and
Ginny Gilder.
The Storm have qualified for the
WNBA Playoffs in sixteen of its twenty-one years in Seattle. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as former
UConn stars
Sue Bird,
Swin Cash, and
Breanna Stewart
Breanna Mackenzie Stewart (born Baldwin; born August 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
In high school, Stewart was the National Gatorade Player ...
;
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Finals MVP
Betty Lennox; and Australian power forward
Lauren Jackson, a three-time league MVP. The Storm are four-time WNBA Champions, with victories in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2018, and
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
. They are one of two teams who have never lost a WNBA Finals, the defunct
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
being the other.
The team cultivates a fan-friendly, family environment at home games by having an all-kid dance squad, which leads young fans in a
conga line on the court during time-outs, to the music of "
C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" by the
Quad City DJ's. Named for the
rainy weather of Seattle, the team uses many weather-related icons: the team mascot is Doppler, a maroon-furred creature with a
cup anemometer on its head; the theme song for Storm home games is
AC/DC's "
Thunderstruck"; and its newsletter is called ''Stormwatch''.
The Storm were the sister team of the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conf ...
of the
NBA prior to February 28, 2008, when the team was sold to Force 10 Hoops LLC.
Franchise history
A gloomy start (2000–2001)
The Storm's predecessor was the
Seattle Reign, a charter member of the
American Basketball League (ABL), operating from
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...
through December
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
, when the league folded. Luckier than most localities that had an ABL team, Seattle was quickly awarded a
WNBA franchise and began to play less than two years later.
The Seattle Storm would tip off their first season (the 2000 WNBA season) in typical expansion fashion. Coached by
Lin Dunn and led by guard
Edna Campbell and
Czech center
Kamila Vodichkova
Kamilla and Kamila are feminine given names. Notable people with these names include:
Kamila
* Kamila Aliyeva (born 1967), Azerbaijani politician
* Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz (born 1983), Polish politician
* Kamila Valieva (born 2006), Russian figu ...
, the team finished with a 6–26 record. The low record, however, allowed the Storm to draft a 19-year-old Australian standout
Lauren Jackson. Though Seattle did not make the playoffs in the 2001 season, Jackson's impressive rookie performance provided a solid foundation for the franchise to build on.
Sue Bird's arrival and the road to the WNBA Finals (2002–2004)
In the 2002 draft, the Storm drafted
UConn star
Sue Bird, filling the Storm's gap at the
point guard position. With Bird's playmaking ability and Jackson's scoring and rebounding, the team made the playoffs for the first time in 2002 but were swept by the
Los Angeles Sparks.
Coach
Anne Donovan
Anne Theresa Donovan (November 1, 1961 – June 13, 2018) was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun.
In her playing career, Donovan won a national championship with Ol ...
was hired for the 2003 campaign. In Donovan's first year, Jackson would win the
WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, but the team had a disappointing season (with Bird injured for much of the year), and the Storm missed the playoffs.
The 2004 Storm posted a then franchise-best 20–14 record. In the playoffs, the Storm made quick work of the
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Founded ...
, sweeping them in the first round. The Storm then squared off against an up-and-coming
Sacramento Monarchs team in the West Finals. The Storm would emerge victorious, winning the series 2–1. In the
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the offici ...
, the Storm would finish off the season as champions, defeating the
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
2 games to 1.
Betty Lennox was named
MVP of the Finals. The win made Anne Donovan the first female head coach in WNBA history to win the WNBA Championship.
A consistent postseason contender (2005–2009)
Key players from the Storm's championship season were not on the team in 2005. Vodichkova,
Tully Bevilaqua
Tully Louise Bevilaqua (née Crook on 19 July 1972) is an Australian professional women's basketball player. She formerly played for the San Antonio Stars in the WNBA and the Perth Lynx in Australia's WNBL. The 5'7" Bevilaqua's play style ...
, and
Sheri Sam moved on to other teams. Also, the pre-season injury of Australian star and new acquisition
Jessica Bibby hampered the team's 2005 season. While they matched their 2004 record and made the playoffs, the Storm's title defense was stopped in the first round by the
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
, 2 games to 1.
In 2006, the Storm would finish 18–16, good enough to make the playoffs. The Storm put up a good fight in the first round against the Sparks but would fall short 2–1. In 2007, the Storm would finish .500 (17–17), good enough to make the playoffs in a weak Western Conference. The Storm would be quickly swept out of the playoffs by the
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season ...
.
On November 30, 2007, Anne Donovan resigned as head coach, and was replaced by Brian Agler on January 9, 2008.
Although most of Seattle's major sports teams endured poor seasons during 2008, the Storm would be the only standout team in Seattle that year, posting a franchise-best 22–12 record and finishing with a 16–1 record at home, also a franchise-best. But the No. 2 seeded Storm lost to the #3 Los Angeles Sparks in the first round of the playoffs in three games and ended Seattle's season at 23–14 overall.
In 2009, the Storm were 20–14 and finished second in the Western Conference for the second straight year. In the playoffs, the Storm again lost to the #3 Los Angeles Sparks in 3 games, which ended their season in the first round for the fifth consecutive season.
A second championship (2010)
In the
2010 season, the Storm was almost unstoppable with a record-tying 28 wins and 6 losses in the regular season, including a perfect 17–0 at KeyArena. This was the most home wins in the history of the WNBA.
Along the way,
Lauren Jackson was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week five times, and Western Conference Player of the Month three times, on her way to being named
WNBA MVP for the third time. Agler was also named Coach of the Year.
In the playoffs, the Storm dramatically reversed their fortunes from the previous five seasons. They started with a sweep of the Sparks, the team that previously knocked them out of the playoffs every time they met. Then they swept
Diana Taurasi and the
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season ...
in the conference finals, and the
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real e ...
in the
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the offici ...
. With two league championships, the Storm became Seattle's most successful pro sports team by that measure.
Postseason pains (2011–2014)
With the same lineup as the previous year, the Storm had much expectation for the
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season was the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televi ...
. But right in the second round a two-year home invincibility was broken by the
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Founded ...
, who even left the Storm scoreless for the first seven minutes. Injuries hit multiple players, especially Lauren Jackson, who had to undergo hip surgery and missed most of the season. The regular starting five resumed play only in the last five games, but Sue Bird and
Swin Cash kept the Storm competitive, finishing second in the WNBA with 21 wins and 13 losses. On the playoffs, a Mercury
buzzer beater
In basketball and other such timed sports, a buzzer beater is a shot that is taken before the game clock of a quarter, a half (if the half is the second one, then, a game), or an overtime period expires but does not go in the basket until after t ...
at the KeyArena eliminated the Storm in round 1.
In 2012, with Jackson absent for the early season training with the Australia national team and injuries to most of the team, including Bird, only
Camille Little
Camille Little (born January 18, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She began her WNBA career with the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2007. She played college basketball ...
and
Katie Smith played on all the games of the regular season. Upon her return, Jackson missed some games due to a hamstring injury but reached 6,000 points on her WNBA career playing against the
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before th ...
. The 16-18 record put the Storm fourth in the West, facing the Lynx, who posted the league's best record during the regular season, in the playoffs. While the Storm managed to force a game 3 by winning in the KeyArena at double overtime, a last-second attempt by Jackson went off the rim and the Lynx took the series-winning by just one point, 73-72.
After losing in the first round of the
2013 playoffs to the Lynx following a .500 regular season, the Storm missed the playoffs in 2014. This was the first time the Storm missed the playoffs since 2003.
Loyd/Stewart Era, third and fourth championships (2015–present)
Following seven-year head coach & GM
Brian Agler
Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American women's professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Dallas Wings from 2019 to 2020. He also had previously been head coach of the Seattle Storm and the Los Angeles Sparks, each of whom ...
's hiring in Los Angeles, the Storm elevated President Alisha Valavanis to President & GM, and two weeks later, hired
Jenny Boucek as the fourth head coach in franchise history. Valavanis and Boucek promptly got to work, trading
Shekinna Stricklen and
Camille Little
Camille Little (born January 18, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She began her WNBA career with the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2007. She played college basketball ...
to the
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
for the #3 and #15
2015 WNBA draft picks, along with
Renee Montgomery
Renee Danielle Montgomery (born December 2, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of th ...
. Storm free agent
Tanisha Wright signed with the
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was ...
, and a month later, Valavanis shipped the #15 pick to the Mystics for
Quanitra Hollingsworth
Quanitra Hollingsworth ( tr, Kuanitra Holingsvorth, born November 15, 1988) is an American-Turkish professional basketball player for Çukurova Basketbol.
In 2012 Hollingsworth acquired Turkish citizenship in order to be eligible to play for Tu ...
and the #20 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Valavanis also signed Australian forward
Abby Bishop
Abby Bishop (born 29 November 1988) is an Australian professional basketball forward/ center who plays for Southside Flyers of the Australian WNBL. She has played for the Australian Institute of Sport from 2005 to 2006, the Canberra Capitals ...
that month.
Fast forward to April 2015, the month of the WNBA Draft, where Seattle now held the #1, #3, #20 and #26 picks. Days before the draft, Notre Dame guard
Jewell Loyd and Minnesota center
Amanda Zahui B.
Amanda Zahui Bazoukou (born September 8, 1993), known professionally as Amanda Zahui B., is a Swedish basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). After playing basketball both in Sweden and c ...
shook up the draft order, both forgoing NCAA eligibility and declaring for the WNBA Draft. On April 16, 2015, Seattle drafted Jewell Loyd #1, UCONN sharpshooter
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis #3, Vicky McIntyre #20 and Nneka Enemkpali #26 in the 2015 WNBA Draft. In the 2015 WNBA season, despite missing out on the playoffs with a 10-24 record, the number-one drafted Jewell Loyd would win the
Rookie of the Year Award
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
.
After having the worst record in the WNBA, the Storm ended up with the first overall pick again using it to select
Breanna Stewart
Breanna Mackenzie Stewart (born Baldwin; born August 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
In high school, Stewart was the National Gatorade Player ...
from the University of Connecticut. In the 2016 WNBA season, Stewart immediately emerged as one of the young rising stars in the league, winning Rookie of the Year, averaged an impressive 18.9 ppg and broke the record for most defensive rebounds in a regular season. Loyd would statistically improve, averaging 16.5 ppg, birthing a new, young dynamic tandem as the "Next Great Storm Duo" after Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. This would lead the Storm back into playoff contention as they finished as the 6th seed with a 16-18 record under the league's new playoff format, but would lose to the Atlanta Dream in the first round elimination game.
In the 2017 season, both Loyd and Stewart continued to get better and lead the Storm into playoff contention. Loyd averaged 17.7 ppg and Stewart 19.9 ppg. Stewart would become an all-star for the first time in her career and was one of two all-stars representing the Storm in the
2017 WNBA All-Star Game along with Sue Bird. The Storm finished as the 8th seed with a 15-19 record but would lose yet again in the first round elimination game by the Phoenix Mercury.
In the 2018 season, the Storm would elevate from a mediocre playoff team to a title contender. In the offseason, they made some slight changes to the roster. They traded for
Natasha Howard
Natasha Howard (born September 2, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Fenerbahçe of the Women's Basketball Super League EuroLeague Women. Howard was ...
and drafted
Jordin Canada
Jordin Elizabeth Canada (born August 11, 1995) is an American professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected by the Seattle Storm with the 5th overall pick in t ...
. Bird, Loyd, and Stewart were all voted into the
2018 WNBA All-Star Game
The 2018 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 28, 2018. The Minnesota Lynx hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.
Rosters
Selection
On June 5, the WNBA announced that 2018 would have a new roster selecti ...
, creating a "big three" on the Storm's roster. Bird also broke records in 2018 by becoming the franchise leader in scoring and the league's all-time regular-season assists leader. With Bird's leadership and the continued development of Loyd and Stewart, the Storm finished 26-8 with the number 1 seed headed into the WNBA Playoffs. They would receive a double-bye to the semi-finals. Stewart who averaged 20.0 ppg and 8.8 RPG won the 2018 Most Valuable Player award. They faced the Phoenix Mercury in the semi-finals where Stewart averaged 24.0 ppg and Loyd added 11.0 ppg. They would defeat the Mercury in a hard-fought five-game series, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2010. In the Finals, the Storm would sweep their opponent, the Washington Mystics, winning their first championship in eight years, Stewart was named Finals MVP.
Even before the season started, 2019 was a year defined by health issues for the Storm. On April 15, Stewart ruptured her Achilles tendon playing in a Euroleague game for Dynamo Kursk when she collided with Brittney Griner, putting her out for the entire 2019 season. Four days later, head coach Dan Hughes was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his colon; he had it removed in May and missed the entire season, with assistant Gary Kloppenburg taking over in an interim role Later that month, after the Storm finished their preseason schedule, it was announced that Bird would have to undergo knee surgery, sidelining her too for the year.
With Bird out, Canada stepped into the starting point guard role, finishing 2019 third in the WNBA in assists per game (5.5) and second in steals per game (2.3). Meanwhile, without Stewart and with Loyd missing seven games with an injury of her own, Howard became the focal point of the Seattle offense, scoring a career-high 18.1 points per game. The shorthanded Storm finished the season 18-16, earning the No. 6 seed in the
2019 WNBA playoffs
The 2019 WNBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2019 season. The Washington Mystics won the team's first WNBA title in their 22 year franchise history.
Format
Following the WNBA regular season, the top eight teams in the ...
. Seattle won its first-round matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, 84-74, and then lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Sparks, 92-69.
The
2020 WNBA season
The 2020 WNBA season was the 24th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Washington Mystics were the defending champions. Planned changes to the league's schedule included an increase from 34 to 36 regular season games f ...
was atypical, played entirely inside
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
's
IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a boar ...
, dubbed the "wubble," the WNBA's version of the NBA's Bubble. The Storm entered the wubble with Bird and Stewart back, but without head coach Dan Hughes, whose cancer diagnosis made him a health risk.
Bird missed several games with a left knee bone bruise, but came back for
the playoffs, in which the Storm didn't lose a single game. The Storm closed out the top-ranked
Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team plays ...
in three games en route to their fourth championship, with Stewart again named Finals MVP.
The Storm remained at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett for the
2021 season with limited capacity due to COVID guidelines.
The Storm moved to their new home at Climate Pledge Arena for the
2022 season and played their regular season game there on May 6, 2022. Sue Bird announced that she would retire at the end of the season and drew a franchise record crowd of 18,100 spectators for her last regular season game.
Name, logo and team colors
The Storm's name was chosen because of Seattle's reputation as a rainy city, as well as the
aggressive nature implicit in the name. Though the team conducted an exhaustive trademark search for options, Storm was always their preferred choice. The name had once been trademarked by an amateur
soccer club, FC Seattle Storm, in the mid-1980s, but by 2000 it was free for the WNBA to take ownership. The team had planned a formal announcement, along with a presentation of the logo and official team colors, at a January 2000 gala event for the inaugural season ticket holders. However, a Miami newspaper revealed the name two weeks early while announcing all four of that season's expansion franchises.
Logo
The original logo featured a rounded, stylized silhouette of the
Space Needle
The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Cente ...
, an iconic Seattle landmark, set against the backdrop of a green storm cloud. In dynamic font and fashion, the team name stretches in an angled rise from left to right. Pointed jags meant to evoke lightning bolts streak through the team name from right to left. A basketball orbits the Space Needle through the cloud.
In January 2016, the team revealed a branding update that eliminated the use of red. The team logos retained the same overall design, but used the simplified color scheme.
An alternate logo, which placed the S from the Storm wordmark on a green oval, was used on the team's jerseys on and off until 2020 in place of the more complicated primary mark.
In March 2021, the team released an entirely new logo and updated color scheme. The Space Needle, depicted in a new, more minimalist style, is interlinked with the ribs of a basketball and incorporates a small lightning bolt into the tower. The logo has a pointed shape, meant to evoke
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a ...
. A sleeker modern font and the new color scheme of dark green, yellow, and bright green are used.
Team colors
Like several early WNBA teams, the Storm was owned by their NBA counterpart, the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conf ...
, and closely related to the team. Taking their cue from the Sonics' team colors at the time, known colloquially as the "wine and pine" era of the team, the Storm's original team colors were pine green, maroon red, bronze, and white. When a new ownership group led by
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 ...
CEO
Howard Schultz purchased the Sonics and Storm in 2001, the NBA club returned to the traditional green-and-golden yellow color scheme that the team had used for its first 28 years of existence. The Storm, however, retained their colors as a way to uniquely market the team. Following another change of ownership in 2006, the team was then sold to Force 10 Hoops LLC in 2008 when the Oklahoma City interests that owned the Sonics announced intentions to
relocate the NBA club to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...
as the
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
. Force 10 also retained the original colors.
The January 2016 branding update changed the official team colors. Adopting a scheme similar to their former NBA brother team, the updated colors were thunder green, a less saturated shade than before, and lightning yellow. White and thunder gray featured as accent colors.
The new 2021 design keeps the 2016–2020 colors of lightning yellow and dark thunder green, and replaces gray with the bright bolt green.
Off-court activity
2006 and 2008 sales
Following disagreements between the Basketball Club of Seattle (the former owners of the Sonics and Storm) and the city of Seattle concerning the need to renovate the
KeyArena, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Seattle Storm were sold to an
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...
group led by
Clay Bennett on July 18, 2006. Bennett made it clear that the Sonics and Storm would move to Oklahoma City at some point after the
2007–08 NBA season, unless an arena for the Sonics was approved by Seattle leaders before October 31, 2007. During this period of uncertainty, the Storm announced that they would play their
2008 WNBA season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It was the first WNBA season with a franchise in Atlanta as the Dream were announced in late 2007.
No WNBA All-Star Game was held due to the 2008 Summer Ol ...
in Seattle at
KeyArena.
On January 8, 2008, Bennett sold the team to a Seattle group of women called Force 10 Hoops, LLC. The sale was given unanimous approval from the WNBA Board of Governors on February 28, 2008. This kept the team in Seattle and disconnected it from the Sonics. The Sonics
moved to Oklahoma City in July, during the WNBA season.
Uniform sponsor
On April 21, 2010, the Storm and the WNBA announced a sponsor agreement with
Bing, a
search engine
A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches. They search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a ...
from
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...
, to place the company's logo on their jerseys for the 2010 season. The Bing sponsorship ended after the 2013 season, and the Storm played without a sponsor for two seasons, before signing a new uniform deal with
Swedish Medical Center for the 2016 season.
Championship ring for President
In June 2011, President of the United States
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
invited the 2010 WNBA champion Seattle Storm to the White House. He stated that the franchise provided a good example for young girls with big dreams. He praised the Storm for the community service they perform and stated that being champions did not end when they step off the court. The Storm presented the President with a championship ring.
Temporary move to the University of Washington
With
Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ...
to be closed during its renovation into a venue suitable for the
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
, the Storm were forced to seek a temporary venue for their 2019 season. After considering two suburban venues,
ShoWare Center in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
and
Angel of the Winds Arena in
Everett, the team announced in August 2018 that its primary home in 2019 would be in the city of Seattle at the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...
's
Alaska Airlines Arena.
While the arena was the Storm's primary home during the renovation, there was no guarantee of its availability for Storm playoff games, and some home games were planned to be played at other venues in the region, such as
Tacoma Dome, if necessary. Since Washington's arena lacks air conditioning, and the WNBA requires that all games be played in air-conditioned venues, portable air conditioning units were used during Storm games.
The team later announced that five of its 17 regular-season home games in 2019, including the home opener, would be at Angel of the Winds Arena. The 2020 season saw the Storm play their games in
Bradenton, FL
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...
.
Amazon Prime Video deal
In 2022, Amazon Prime Video announced a landmark new deal with the Seattle Storm, becoming the official streaming service of the Storm, and one of the first streamers to hold local broadcast rights with a WNBA team. Approximately 30 Storm games will be available to Prime Video customers throughout Washington state.
Season-by-season records
Players
Current roster
Former players
Retired numbers
Coaches and staff
Owners
*
Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
and
Ginger Ackerley
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of lea ...
, owners of the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conf ...
(2000–2001)
*
Howard Schultz, owner of the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conf ...
(2001–2006)
*
Clay Bennett, owner of the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conf ...
(2007)
*Force 10 Hoops LLC, composed of
Dawn Trudeau
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's hori ...
,
Lisa Brummel,
Ginny Gilder (2008–present)
Head coaches
General managers
*
Lin Dunn (2000–2002)
*
Billy McKinney (2002–2003)
*
Karen Bryant
Karen Bryant (born August 24, 1967) is the Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. Before joining the Sparks, Bryant started her professional sports career in the American Basketball League from 19 ...
(2004–2010)
*
Brian Agler
Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American women's professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Dallas Wings from 2019 to 2020. He also had previously been head coach of the Seattle Storm and the Los Angeles Sparks, each of whom ...
(2011–2014)
*Alisha Valavanis (2015–2021)
*
Talisa Rhea
Talisa Rhea (born July 7, 1989) is an American basketball executive who is the General Manager of the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Rhea began her career with Seattle in 2015 as a video coordinator, then dir ...
(2021–present)
Assistant Coaches
* Kathy Anderson (2000–2001)
* Missy Bequette (2000–2001)
*
Carrie Graf
Carrie Ann Graf (born 23 June 1967) is an Australian basketball coach. She competed in the WNBL as a player starting during 1983–1989, after which she attended RMIT. Graf has coached teams in the WNBL, WNBA and Australia's national team, an ...
(2002)
*
Gary Kloppenburg
Gary Robert Kloppenburg (born January 6, 1953) is an American basketball coach.
Early life and college career
Kloppenburg was born in 1953, when his father Bob Kloppenburg was head coach at Lindsay High School in Lindsay, California. When Bob Klo ...
(2002; 2017-2019, 2021)
*
Jenny Boucek (2003–2005, 2011)
*
Jessie Kenlaw Jessie Kenlaw (born July 3, 1953) worked in collegiate and professional women's basketball between the 1970s to 2000s. After playing a year of collegiate basketball with Savannah State University, Kenlaw started playing professional basketball with ...
(2003–2006)
*
Heidi VanDerveer (2006–2007)
*
Shelley Patterson
Shelley Patterson is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
College career
Patterson played point guard for the Cougars and graduated from Washington State University in 1984.
Patters ...
(2007–2009)
*
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch (December 29, 1951 – November 2, 2020) was an American women's basketball coach who worked at both the professional and NCAA Division I college levels. A native of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Darsch was a 1973 graduate of Springfield ...
(2008–2013)
* Shaquala Williams (2014)
* Rob Fodor (2015)
* Ryan Webb (2015–2017; 2021)
* Leah Drury (2016)
*
Crystal Robinson (2018)
*
Noelle Quinn
Noelle Quinn (born January 3, 1985) is a basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). As a player, Quinn played for many WNBA teams and for Botaş ...
(2019-2020)
*
Perry Huang
Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...
(2021–Present)
*
Pokey Chatman
Dana "Pokey" Chatman (born June 18, 1969) is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Chatman is the former head coach of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky of the WNBA. She is al ...
(2022–Present)
*
Ebony Hoffman
Ebony Vernice Hoffman (born August 27, 1982) is a former professional basketball player and a current assistant coach for the Seattle Storm. She played and won the championship with Fenerbahçe İstanbul in Turkey. She currently plays for Beşik ...
(2022–Present)
Records and statistics
Season records
Regular season attendance
* A sellout for a basketball game at
Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ...
is 18,100. For Storm games, reaching capacity of the lower bowl (13,500) is considered a sellout.
* A sellout for a basketball game at the team's main home during the renovation of Climate Pledge Arena,
Alaska Airlines Arena, is 10,000. A sellout at the team's secondary home,
Angel of the Winds Arena, is 8,500.
All-Stars
*2000: None
*2001: Lauren Jackson
*2002: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
*2003: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
*2004: Sue Bird
*2005: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
*2006: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
*2007: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
*2008: No All-Star Game
*2009: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson
*2010: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson
*2011: Sue Bird, Swin Cash
*2012: No All-Star Game
*2013: Tina Thompson
*2014: Sue Bird
*2015: Sue Bird
*2016: No All-Star Game
*2017: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart
*2018: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart
*2019: Jewell Loyd, Natasha Howard
*2020: No All-Star Game
*2021: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart
*2022: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart
Olympians
*2004: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (
AUS)
*2008: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (AUS), Kelly Santos (
BRA)
*2012: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (AUS)
*2016: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Ramu Tokashiki (
JPN
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
)
*2020: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Stephanie Talbot (
AUS), Ezi Magbegor (
AUS)
Honors and awards
*2002 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sue Bird
*2003 ''Most Valuable Player'': Lauren Jackson
*2003 ''Peak Performer (Scoring)'': Lauren Jackson
*2003 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sue Bird
*2003 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2004 ''Finals MVP'': Betty Lennox
*2004 ''Peak Performer (Scoring)'': Lauren Jackson
*2004 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sue Bird
*2004 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2005 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sue Bird
*2005 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2005 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2006 ''All-Decade Team'': Sue Bird
*2006 ''All-Decade Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2006 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''Most Valuable Player'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''Peak Performer (Scoring)'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2007 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2008 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sue Bird
*2008 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2008 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2009 ''All-Star Game MVP'': Swin Cash
*2009 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Sue Bird
*2009 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2009 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2009 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Tanisha Wright
*2010 ''Most Valuable Player'': Lauren Jackson
*2010 ''Finals MVP'': Lauren Jackson
*2010 ''Coach of the Year'': Brian Agler
*2010 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2010 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sue Bird
*2010 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Tanisha Wright
*2010 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Lauren Jackson
*2011 ''All-Star Game MVP'': Swin Cash
*2011 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Sue Bird
*2011 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sue Bird
*2011 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Tanisha Wright
*2011 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Swin Cash
*2013 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Tanisha Wright
*2015 ''July Rookie of the Month'': Jewell Loyd
*2015 ''Rookie of the Year'': Jewell Loyd
*2015 ''All-Rookie Team'': Jewell Loyd
*2015 ''All-Rookie Team'': Ramu Tokashiki
*2016 ''Rookie of the Year'': Breanna Stewart
*2016 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Sue Bird
*2016 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2016 ''All-Rookie Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2017 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Sue Bird
*2018 ''Most Valuable Player'': Breanna Stewart
*2018 ''Most Improved Player'': Natasha Howard
*2018 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Sue Bird
*2018 ''Finals MVP'': Breanna Stewart
*2018 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2018 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Natasha Howard
*2019 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Natasha Howard
*2019 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Natasha Howard
*2019 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Jordin Canada
*2019 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Alysha Clark
*2020 ''Finals MVP'': Breanna Stewart
*2020 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2020 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Alysha Clark
*2020 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2021 ''Commissioner's Cup MVP'': Breanna Stewart
*2021 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2021 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Jewell Loyd
*2021 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2022 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2022 ''Peak Performer: Points'': Breanna Stewart
*2022 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Breanna Stewart
*2022 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Gabby Williams
*2022 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Ezi Magbegor
Media coverage
Currently, most Storm home games are broadcast on
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one ...
. Broadcasters for the Storm games are Dick Fain and Elise Woodward.
All games are broadcast to the
WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Storm games are broadcast nationally on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
,
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
ESPN2 was initially ...
,
CBS,
CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known a ...
and
ABC. The
WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, which will pay rights fees to the Storm, as well as other teams in the league.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Women's National Basketball Association teams
Sports in Seattle
Basketball teams established in 2000
Basketball teams in Washington (state)