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Seattle Storm

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For the soccer team of the same name, see Seattle Storm (soccer).

Seattle Storm
2024 Seattle Storm season
Seattle Storm logo
ConferenceWestern
LeaguesWNBA
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000)
HistorySeattle Storm
2000–present
ArenaClimate Pledge Arena
LocationSeattle, Washington
Team colorsThunder green, lightning yellow, bolt green[1][2][3]
     
Main sponsorSwedish Medical Center[4]
General managerTalisa Rhea[5]
Head coachNoelle Quinn
Assistant(s)Pokey Chatman
Ebony Hoffman
Perry Huang
OwnershipForce 10 Hoops LLC
Championships4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
Conference titles2 (2004, 2010)[a]
Commissioner's Cup titles1 (2021)
Retired numbers2 (10, 15)
Websitestorm.wnba.com
Heroine jersey
Team colours
Heroine
Explorer jersey
Team colours
Explorer
Rebel jersey
Team colours
Rebel

The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerley and her husband Barry ahead of the 2000 season.[6][7] The team is currently owned by Force 10 Hoops LLC, which is composed of Seattle businesswomen Dawn Trudeau, Lisa Brummel, and Ginny Gilder, along with former player Sue Bird.[8]

The Storm have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in 19 of their 25 seasons in Seattle. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as former UConn stars Sue Bird, Swin Cash, and Breanna Stewart; 2004 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, 2010, 2018, and 2020. They are one of two teams who have never lost a WNBA Finals, the defunct Houston Comets 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.[9]

The Storm were the sister team of the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA prior to February 28, 2008, when the team was sold to Force 10 Hoops LLC.[10]

History

[edit]

A gloomy start (2000–2001)

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The Storm's predecessor was the Seattle Reign, a charter member of the American Basketball League (ABL), operating from 1996 through December 1998, 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, 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)

[edit]
Sue Bird, on offense

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 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, 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 Storm would finish off the season as champions, defeating the Connecticut Sun 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)

[edit]

Key players from the Storm's championship season were not on the team in 2005. Vodichkova, Tully Bevilaqua, 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, 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.

On November 30, 2007, Anne Donovan resigned as head coach, and was replaced by Brian Agler on January 9, 2008.[11][12]

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)

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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 in the conference finals, and the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals. With two league championships, the Storm became Seattle's most successful pro sports team by that measure.

In June 2011, President of the United States Barack Obama 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.[13]

Postseason pains (2011–2014)

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With the same lineup as the previous year, the Storm had much expectation for the 2011 WNBA season. But right in the second round a two-year home invincibility was broken by the Minnesota Lynx, who even left the Storm scoreless for the first seven minutes.[14] 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 at the KeyArena eliminated the Storm in round 1.[15]

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 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 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.[16] 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.[17]

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 (2015–2021)

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Following seven-year head coach & GM Brian Agler'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 to the Connecticut Sun for the #3 and #15 2015 WNBA draft picks, along with Renee Montgomery. Storm free agent Tanisha Wright signed with the New York Liberty, and a month later, Valavanis shipped the #15 pick to the Mystics for Quanitra Hollingsworth and the #20 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Valavanis also signed Australian forward Abby Bishop 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. 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.

After having the worst record in the WNBA, the Storm ended up with the first overall pick again using it to select Breanna Stewart 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.[18] 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 and drafted Jordin Canada. Bird, Loyd, and Stewart were all voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, 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.[19] 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[20] 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. 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 was atypical, played entirely inside Bradenton, Florida's IMG Academy, 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.[21] 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 in three games en route to their fourth championship, with Stewart again named Finals MVP.[22] The Storm remained at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett for the 2021 season with limited capacity due to COVID guidelines.[23]In the 2021 season the Storm won the inaugural WNBA Commissioner's Cup after defeating the Connecticut Sun 79-57 in the championship game.

Move to Climate Pledge Arena (2022–present)

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A 2022 regular season game at Climate Pledge Arena

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.[24] 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.[25] The record was broken during a regular season win against the Indiana Fever on May 22, 2024, with 18,343 in attendance.[26]

Name, logo and team colors

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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.[27]

[edit]

The original logo featured a rounded, stylized silhouette of the Space Needle, 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.[28]

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. A sleeker modern font and the new color scheme of dark green, yellow, and bright green are used.[1]

Team colors

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Like several early WNBA teams, the Storm was owned by their NBA counterpart, the Seattle SuperSonics, 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 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 as the Thunder. 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.[29][30]

The new 2021 design keeps the 2016–2020 colors of lightning yellow and dark thunder green and replaces gray with the bright bolt green.[1]

Off-court activity

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Ownership

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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 group led by Clay Bennett on July 18, 2006.[31] 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.[32] During this period of uncertainty, the Storm announced that they would play their 2008 WNBA season in Seattle at KeyArena; the team had a lease at KeyArena through the end of the 2008 season.[33][34]

On January 8, 2008, Bennett sold the team to a group of four Seattle women called Force 10 Hoops, LLC for $10 million.[33][35] The four-person ownership group had formed in 2006 and began negotiations with Bennett in February 2007 after the Washington State Legislature voted against public financing for a new arena.[36] The sale was given unanimous approval from the WNBA Board of Governors on February 28.[37] This kept the team in Seattle and disconnected it from the Sonics, who moved to Oklahoma City in July 2008.[38] Force 10 Hoops later took over hosting of the Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament and other basketball events in the city. In 2018, the company became the ticketing and service operator of Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League and a consultant for the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby.[39]

Uniform sponsorship

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On April 21, 2010, the Storm and the WNBA announced a sponsor agreement with Bing, a search engine from Microsoft, to place the company's logo on their jerseys for the 2010 season.[40][41] 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.[42]

Temporary move to the University of Washington

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With Climate Pledge Arena to be closed during its renovation into a venue suitable for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League,[43] the Storm were forced to seek a temporary venue for their 2019 season. After considering two suburban venues, ShoWare Center in Kent 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's Alaska Airlines Arena.[44][45] 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.[44] 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.[46] The 2020 season saw the Storm play their games in Bradenton, Florida, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Training facility

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The Storm's training facility from 2008 to 2008 was the Furtado Center, which it shared with the SuperSonics and was located adjacent to the Seattle Center campus. After the SuperSonics relocated, the Furtado Center was demolished and displaced the Storm, who moved to the Royal Brougham Pavilion at Seattle Pacific University.[47] The team announced plans for a dedicated training facility in the Interbay neighborhood in May 2022, pending city approval.[48] Construction began in March 2023 and the facility opened in April 2024.[47][49] ZGF Architects designed the with a women-led team and Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project.[50]

The Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance serves as the team's headquarters and training facility. It comprises a two-story building with 53,000 square feet (4,900 m2) of space with two full-size basketball courts and two half-courts on the lower level and office spaces, a gymnasium, kitchen, and other facilities on the upper level. A rooftop solar array is also planned as part of the $64 million project.[50][49] It is the first dedicated training facility built for a WNBA team; the Las Vegas Aces' headquarters opened in 2022 in a renovated space.[49][51]

Amazon Prime Video deal

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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.[52]

Season-by-season records

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Main article: List of Seattle Storm seasons
Season Team Conference Regular season Playoff Results Head coach
W L PCT
Seattle Storm
2000 2000 West 8th 6 26 .188 Did not qualify Lin Dunn
2001 2001 West 8th 10 22 .313 Did not qualify Lin Dunn
2002 2002 West 4th 17 15 .531 Lost Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 0–2) Lin Dunn
2003 2003 West 5th 18 16 .529 Did not qualify Anne Donovan
2004 2004 West 2nd 20 14 .588 Won Conference Semifinals (Minnesota, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Sacramento, 2–1)
Won WNBA Finals (Connecticut, 2–1) 		Anne Donovan
2005 2005 West 2nd 20 14 .588 Lost Conference Semifinals (Houston, 1–2) Anne Donovan
2006 2006 West 4th 18 16 .529 Lost Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 1–2) Anne Donovan
2007 2007 West 4th 17 17 .500 Lost Conference Semifinals (Phoenix, 0–2) Anne Donovan
2008 2008 West 2nd 22 12 .647 Lost Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 1–2) Brian Agler
2009 2009 West 2nd 20 14 .588 Lost Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 1–2) Brian Agler
2010 2010 West 1st 28 6 .824 Won Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 2–0)
Won Conference Finals (Phoenix, 2–0)
Won WNBA Finals (Atlanta, 3–0) 		Brian Agler
2011 2011 West 2nd 21 13 .618 Lost Conference Semifinals (Phoenix, 1–2) Brian Agler
2012 2012 West 4th 16 18 .471 Lost Conference Semifinals (Minnesota, 1–2) Brian Agler
2013 2013 West 4th 17 17 .500 Lost Conference Semifinals (Minnesota, 0–2) Brian Agler
2014 2014 West 6th 12 22 .353 Did not qualify Brian Agler
2015 2015 West 5th 10 24 .294 Did not qualify Jenny Boucek
2016 2016 West 3rd 16 18 .471 Lost First Round (Atlanta, 0–1) Jenny Boucek
2017 2017 West 5th 15 19 .441 Lost First Round (Phoenix, 0–1) Jenny Boucek (10–16)
Gary Kloppenburg (5–3)
2018 2018 West 1st 26 8 .765 Won Semifinals (Phoenix, 3–2)
Won WNBA Finals (Washington, 3–0) 		Dan Hughes
2019 2019 West 6th 18 16 .529 Won First Round (Minnesota, 1–0)
Lost Second Round (Los Angeles, 0–1) 		Dan Hughes
2020 2020 West 2nd 18 4 .818 Won Semifinals (Minnesota, 3–0)
Won WNBA Finals (Las Vegas, 3–0) 		Gary Kloppenburg
2021 2021 West 3rd 21 11 .656 Lost Second Round (Phoenix, 0–1) Dan Hughes (5–1)
Noelle Quinn (16–10)
2022 2022 West 2nd 22 14 .611 Won First Round (Washington 2–0)
Lost Semifinals (Las Vegas, 1–3) 		Noelle Quinn
2023 2023 West 5th 11 29 .275 Did not qualify Noelle Quinn
2024 2024 West 3rd 25 15 .625 Lost First Round (Las Vegas, 0–2) Noelle Quinn
Regular season 444 400 .526
Playoffs 37 29 .547 2 Conference Championships[a]
4 WNBA Championships

Players

[edit]

Current roster

[edit]
Seattle Storm roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G4United StatesDiggins-Smith, Skylar5' 9" (1.75m)145 lb (66kg)1990-08-02Notre Dame9
F8United StatesHolmes, Joyner6' 3" (1.91m)210 lb (95kg)1998-02-22Texas4
G/F23United StatesHorston, Jordan6' 2" (1.88m)165 lb (75kg)2001-05-21Tennessee1
G24United StatesLoyd, Jewell5' 11" (1.8m)165 lb (75kg)1993-10-05Notre Dame9
C13AustraliaMagbegor, Ezi6' 4" (1.93m)181 lb (82kg)1999-06-13Australia4
G1CroatiaMühl, Nika6' 0" (1.83m)156 lb (71kg)2001-04-09ConnecticutR
F3United StatesOgwumike, Nneka6' 2" (1.88m)174 lb (79kg)1990-07-02Stanford12
C21United StatesRussell, Mercedes6' 6" (1.98m)195 lb (88kg)1995-07-27Tennessee6
G35United StatesVivians, Victoria6' 1" (1.85m)183 lb (83kg)1994-11-17Mississippi State5
G32AustraliaWhitcomb, Sami5' 10" (1.78m)154 lb (70kg)1988-07-20Washington7
F5FranceWilliams, Gabby5' 11" (1.8m)172 lb (78kg)1996-09-09Connecticut5
Head coach
Bulgaria Noelle Quinn (UCLA)
Assistant coaches
United States Pokey Chatman (LSU)
United States Ebony Hoffman (USC)
United States Perry Huang (Fresno Pacific)
Athletic trainer
Brittanie Vaughn
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured
  WNBA roster page
East
ATL
CHI
CON
IND
NY
WAS
West
DAL
LV
LA
MIN
PHO
SEA

Former players

[edit]
Further information: Category:Seattle Storm players

Retired numbers

[edit]
Seattle Storm retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure Ref.
15 Lauren Jackson PF/C 2001–2012 [53][54]
10 Sue Bird PG 2002–2022 [55]

Coaches and staff

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Owners

[edit]
Further information: Category:Seattle Storm owners

Head coaches

[edit]
Further information: Category:Seattle Storm coaches
Seattle Storm head coaches
Name Start End Seasons Regular season Playoffs
W L PCT G W L PCT G
Lin Dunn July 22, 1999 September 3, 2002 3 33 63 .344 96 0 2 .000 2
Anne Donovan December 18, 2002 November 30, 2007 5 93 77 .547 170 8 8 .500 16
Brian Agler January 8, 2008 January 5, 2015 7 136 102 .571 238 11 10 .524 21
Jenny Boucek January 20, 2015 August 10, 2017 3 36 58 .383 94 0 1 .000 1
Gary Kloppenburg (interim)[b] August 10, 2017 October 3, 2017 1 5 3 .625 8 0 1 .000 1
Dan Hughes October 4, 2017 June 28, 2020 2 44 24 .647 68 7 3 .700 10
Gary Kloppenburg[c] June 29, 2020 October 6, 2020 1 18 4 .818 22 6 0 1.000 7
Dan Hughes October 7, 2020 May 30, 2021 1 5 1 .833 6 – – – –
Noelle Quinn May 30, 2021 Current 4 74 68 .521 142 3 6 .333 9

General managers

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Assistant Coaches

[edit]

Records and statistics

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Season records

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Regular season attendance

[edit]
  • A sellout for a basketball game at Climate Pledge Arena 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

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  • 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
  • 2023: Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor
  • 2024: Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike

Olympians

[edit]
  • 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)
  • 2020: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Stephanie Talbot (AUS), Ezi Magbegor (AUS)
  • 2024: Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor (AUS), Sami Whitcomb (AUS)

Honors and awards

[edit]
  • 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
  • 2023 All-Star Game MVP: Jewell Loyd
  • 2023 Peak Performer (Scoring): Jewell Loyd
  • 2023 All-Rookie Team: Jordan Horston
  • 2023 All-WNBA Second Team: Jewell Loyd
  • 2024 All-WNBA Second Team: Nneka Ogwumike
  • 2024 All-Defensive First Team: Ezi Magbegor
  • 2024 All-Defensive Second Team: Nneka Ogwumike

Media coverage

[edit]

Currently, the broadcast rights for Storm games are held by KCPQ or KZJO. Amazon Prime also streams games for viewers in the state of Washington. Broadcasters for the Storm games are Dick Fain and Elise Woodward.[63]

Some Storm games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, Ion Television, CBS, CBS Sports Network and ABC.[64]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b The WNBA awarded conference championships to the winners of the Conference Finals in the playoffs from 1998 to 2015.
  2. ^ Kloppenburg was named interim head coach after Boucek was fired and finished the 2017 regular season with a 5–3 record before going 0–1 in the playoffs.
  3. ^ Kloppenburg was named head coach for the 2020 season when Hughes opted out due to health concerns.[60]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Seattle Storm launches new brand identity and redesigned logo". Storm.WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021. The primary colors, Lightning Yellow, a deep Thunder Green, and a brighter Bolt Green, maintain the legacy of the original Storm brand.
  2. ^ @seattlestorm (March 2, 2021). "We are a force of nature, on the court and in the community" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Seattle Storm Reproduction Guideline Sheet". MediaCentral.NBA.com. WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Seattle Storm Announces Marquee Medical Partnership with Swedish". Storm.WNBA.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 14, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Seattle Storm Promotes Talisa Rhea to General Manager". Seattle Storm. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Ginger Ackerley: 1938-2018". Storm.WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 8, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Seattle Storm founder, former Sonics owner Ginger Ackerley dies at 79". King5.com. January 10, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Allen, Percy (April 24, 2024). "Sue Bird joining Storm ownership group". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  9. ^ "Doppler Train". WNBA.com. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  10. ^ "WNBA Approves Sale of Seattle Storm to Local Owners". WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 28, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  11. ^ "STORM: Donovan Resigns as Storm Head Coach". www.wnba.com.
  12. ^ Brian Agler named Head Coach Archived January 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Obama honors WNBA Seattle Storm's championship run[dead link]
  14. ^ "WNBA on Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games". Yahoo Sports.
  15. ^ "STORM: 2011: Beaten at the Buzzer". www.wnba.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  16. ^ "STORM: Not Finished: 2012 Playoff Preview". www.wnba.com.
  17. ^ "WNBA.com: Storm at Lynx Game Info - October 2, 2012". Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  18. ^ Just the Beginning: Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart Showing They Are Next Great Storm Duo
  19. ^ Conway, Tyler. "Report: Breanna Stewart Suffers Torn Achilles Injury After Collision with Griner". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. ^ "Storm coach Dan Hughes undergoes surgery for cancer". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  21. ^ Zucker, Joseph (June 9, 2020). "Storm HC Dan Hughes Will Miss 2020 WNBA Season Because of COVID-19 Concerns". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  22. ^ "2020 WNBA Playoffs". WNBA.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  23. ^ "The champs are back: Storm returning to Everett for 16 games". The Everett Herald. April 13, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  24. ^ Allen, Percy (May 6, 2022). "Storm put on a show in front of Climate Pledge Arena crowd, blowing out Minnesota in opener". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  25. ^ Allen, Percy (August 7, 2022). "Storm fans shower Sue Bird with love in emotional home regular-season finale". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  26. ^ Allen, Percy (May 22, 2024). "Storm hand Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever loss in front of record crowd". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Evans, Jayda (January 6, 2000). "Wnba". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  28. ^ "Seattle Storm change colors". KING5.com. January 6, 2016. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  29. ^ "Seattle Announces 2016 Schedule; Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Storm Basketball Season". Storm.WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  30. ^ "Seattle Storm Reproduction Guideline Sheet". WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  31. ^ Galloway, Angela; Cat Le, Phoung (July 17, 2006). "Sonics sold to ownership group from Oklahoma City". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  32. ^ Siderius, Christina (August 13, 2007). "Sonics minority owner says team destined for Oklahoma City". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Evans, Jayda (January 8, 2008). "Storm purchased by group of local women". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  34. ^ "Storm Announces Plans To Play 2008 Season at KeyArena" (Press release). Seattle Storm. September 21, 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  35. ^ "Season-ticket holders buy team; Agler reportedly selected coach". ESPN. Associated Press. January 8, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  36. ^ Evans, Jayda (April 20, 2008). "New owners kept Storm in Seattle". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  37. ^ Fessenden, Darren (February 28, 2008). "Storm sale given WNBA approval". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  38. ^ Mertens, Maggie (September 30, 2016). "Weather It All: The Strange Life Of A WNBA Fanbase In A City Without A NBA Team". Vice News. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  39. ^ Baker, Geoff (February 5, 2018). "Storm's parent company strikes deal to manage Reign ticket, service operations". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  40. ^ "Bing Takes Seattle by Storm" (Press release). Microsoft. April 21, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  41. ^ Pelton, Kevin (April 21, 2010). "Partnership with Bing is Major Milestone for Storm". WNBA.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  42. ^ Loh, Stefanie (April 14, 2016). "Seattle Storm to have new uniforms as part of partnership with Swedish". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  43. ^ Baker, Geoff (July 31, 2018). "KeyArena renovation takes next step with announcement of general contractor Skanska Hunt". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  44. ^ a b Allen, Percy (August 15, 2018). "Storm will play at UW's Alaska Airlines Arena in 2019 while KeyArena is under construction". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  45. ^ "Seattle Storm Set to Play 2019 WNBA Season at University of Washington's Alaska Airlines Arena" (Press release). Seattle Storm. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  46. ^ "Seattle Storm Announces 2019 Regular Season Schedule" (Press release). Seattle Storm. December 18, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  47. ^ a b Allen, Percy (March 27, 2023). "Storm leaders break ground on first-of-its-kind WNBA training facility". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  48. ^ Opong, Diana (May 24, 2022). "Seattle Storm is finally getting its own facility". KUOW. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c Allen, Percy (April 18, 2024). "Storm unveil their new 'home' at expansive new facility in Interbay". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  50. ^ a b "Sellen tops out Storm training facility in Interbay". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  51. ^ Vorkunov, Mike (May 17, 2023). "Inside the Seattle Storm's growth plan that led to a $151 million valuation". The Athletic. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  52. ^ Tracy, Gerald (April 21, 2022). "Amazon Prime Video is now the official streaming partner for the Seattle Storm". Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  53. ^ Storm retire jersey, finally able to give Lauren Jackson send-off she deserved by Kevin Pelton on ESPN, July 18, 2016
  54. ^ Seattle Storm retire Aussie Lauren Jackson's No. 15 jersey, USA Today, July 16, 2016
  55. ^ Pelton, Kevin (June 11, 2023). "Storm retire Sue Bird's No. 10 jersey in emotional ceremony". ESPN. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  56. ^ "Storm founder Ginger Ackerley dies at 79". The Seattle Times. January 5, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  57. ^ Payne, Patti (January 5, 2018). "Former SuperSonics owner, Storm founder Ginger Ackerley has died". BizJournals. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  58. ^ a b "Schultz withdraws lawsuit on sale of Sonics". The Seattle Times. August 29, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  59. ^ Glass, Alana (September 8, 2011). "The Female Entrepreneurs Who Are The Seattle Storm's Driving Force". Forbes. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  60. ^ "Dan Hughes To Miss 2020 Storm Season In Florida". Seattle Storm. June 29, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  61. ^ "WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season". WNBA. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  62. ^ "WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida". NBC Sports Washington. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  63. ^ "Storm Broadcast Schedule for all 2023 Games". WNBA. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  64. ^ "WNBA Extends TV Rights Deal with ESPN and ABC". Sports Business. June 18, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seattle Storm.
Sporting positions
Preceded by WNBA Champions
2020 (fourth title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WNBA Champions
2018 (third title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WNBA Champions
2010 (second title) 		Succeeded by
WNBA Western Conference Champions
2010 (second title)
Preceded by WNBA Champions
2004 (first title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WNBA Western Conference Champions
2004 (first title)
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