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The Storm has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in twelve of its seventeen years in Seattle. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as former UConn stars Sue Bird and Swin Cash, 2004 Finals MVP Betty Lennox and Australian power forward Lauren Jackson, a three-time league MVP. In 2004 and 2010, the Storm went to the WNBA Finals; they won each time, beating Connecticut in 2004 and Atlanta in 2010.
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 was the sister team of the Seattle SuperSonics until February 28, 2008, when the latter team was sold to an independent ownership group in Seattle.[2]
Franchise history
A gloomy start (2000–2002)
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 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 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
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)
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. In addition, 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.[3][4]
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 were 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.
Postseason pains (2011-2014)
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.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] 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.[8]
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.
A New Era of Storm Basketball (2015-present)
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. 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 season, Seattle went on an impressive run after the Olympic Break to make the playoffs with a 16-18 record, before falling to Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs.
Name, logo and team colors
The Storm 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.[9]
The logo features an iconic Seattle landmark, the Space Needle, set against the backdrop of a 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 with a change to the official team colors. The logo retains the same design but uses the new color scheme.[10]
Team colors
Like a number of early WNBA teams, the Storm were 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 coloquially 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 rebranded with the traditional green and golden yellow colors that had identified the team for the majority of its 41 years. 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 the Sooner State. 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 new colors are green and yellow. White and grey will feature as accent colors.[10]
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 group led by Clay Bennett on July 18, 2006.[11] 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 in Seattle at KeyArena.[12]
On January 8, 2008, Bennett sold the team to a Seattle group of women called Force 10 Hoops, LLC.[13] The sale was given unanimous approval from the WNBA Board of Governors on February 28, 2008.[14] This keeps the team in Seattle and disconnected it from the Sonics, which was dissolved with the 'new' basketball franchise and assets relocated to Oklahoma City.
Uniform sponsor
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.[15][16] 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 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.[17]
Currently, some Storm games are broadcast on KONG, which is a local television station for the area of Seattle. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Storm games are Dick Fain and Adia Barnes.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Storm games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with ESPN, which will pay rights fees to the Storm, as well as other teams in the league.[18]
All-time notes
Regular season attendance
A sellout for a basketball game at KeyArena is 17,072.
2016: Breanna Stewart (1), Lexi Eaton Rydalch (26)
Trades
May 27, 2000: The Storm traded a third-round pick in the 2001 Draft to the Houston Comets in exchange for Andrea Gardner.
June 11, 2000: The Storm traded the rights to Nina Bjedov to the Cleveland Rockers for Michelle Edwards.
April 24, 2001: The Storm traded Edna Campbell and a fourth-round pick in the 2002 Draft to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Katy Steding and a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
June 17, 2002: The Storm traded Sonja Henning to the Houston Comets in exchange for Amanda Lassiter.
May 21, 2003: The Storm traded a third-round pick in the 2004 Draft to the Houston Comets in exchange for Rita Williams.
April 15, 2004: The Storm traded the 6th pick in the 2004 Draft and Amanda Lassiter to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Sheri Sam and Jannel Burse.
June 29, 2006: The Storm traded Cisti Greenwalt and a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Ashley Robinson.
February 19, 2008: The Storm traded the 4th pick in the 2008 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Swin Cash.
June 22, 2008: The Storm traded a second-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Camille Little.
April 11, 2011: The Storm traded Jasmine Thomas and a first-round pick in the 2012 Draft to the Washington Mystics, and Erin Phillips and a third-round pick in the 2012 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Jacinta Monroe and Katie Smith from Washington, and a third-round pick in the 2012 Draft from Indiana.
January 2, 2012: The Storm traded Swin Cash, Le'coe Willingham, and the 23rd pick in the 2012 Draft to the Chicago Sky in exchange for the second pick in the 2012 Draft.
February 14, 2012: The Storm traded Ashley Robinson to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Victoria Dunlap.
March 27, 2014: The Storm traded Ewelina Kobryn to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Charde Houston.
April 14, 2014: The Storm traded Tianna Hawkins and Bria Hartley to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Crystal Langhorne.
January 28, 2015: The Storm traded Camille Little and Shekinna Stricklen to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Renee Montgomery and the third and fifteenth overall picks in the 2015 Draft.
February 23, 2015: The Storm traded the fifteenth overall pick in the 2015 Draft to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Quanitra Hollingsworth and the twentieth overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
July 20, 2015: The Storm traded Renee Montgomery to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Monica Wright.
June 25, 2016: The Storm traded Angel Robinson to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Noelle Quinn.
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2016 Seattle Storm season
