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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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team based in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. The Storm compete in the
Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...
(WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerley and her husband Barry ahead of the 2000 season. 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. 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 Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
, and Breanna Stewart;
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 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, and
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
. They are one of two teams who have never lost a WNBA Finals, the defunct Houston Comets being the other, they also share the record for most WNBA titles with the Comets and the
Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...
. 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 The conga line is a novelty line dance that was derived from the Cuban carnival dance of the same name and became popular in the US in the 1930s and 1950s. In order to perform the dance, dancers form a long, processing line, which would usually ...
on the court during time-outs, to the music of " C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" by the
Quad City DJ's Quad City DJ's is an American music group originally consisting of Jay Ski (Johnny McGowan), C.C. Lemonhead (Nathaniel Orange), and JeLana LaFleur who recorded the 1996 hit " C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)", a rap-remix of Barry White's 1974 "Theme ...
. 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 AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
's " Thunderstruck"; and its newsletter is called ''Stormwatch''. The Storm were the sister team of the Seattle SuperSonics of the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
prior to February 28, 2008, when the team was sold to Force 10 Hoops LLC.


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 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
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 Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, 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 Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
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)

In the 2002 draft, the Storm drafted UConn star Sue Bird, filling the Storm's gap at the
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
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 The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...
. 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. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...
, 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 is 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. The series is played between the win ...
, 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. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...
2 games to 1. Betty Lennox was named
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
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. 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 The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...
. 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 in the conference finals, and the Atlanta Dream in the
WNBA Finals The WNBA Finals is 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. The series is played between the win ...
. 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 Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
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.


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 The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...
, 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 Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
kept the Storm competitive, finishing second in the WNBA with 21 wins and 13 losses. On the playoffs, a Mercury
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
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 and
Katie Smith Katie Smith (born June 4, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team. She is the former head coach of the New York Liberty. A retired professional baske ...
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. 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 (2015–2021)

Following seven-year head coach & GM
Brian Agler Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American college athletics administrator and former women's basketball coach. He is the athletic director at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, a position he has held since 2021. Agler served as ...
'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 The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...
for the #3 and #15 2015 WNBA draft picks, along with Renee Montgomery. Storm free agent Tanisha Wright signed with the
New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...
, 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. 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 Brittney Yvette Griner (; born October 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's natio ...
, 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. 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 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, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
's
IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...
, 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 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. 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)

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. The record was broken during a regular season win against the
Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...
on May 22, 2024, with 18,343 in attendance. On August 15, 2025, the Storm will host the Atlanta Dream at
Rogers Arena Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place), is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the Downtown Vancouver, downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, Canada. It will be the first WNBA regular season game played outside the United States.


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 Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
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 List of Seattle landmarks, Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne, Seattle, Lower Queen An ...
, 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 ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
. 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, 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 List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
CEO
Howard Schultz Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and author who was the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000, from 2008 to 2017, and interim CEO from 2022 to 2023. Schultz owned the Seattle SuperS ...
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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
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


Ownership

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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
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 The 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 131–92 to win the 2008 NBA Finals, four games to two. The 2007 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2007, a ...
, 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; the team had a lease at KeyArena through the end of the 2008 season. On January 8, 2008, Bennett sold the team to a group of four Seattle women called Force 10 Hoops, LLC for $10 million. The four-person ownership group had formed in 2006 and began negotiations with Bennett in February 2007 after the
Washington State Legislature The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the State of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, w ...
voted against public financing for a new arena. The sale was given unanimous approval from the WNBA Board of Governors on February 28. This kept the team in Seattle and disconnected it from the Sonics, who moved to Oklahoma City in July 2008. 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 Seattle Reign FC is an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, it is one of eight inaugural members of the NWSL. Since June 2024, the Reign ar ...
of the
National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a women's professional Association football, soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system#Women's leagues, United States soccer league system (alongside the USL Supe ...
and a consultant for the
Seattle Seawolves The Seattle Seawolves are an American professional rugby union team based in the Seattle metropolitan area that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2017. The Seawolves won two MLR championships in 2018 and 2019, and los ...
of
Major League Rugby Major League Rugby (MLR) is a professional rugby union competition in the United States. The league comprises 11 teams. While operating outside of the governance and oversight of the national governing body, the league is officially sanctioned ...
.


Uniform sponsorship

On April 21, 2010, the Storm and the WNBA announced a sponsor agreement with
Bing Bing most often refers to: * Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer * Microsoft Bing, a web search engine Bing may also refer to: Food and drink * Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread * Bing (soft drink), a UK brand * Bing cherry, a varie ...
, a
search engine A search engine is a software system that provides hyperlinks to web pages, and other relevant information on World Wide Web, the Web in response to a user's web query, query. The user enters a query in a web browser or a mobile app, and the sea ...
from
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
, 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.


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 the 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 (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
, 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 Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
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 and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
's
Alaska Airlines Arena Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (formerly and still commonly referred to as Hec Edmundson Pavilion or simply Hec Ed) is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It serves ...
. 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 The Tacoma Dome is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is located south of Downtown Tacoma, adjacent to Interstate 5 in Washington, Interstate 5 and Tacoma Dome Station. It is currently used for basketball tou ...
, 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, 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, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Training facility

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 The Seattle Center is an entertainment, education, tourism and performing arts center located in the Lower Queen Anne, Seattle, Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Constructed for the Century 21 Exposition, 1962 W ...
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. The team announced plans for a dedicated training facility in the Interbay neighborhood in May 2022, pending city approval. Construction began in March 2023 and the facility opened in April 2024. ZGF Architects designed the with a women-led team and Sellen Construction was the general contractor for the project. The Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance serves as the team's headquarters and training facility. It comprises a two-story building with of space with two full-size
basketball court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor ...
s 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. It is the first dedicated training facility built for a WNBA team; the Las Vegas Aces' headquarters opened in 2022 in a renovated space.


Season-by-season records


Players


Current roster


Former players


Retired numbers


Coaches and staff


Owners

* Barry and Ginger Ackerley, owners of the Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2001) *
Howard Schultz Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and author who was the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000, from 2008 to 2017, and interim CEO from 2022 to 2023. Schultz owned the Seattle SuperS ...
, owner of the Seattle SuperSonics (2001–2006) * Clay Bennett, owner of the Seattle SuperSonics (2007) *Force 10 Hoops LLC, composed of Dawn Trudeau, Lisa Brummel, Ginny Gilder (2008–present) ** Sue Bird (2024–present)


Head coaches


General managers

* Lin Dunn (2000–2002) * Billy McKinney (2002–2003) * Karen Bryant (2004–2010) *
Brian Agler Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American college athletics administrator and former women's basketball coach. He is the athletic director at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, a position he has held since 2021. Agler served as ...
(2011–2014) *Alisha Valavanis (2015–2021) * Talisa Rhea (2021–present)


Assistant Coaches

* Kathy Anderson (2000–2001) * Missy Bequette (2000–2001) * Carrie Graf (2002) * Gary Kloppenburg (2002; 2017-2019, 2021) * Jenny Boucek (2003–2005, 2011) * Jessie Kenlaw (2003–2006) *
Heidi VanDerveer Heidi Elizabeth VanDerveer (born February 11, 1964) is a women's basketball collegiate and professional coach. She is currently the women's basketball head coach at UC San Diego. A native of Chautauqua, New York, VanDerveer was a four-year let ...
(2006–2007) * Shelley Patterson (2007–2009) * Nancy Darsch (2008–2013) * Shaquala Williams (2014) * Rob Fodor (2015) * Ryan Webb (2015–2017; 2021) * Leah Drury (2016) * Crystal Robinson (2018) * Noelle Quinn (2019-2021) * Perry Huang (2021–2024) * Pokey Chatman (2022–Present) * Ebony Hoffman (2022–Present) * Mitch Thompson (2025–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 the 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 Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (formerly and still commonly referred to as Hec Edmundson Pavilion or simply Hec Ed) is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It serves ...
, 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 *2023: Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor *2024: Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike


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) *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

*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


Broadcasters

In 2025, the Storm announced that its games not on national television would be broadcast by
KOMO-TV KOMO-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue-licensed The CW, CW affiliate ...
, Seattle's ABC affiliate, and KUNS-TV, Seattle's affiliate of
the CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
. From 2016 to 2024, the broadcast rights for Storm games were held by
KCPQ KCPQ (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, serving the Seattle area. It is owned and operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside KZJ ...
or
KZJO KZJO (channel 22), branded as Fox 13+, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, broadcasting the MyNetworkTV programming service. It is owned and operated by Fox Television Stations alongside Tacoma-licensed Fox Broadcasti ...
. Broadcasters for the Storm games are Dick Fain and Elise Woodward. In 2022,
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
announced a 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 are available to Prime Video customers in Washington state. Some Storm games have been broadcast nationally on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
,
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 ...
,
Ion Television Ion Television (referred to on-air as simply Ion) is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August ...
( KWPX-TV), CBS(
KIRO-TV KIRO-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. Owned by Cox Media Group, the station maintains studios on Third Avenue in the Belltown, Seattle, Belltown section of Downtown ...
),
CBS Sports Network CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American digital cable and satellite 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 ...
and ABC(KOMO).


Notes


References


External links

* {{Authority control Women's National Basketball Association teams Basketball teams established in 2000 Basketball teams in Washington (state) 2000 establishments in Washington (state)