Seattle Storm

WNBA team
color1 = #003614
color2 = #ffc11f
name = Seattle Storm

imagesize = 150px
conference = Western Conference
founded = 2000
arena = KeyArena
city = Seattle, Washington
colors = Dark Green, Red, Gold
owner = Force 10 Hoops L.L.C.
GM = Karen Bryant
coach = Brian Agler
league_champs = 1 (2004)
conf_champs = 1 (2004)
mascot = Doppler [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/meet_doppler.html]

The Seattle Storm is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently led by Australian basketball star Lauren Jackson and University of Connecticut star Sue Bird.

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 DJs. Named for the "; and its newsletter is called "Stormwatch".

The Storm was the sister team of the Seattle SuperSonics until February 28, 2008, when the team was sold to an independent ownership group [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/force10080228.html] in Seattle.

Uniforms:
* At home, white with dark red and green trim, gold on the shoulders with the team name logo text on the chest in green. On the road, dark green with red and gold trim. The team logo is replaced by the city name in white logo text on the road.

Franchise history

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.

In the 2002 draft, the Storm drafted UConn star Sue Bird, filling the Storm's the 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 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 team's win brought a national professional sports championship to Seattle for the first time since the Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979. The win also made Anne Donovan the first female head coach in WNBA history to win the WNBA Championship.

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 The Storm announced that Head coach, Anne Donovan had resigned. On January 9, 2008 Brian Agler was named head coach to replace Anne Donovan.

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. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/277945_sonics18ww.html] . 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. [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/season08_070921.html]

On January 8, 2008, Bennett sold the team to a Seattle group of women called Force 10 Hoops, LLC [http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=3186693] . The sale was given unanimous approval from the WNBA Board of Governors on February 28, 2008. [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/force10080228.html] 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.

eason-by-season records

-
colspan="6" align=center bgcolor="#003614 " | Seattle Storm
-
2000 || 6 || 26 || .188 || |
-
2001 || 10 || 22 || .313 || |
-
2002 || 17 || 15 || .531 || Lost First Round || Los Angeles 2, Seattle 0
-
2003 || 18 || 16 || .529 || |
-
2004 || 20 || 14 || .588 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Won WNBA Finals || Seattle 2, Minnesota 0
Seattle 2, Sacramento 1
Seattle 2, Connecticut 1
-
2005 || 20 || 14 || .588 || Lost First Round || Houston 2, Seattle 1
-
2006 || 18 || 16 || .529 || Lost First Round || Los Angeles 2, Seattle 1
-
2007 || 17 || 17 || .500 || Lost First Round || Phoenix 2, Seattle 0
-
2008 || 22 || 12 || .647 || Lost First Round || Los Angeles 2, Seattle 1
-
Totals || 148 || 152 || .493 || |
-
Playoffs || 9 || 12 || .429 || 1 WNBA Championship |
###@@@KEYEND@@@###Stats updated September 23 2008

Players of note

Former players

*Quacy Barnes, now an Assistant Coach at Eastern Illinois University
*Tully Bevilaqua, went to the Indiana Fever in 2005
*Sandy Brondello, now an Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Silver Stars
*Edna Campbell, went to the Sacramento Monarchs in 2003
*Iziane Castro Marques, now on the Atlanta Dream
*Simone Edwards, now an Assistant Coach at Radford University
*Sonja Henning
*Betty Lennox, now on the Atlanta Dream
*Michelle Marciniak, now an Assistant Coach for the University of South Carolina
*Kate Paye, now an Assistant Coach at Stanford University
*Semeka Randall, now the Head Coach at Ohio University
*Jamie Redd
*Sheri Sam, went to the Charlotte Sting in 2005
*Charmin Smith, now an Assistant Coach at California
*Kate Starbird
*Lindsay Taylor, played for the team for little over a month between April and May 2006 before she was released.
*Alicia Thompson
*Kamila Vodichkova, went to the Phoenix Mercury in 2005

Current Roster

Individual awards

WNBA MVP

*Lauren Jackson- 2003, 2007WNBA Finals MVP

*Betty Lennox- 2004

Coaches and others

Head Coaches:
*Lin Dunn (2000-2002), now Head Coach of the Indiana Fever
*Anne Donovan (2003 - 2007) (Hall of Famer) First Female Coach to win a WNBA championship.
*Brian Agler (2008- present)

External links

*
* [http://www.stormfans.org Stormfans.org Unofficial fan website]
* [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/donovan071130.html?rss=true Anne Donovan resigns as Head Coach]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/storm/2004114382_webagler08.html Brian Agler named Head Coach]