Seattle Storm facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Seattle Storm

Conference

Western

Leagues

WNBA

Founded

2000; 25 years ago

History

Seattle Storm
2000–present

Arena

Climate Pledge Arena

Location

Seattle, Washington

Team colors

Thunder green, lightning yellow, bolt green

Main sponsor

Swedish Medical Center

General manager

Talisa Rhea

Head coach

Noelle Quinn

Assistant(s)

Pokey Chatman
Ebony Hoffman
Perry Huang

Ownership

Force 10 Hoops LLC

Championships

4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)

Conference titles

2 (2004, 2010)

Commissioner's Cup titles

1 (2021)

Retired numbers

2 (10, 15)

Heroine	Explorer	Rebel

The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team from Seattle, Washington. They play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team started in the year 2000. It was founded by Ginger and Barry Ackerley.

The Storm has made it to the WNBA Playoffs in most of their seasons. They have had many great players. Some famous players include Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Breanna Stewart, Betty Lennox, and Lauren Jackson. The Seattle Storm has won the WNBA Championship four times. They won in 2004, 2010, 2018, and 2020. They are one of only two teams that have never lost a WNBA Finals.

The team loves its fans and creates a fun atmosphere at home games. They even have a dance team made of kids! Their mascot is Doppler, a furry creature with a weather tool on its head. The team is named after Seattle's famous rainy weather. Their theme song is "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC.

Team History: How the Storm Began

Early Days: Starting in 2000

Before the Storm, Seattle had a team called the Seattle Reign. That team played in a different league that closed in 1998. Luckily, Seattle quickly got a new WNBA team, the Storm.

The Seattle Storm played their first season in 2000. They were coached by Lin Dunn. The team had a tough start, winning only 6 games and losing 26. But this low record helped them get a chance to draft Lauren Jackson. She was a talented 19-year-old player from Australia. Even though they didn't make the playoffs in 2001, Lauren Jackson's great playing gave the team a strong start.

Sue Bird Joins and First Championship (2002–2004)

Sue Bird, a key player for the Storm.

In 2002, the Storm drafted Sue Bird, a star player from UConn. She became their main point guard. With Sue Bird's amazing passing and Lauren Jackson's scoring, the team reached the playoffs for the first time in 2002. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Sparks.

In 2003, Anne Donovan became the new coach. Lauren Jackson won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award that year. But Sue Bird was injured for much of the season, and the team missed the playoffs.

The 2004 Storm team had their best record yet, winning 20 games and losing 14. In the playoffs, they easily beat the Minnesota Lynx. Then, they faced the Sacramento Monarchs and won that series too. In the WNBA Finals, the Storm became champions! They defeated the Connecticut Sun. Betty Lennox was named the MVP of the Finals. Coach Anne Donovan became the first female head coach to win a WNBA Championship.

Staying Strong: Playoff Teams (2005–2009)

After their championship, some key players left the team in 2005. Even with these changes, the Storm still made the playoffs. But they lost in the first round to the Houston Comets.

In 2006 and 2007, the Storm continued to make the playoffs. They fought hard but were eliminated in the first round both years. In 2008, Brian Agler became the new head coach. The Storm had a great season, winning 22 games. They were especially strong at home, winning 16 games there. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs again to the Los Angeles Sparks. This also happened in 2009.

Second Championship Victory (2010)

The 2010 season was incredible for the Storm. They were almost unbeatable! They won 28 games and lost only 6 in the regular season. They also won all 17 of their home games, which was a WNBA record.

Lauren Jackson was named WNBA MVP for the third time. Coach Brian Agler was named Coach of the Year. In the playoffs, the Storm finally changed their luck. They swept the Sparks, the team that had beaten them before. Then they swept the Phoenix Mercury and the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals. With two championships, the Storm became Seattle's most successful professional sports team.

In 2011, President Barack Obama invited the team to the White House. He praised them for being great role models for young girls.

Challenges and New Stars (2011–2021)

The years after 2010 brought some challenges. Injuries affected many players, especially Lauren Jackson. The team still played well, but they often lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2014, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

In 2015, the Storm drafted Jewell Loyd as the number one pick. She won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2016, they drafted Breanna Stewart, also as the number one pick. Stewart also won Rookie of the Year. Loyd and Stewart quickly became a powerful duo, like Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson before them. The team returned to the playoffs in 2016 and 2017 but lost in the first round.

In 2018, the Storm became a top team again. They added Natasha Howard and Jordin Canada. Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart all became All-Stars. Sue Bird also broke records for scoring and assists. The Storm finished as the top team in the league. Breanna Stewart won the MVP award. They reached the WNBA Finals and swept the Washington Mystics to win their third championship! Stewart was named Finals MVP again.

The 2019 season was tough due to injuries. Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird both missed the entire season. Their coach, Dan Hughes, also had health issues. Despite this, players like Natasha Howard and Jordin Canada stepped up. The team still made the playoffs but lost in the second round.

The 2020 WNBA season was unique. It was played in a special "wubble" (bubble) in Florida because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart were back, and the Storm didn't lose a single playoff game! They beat the Las Vegas Aces to win their fourth championship. Breanna Stewart was named Finals MVP once more. In 2021, the Storm won the first-ever WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

New Home and Sue Bird's Farewell (2022–Present)

A 2022 game at the Storm's new home, Climate Pledge Arena.

In 2022, the Storm moved to their new home, Climate Pledge Arena. Sue Bird announced that she would retire at the end of the season. Her last regular season game brought a record crowd of 18,100 fans! This record was broken again in 2024 with 18,343 fans.

Team Identity: Name, Logo, and Colors

Why "Storm"?

The team is called the Storm because Seattle is known for its rainy weather. The name also sounds strong and active, like a basketball team. The team loved the name "Storm" from the start.

Team Logos

The first logo had a picture of the Space Needle, a famous Seattle landmark. It was set against a green storm cloud. Lightning bolts were part of the team name.

In 2016, the team updated its colors and removed red from the logo. In 2021, they released a brand new logo. The new logo shows the Space Needle linked with a basketball. It also has a small lightning bolt. The shape of the logo looks like Mount Rainier. The new colors are dark green, yellow, and bright green.

Team Colors

The Storm's first colors were pine green, maroon red, bronze, and white. These colors were similar to their former brother team, the Seattle SuperSonics (an NBA team).

In 2016, the team changed its official colors to thunder green and lightning yellow. White and thunder gray were added as accent colors. The newest 2021 design keeps lightning yellow and dark thunder green. It replaces gray with a bright bolt green.

Behind the Scenes: Off-Court Activities

Team Ownership

The Storm was first owned by the same group that owned the Seattle SuperSonics. In 2008, a group of four Seattle businesswomen bought the team. They formed a company called Force 10 Hoops, LLC. This sale kept the team in Seattle when the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. One of the owners since 2024 is former player Sue Bird.

Team Sponsors

From 2010 to 2013, Bing (a search engine by Microsoft) was the Storm's jersey sponsor. After a couple of years without a sponsor, Swedish Medical Center became their new uniform sponsor in 2016.

Temporary Home Courts

While Climate Pledge Arena was being renovated, the Storm needed a temporary home. In 2019, they played most of their games at University of Washington's Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. Some games were also played at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire season was played in Florida.

Training Facility

For many years, the Storm shared training facilities with other teams. In 2022, they announced plans for their own dedicated training facility in Seattle. Construction began in 2023, and the facility opened in April 2024.

This new building is called the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance. It has two full-size basketball courts and two half-courts. It also has offices, a gym, and a kitchen. This is the first training facility built just for a WNBA team!

Amazon Prime Video Deal

In 2022, Amazon Prime Video made a deal with the Seattle Storm. They became the official streaming service for the team. This means that about 30 Storm games are available to watch on Prime Video in Washington state.

Storm's Achievements and Players

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Seattle Storm has retired two jersey numbers to honor legendary players:

No.	Player	Position	Tenure
Seattle Storm retired numbers
15	Lauren Jackson	PF/C	2001–2012
10	Sue Bird	PG	2002–2022

All-Star Players

Many Storm players have been chosen to play in the WNBA All-Star Game. This game features the best players from around the league. Some of the Storm's All-Stars include:

2002: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
2005: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson
2009: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson
2017: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart
2018: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart
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 from the Storm

Several Storm players have also represented their countries in the Olympic Games:

2004: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (Australia)
2008: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (Australia), Kelly Santos (Brazil)
2012: Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson (Australia)
2016: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Ramu Tokashiki (Japan)
2020: Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Ezi Magbegor (Australia)
2024: Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor (Australia), Sami Whitcomb (Australia)

Awards and Honors

Storm players and coaches have won many awards, including:

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007, 2010), Breanna Stewart (2018)
Finals MVP: Betty Lennox (2004), Lauren Jackson (2010), Breanna Stewart (2018, 2020)
Rookie of the Year: Jewell Loyd (2015), Breanna Stewart (2016)
Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Jackson (2007), Natasha Howard (2019)
Coach of the Year: Brian Agler (2010)
Commissioner's Cup MVP: Breanna Stewart (2021)
Many players have also been named to the All-WNBA Teams (best players in the league) and All-Defensive Teams (best defensive players).

Media Coverage

You can watch Storm games on local TV channels like KCPQ or KZJO. Amazon Prime also streams games for people in Washington state. Some Storm games are shown nationally on channels like ESPN, Ion Television, CBS, and ABC.

Images for kids

A 2022 game at the Storm's new home, Climate Pledge Arena.
Sue Bird, a key player for the Storm.