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 | The Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco, California June 10, 2008 |
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August 3, 2009"Storm fans' loyalty is as enduring as the team"A nice piece in the Times from Jerry Brewer about the loyalty (and enthusiasm) of the Storm's fan base: Bird, the star Storm guard, remembers losing a home playoff game to Houston in 2005. The Comets pounded the Storm 75-58 and ended its season. After winning a championship in 2004, it was a disappointing conclusion. However, as Bird and her teammates walked off the court, they exited to a standing ovation. It moved her to near tears. The article's a solid primer on the history of women's basketball in Seattle (for a deeper piece, see "Game On!"), apropos, given the recent 10th anniversary game. (And if you want to see it in person, we play Phoenix tomorrow night, 7 PM.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 3, 2009 7:37 PM. June 19, 2009Storm 90, Lynx 62A good, old-fashioned, Key-Arena-home-court-advantage ass-kicking from start to finish. What a terrific way to end a (very long) week. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 19, 2009 8:47 PM. June 7, 2009Storm Opens With A Win At Home, 80-70The Storm home opener was tonight at Key Arena, and the team delivered a solid, 80-70 win over the Monarchs. The game wasn't the best I've seen - a bit of sloppy play and a few lousy calls - but the team seems to be working well together and a few of the plays were terrific. It'd been too long since I'd sat in the Key and cheered. It's also clear that Force 10 Hoops is investing for the future. The marketing campaign is built around this being the Storm's 10th season (the inaugural game was June 1, 2000), and it's clear from the positioning (new slogan: "Out Time Is Now") and polish (a tuned-up 3D logo, fresh player intro graphics, top-flight production for the game-kickoff movie) that the Storm are being relaunched as Seattle's pro basketball team. (Heck, they even got Jan Drago to stand up before the game to announce that the City of Seattle has declared June 7, 2009 "Seattle Storm Day".) A lot is new, but it's exciting to see the team with a new lease on life. Next home game is 6/19, vs. Minnesota; check out StormTix.com. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 7, 2009 8:24 PM. May 30, 2009"Storm Begin A Life Of Independence"I missed this one when it first hit (traveling on business always puts me behind on the 'ol RSS), but the Seattle Times ran an interesting piece on the new, standalone Seattle Storm: The Storm has about one-third of the employees that the Sonics/Storm had, according to Levinson. The team had to negotiate its own KeyArena lease, and after about a year of discussions with the city, it finalized a 10-year deal that dropped its rent from $15,000 to $5,000 per game. And earlier this year, the team moved its headquarters to a 12,000-square foot, old ice cream-equipment factory in Interbay. It's a great glimpse into the organization, the owners, the philosophy behind the team, and its long-term prospects here in Seattle. (The home opener is a week from tomorrow!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 30, 2009 9:27 AM. May 4, 2009Lauren Re-SignsBig, big news on the Storm front today - after much deliberation, Lauren Jackson has re-signed with Seattle for the 2009 season. Times coverage here; official press release here. Happy day. Reminder: the first home game of 2009 is June 6! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 4, 2009 8:02 PM. December 18, 20082009 Storm Schedule Is Out!The 2009 Seattle Storm schedule was published today, and the home opener is Sunday, June 7, 2009 vs. Sacramento. The season was shifted back a bit this year; rather than May-to-August, it's June-to-September. For those who are interested, I've built an .ics version of the calendar (subscribe here); you can also get it from iCalShare. Go Storm! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 18, 2008 3:30 PM. December 3, 2008Houston Comets, RIPThe WNBA's Houston Comets have been for sale since 2006, and, after being unable to find a buyer, are "on suspension" for 2009: The Houston Comets will suspend operations for the 2009 season it was announced today by WNBA President Donna Orender. A WNBA Dispersal Draft involving Comets players will take place on Monday, Dec. 8. This is, almost certainly, the death of the franchise - the talent is being dispersed, the season ticket holders are are getting refunds, the arena will find other tenants. It's hard to see how they'd be able to reconstitute in any meaningful way after losing this much momentum. A very sad end to a once-great team. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 3, 2008 3:37 PM. September 14, 20082008 Playoff Schedule: Storm vs. Los AngelesThe playoff schedule is out, and the Storm are playing the Sparks in Round 1. The first game is in LA on Friday, the 19th, at 7:30 PM. Game 2 is at the Key on Sunday, the 21st at 2 PM. And Game 3 (if we need it) is also at the Key (Hooray!) on Tuesday, the 23rd at 6 PM. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 14, 2008 1:46 PM. September 13, 2008Storm 77, Dream 72Last night was the final regular-season Storm game here at Key Arena (the final game is tomorrow in LA), so Elaine and I were delighted to watch the Storm roll to victory vs. the Dream, 77 to 72: Camille Little scored a career-high 21 points and Katie Gearlds added a career-high 20 points to help the Storm to a 77-72 win over Atlanta on Friday night, giving the Dream the league record for most losses in a season. The Storm has already secured a 2nd-place berth in the playoffs, so coach Agler put the bench on the court for the entire game. It was a little strange to see Sue, Swin, Sheryl and LJ watching the game from the sidelines, but Tanisha, Katie and Camille did fine. We built (and kept) a lead until right before the end of the third quarter, when the Dream pulled ahead by 1 ... and then we took it right back from them. It was a solid end to a heck of a good year. As of now, the Storm are 22-11 for the season, with a 16-1 (!) record here at Key Arena. Playoffs, here we come! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 13, 2008 8:51 AM. September 11, 2008Sue Bird & Bryan Agler On "Weekday"Seattle Storm superstar (and possible 2008 MVP) Sue Bird and coach Brian Agler were on KUOW's "Weekday" this morning. The show is available online, and is 53 minutes of pure, unadulterated goodness about the Storm, WNBA, and the future of Seattle basketball. Enjoy. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 11, 2008 10:08 AM. August 21, 2008LJ's Out For 2008Well, drat: Mark Storm star Lauren Jackson down as the latest to undergo surgery that will cause her to miss the post-Olympic portion of the WNBA season. Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward, plans to have arthroscopic surgery on her right ankle in Sydney, which will take four to six weeks to heal. If she's lucky and the Storm can win without her, she'll be back in time for the WNBA Finals slated to begin on Oct. 1. Despite the team's impressive, LJ-free performance back in July, I fear this bodes ill for the playoffs. Fingers crossed. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 21, 2008 5:22 AM. July 29, 2008We're Losing Doppler After This Season...or at least, we're losing the guy who's been playing Doppler since the Storm began: [Marc] Taylor, a 33-year-old New Mexico native, has been Squatch's motor for the past nine years. Lean and fit at 5 foot 9 and 155 pounds with a Lance Armstrong close cut and a ready smile, Taylor doesn't know what or who will replace the character he's spent a decade honing. Well, phooey. Doppler may be a strange mascot, but I've always liked him. Taylor's version of the character - goofy, playful - has added a lot to the games. I'm sure we'll find a new actor for the costume, but I'm sorry to see him go. Nice work, Marc. You'll be missed. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 29, 2008 5:49 AM. July 27, 2008Storm 77, Monarchs 71The Storm had another home win tonight, beating Sacramento 77 - 71 and taking this season's win/loss record in Key Area to 13 and 1. The game started close (the Storm +1 at the end of the first quarter), widened to +4 by the half, and was Storm +18 (!) after the third quarter. The fourth quarter wasn't the game the team wanted - the Storm shot just 2 points in the first 8 minutes of play - but it all came together at the end, and a win's a win. I'm amazed at how far our defenisve game has come, and amazed at some of the talent Coach Agler has managed to develop - Camille Little is great, Tanisha Wright is having the best season of her life, and Katie Gearlds has come in to her own. In fact, it was entirely possible to overlook the fact that LJ was gone, which is really saying something. The league's shutting down for the next 4 weeks, due to the Olympics; the next home game is Thursday, August 28, vs. Houston. Be there! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 27, 2008 8:24 PM. July 5, 2008Storm 96, Lynx 71The Storm delivered an ass-kicking to the Minnesota Lynx tonight, beating them 96 to 71 in one of the best games I've ever seen. Things started on all the wrong notes, with the Storm letting the Lynx get up by 13 in just the first few minutes of play. After a strong rally, the Storm tied up the game by the end of the first quarter, 26-26, and then came back strong for the balance. Frankly, the Lynx never had much of a chance. Defense was great. Offense was great. LJ was hitting everything. Katie Gearlds tied her career-high 17 points - most of them 3-pointers. The combos, the passing, you name it - all clicked. Unbelievable. Coach Agler even put the bench on the floor for the entire fourth quarter, and they held their own just fine. Games like this one make you happy to be a fan. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 5, 2008 9:54 PM. July 3, 2008The Storm Are Now Seattle's Official Pro Basketball TeamThe Sonics are officially gone. Clay Bennett and his fellow owners are paying Seattle $45M to immediately break their lease at Key Arena and move the team to Oklahoma City for the 2008 - 2009 season. Seattle keeps the name of the franchise. And, with that, the Storm are now Seattle's official pro basketball team. So long, Sonics. It's not the outcome a lot of people wanted, but it's the one we've all seen coming for a long, long time. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 3, 2008 4:08 AM. June 16, 2008Storm 67, Sun 74Ugh. An ugly loss after an ugly game - we played the sloppiest ball I've seen in years during the 3rd quarter; despite things being within a single point for much of the game, we fell apart in the last minute. You could just feel the oxygen go out of Key Arena around the 0:51 mark. Our shooting was off, our defense was rough, and the Sun handed us our first home-court loss of the season. Phooey. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 16, 2008 9:12 PM. May 22, 2008"Two Distinctly Different Storms at KeyArena"Seattle Weekly's Mike Seely saw the game on Tuesday, and had much the same reaction I did: Down 45-39 at the start of the fourth to the Sacramento Monarchs, a team which has historically owned the Storm, something clicked. That something was reserve sharpshooter Katie Gearlds, whose three 3's in the first few minutes of the quarter pulled the Storm into the lead. Suddenly, LoJack woke up, Griffith and Swin Cash started working a wicked two-woman game in the paint, and Sue Bird morphed into Chris Paul (Bird, Jackson, and Cash led the team with 17 points apiece). By the time the dust cleared, the Storm had outscored the Monarchs 35-17 in the quarter, leading to a decisive 74-62 win that did nothing to diminish Seattle's stature as a favorite to win its second WNBA title. He also "gets" WNBA a bit: I thought the women's game was too slow, too soft, and too gravity-bound. Forced professional exposure to the sport several years ago changed my mind: these gals not only can play, but they play a fundamentally sound, motion-oriented brand of basketball that I'd love to see more guys play. I'll be curious to see what happens to the coverage - and opinion - of the Storm once they're our only professional basketball franchise. I suspect we'll see a lot more people paying attention to the team. (Tip 'o the hat to Jayda Evans' blog.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 22, 2008 8:01 AM. May 20, 2008Storm 74, Monarchs 62Our second home game of the season (actually, our second game of the season, period), and already the Storm are developing a pattern - start slow (we went in to the half 24-34), build a little momentum in the third (we ended the quarter 39-45), and then blow it out in the fourth for a strong win (we were on top by 12 by the time the game was over). Other news: our defense is great, our offense needs work, LJ got her mojo back, and thank God for Swin, Yo, and Katie (who started raining threes in the final quarter and snapped Sacramento). A damn exciting game all 'round. It's a good year to be a Storm fan. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 20, 2008 9:53 PM. May 17, 2008"The Perfect Storm"Elaine and I caught the 2008 Seattle Storm Home Opener tonight; 7 PM, Key Arena, vs. the Chicago Sky. A few notes:
It's going to be a great year - I can feel it. We're vs. Monarchs, Tuesday, 7:30. Be there! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 17, 2008 9:20 PM. May 8, 2008Janelle's Out For 2008Storm Center (and fan favorite) Janelle Burse is out for the 2008 season, sidelined by a foot injury: Days after text-messaging Storm teammate Sue Bird in April, commenting on their team's "crazy and sick" roster, Burse re-aggravated a Jones fracture — a broken bone on the outside of her left foot — while playing overseas that will keep her from playing this WNBA season. In related news, the team roster's been finalized, and we're looking great. Opening night is a week from Saturday! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 8, 2008 5:45 AM. April 22, 2008"New Storm Owners Know How To Make An Entrance"The Times has a terrific piece today by Jerry Brewer on the reconstituted Seattle Storm: Look at the star power on this roster: Griffith, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson, Sheryl Swoopes, Swin Cash. It is a majestic lineup, and we haven't even mentioned accomplished veterans such as Janell Burse. Sure, Swoopes and Griffith are hoping for a little overtime in their careers, but on this team, they just have to be solid role players. ... I've been amazed at the talent that Brian Agler has managed to bring to the team these last two months (Sheryl Swoopes!), and I'm seriously tingling with the possibility that we'll do another championship run this year. The 2008 season is gonna be incredible. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 22, 2008 3:53 PM. February 6, 2008Atlanta Takes Betty & IzzyThe Dream posted their inaugural roster today, along with details of their trades: The list of players selected includes ... Betty Lennox (Seattle Storm) ... Dammit, dammit, dammit. I hope Georgia treats you well, ladies - you'll be missed. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated February 6, 2008 3:29 PM. January 28, 2008WNBA Players & League Have A New AgreementUSA Today is reporting that the WNBA and its players have a new agreement that covers the league through 2013: WNBA players get raises this year — and some get their own hotel rooms — under a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. The per-team salary cap will now grow from $750k/year to $869k/year over the next six years, and a new "flex cap" (eventually as high as $913k/year) has been added to give the owners more discretion to attract and reward talent. Player salaries get a bump, and "core" players (those who can't become free agents) also get more money. Overall, this is good news. I'm still offended that Lauren is as underpaid as she is (relative to the guys) but this is some progress toward paying good wages to these athletes. Now we fans just need to keep stepping up and buying those tickets. (Tip 'o the hat to Womens Hoops Blog.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 28, 2008 4:28 PM. January 25, 2008Welcome To The DreamAtlanta's new-for-2008 WNBA franchise finally has a name - the Dream. Their first home game is Saturday, May 17 vs. Connecticut; they play Seattle for the first time (in Atlanta) on September 2. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 25, 2008 6:54 AM. January 21, 2008LJ Out For 5 Games In '08According to the Daily Telegraph, Lauren Jackson will be out for five games this season so she can prep for the Olympics: Jackson will skip part of the WNBA season to join the world champion Australian Opals in their Olympic preparations. Rumor was that her Australian Olympic commitments might prevent her from playing in Seattle at all in 2008, so this is great news. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 21, 2008 11:06 AM. January 9, 2008Brian Agler Is The New Anne DonovanThe Storm news is on a roll this week; looks like we have a new head coach: San Antonio assistant coach Brian Agler was officially named the Storm's coach and director of player personnel today, replacing Anne Donovan, who resigned Nov. 30. I was incredibly impressed with the Silver Stars last season, and if Agler can bring some of that rejuvenation mojo with him from Texas, it's nothing but good news for us. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 9, 2008 12:55 PM. Meet The Storm's New OwnersThe PI has an article about the four women who came together to buy the Storm: Anne Levinson is a political dynamo, having served as a judge, chairwoman of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission and deputy mayor of Seattle. Lisa Brummel is our Senior VP of Human Resources here at Microsoft. I'd seen Lisa at a few games, but had no idea she was that big of a fan. Crazy-cool! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 9, 2008 9:31 AM. January 8, 2008Storm Have Been Sold, Are Staying In SeattleWow. The Storm has been sold to local owners, and the team will stay in Seattle, according to sources. WNBA President Donna Orender and Karen Bryant, the Storm's chief operating officer, are scheduled to announce the sale today at an 11 a.m. news conference. What a great way to start the new year! I'm incredibly excited! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 8, 2008 7:07 AM. December 24, 2007Are The Storm Staying?The News Tribune has a bit this morning about the Storm's search for a new coach ("Jackson’s approval key for new coach"): And that person will have WNBA experience, which is considered crucial since the Storm has four players, including reigning league MVP Lauren Jackson, under contract for next season. That means the team will have to make decisions on adding eight players based on last summer’s 12-player roster. But the most interesting piece of news is the second-to-last paragraph: "(Bennett) hasn’t used those exact words, but what he has said is when he files for relocation with the NBA, it’s not going to include the Storm and that in the meantime he is pursuing alternate outcomes for the Storm," Bryant said. Translation: we might be keeping the Storm in Seattle - and, if I'm guessing correctly, Bennett will use the team as a concession to the city during negotiations. (Tip of the hat to Women's Hoops Blog!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 24, 2007 10:58 AM. December 20, 2007Marianne Stanley To Coach The Storm?Storm chief operating officer Karen Bryant hopes to give her short list of potential head coaches to chairman Clay Bennett next week, and Rutgers assistant Marianne Stanley is thought to be at the top of that list. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 20, 2007 7:56 AM. December 14, 20072008 Storm Calendar In .icsAs usual, I've compiled the 2008 Storm game schedule into an .ics file (download here). Home games are marked "Storm vs. [Opponent]", while away games are "Storm @ [Opponent]". If you're an iCal user (or a user of ics-compatible calendar software, such as Outlook), you can simply subscribe to this file to get your calendar populated with all the games. Enjoy! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 14, 2007 6:42 PM. December 13, 20072008 Storm Schedule Is OutThe Storm have published the schedule for their 2008 season - opening day is Saturday, May 17 vs. Chicago. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 13, 2007 11:55 AM. November 30, 2007Anne Donovan Resigns As Storm CoachYikes. The Seattle Storm announced today that Anne Donovan has resigned her position as the team's head coach: After five seasons as head coach of the Seattle Storm, Anne Donovan today announced her resignation. Donovan informed Storm Chief Operating Officer Karen Bryant that she will not return for the 2008 season. Donovan has one year remaining on her three-year contract. I'm saddened, but not terribly surprised. The Storm have never really recaptured the magic of 2004's championship run, and the ongoing saga over the team's final home (Seattle? Oklahoma City?) put a dark cloud over the team's future. It's hard to be exited about building a franchise when you don't even know if it'll be around in a year, and Anne's got plenty of options. Thanks for a great few seasons, Ms. Donovan. You'll be missed. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 30, 2007 4:17 PM. November 18, 2007Sydney Morning Herald Compares Jackson And JordanFriday's Sydney Morning Herald has a two-pager that compares Lauren Jackson to Michal Jordan ("Jackson the Jordan of women's game, minus the moolah"): He was, and remains, a multi-million dollar brand. She spends her off-seasons playing in Europe or Asia to supplement her income from the game. In terms of earnings they are worlds apart - but close comparisons between Michael Jordan and Lauren Jackson are legitimate when it comes to the game, according to Andrew Gaze. ... My respect and admiration for Lauren is pretty well established, and it definitely annoys me when people dismiss her simply because there's a "W" in front of her league's initials. The article lists her numerous achievements; take a peek and decide for yourself. (Tip o' the hat to Women's Hoops Blog for the link.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 18, 2007 12:48 PM. November 3, 2007A Ray Of Light For Storm Fans?Yesterday Clay Bennett and the Professional Basketball Club of Oklahoma announced their intention to move the Sonics to OKC as soon as is feasible: Today we notified Commissioner Stern that we intend to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City if we succeed in the pending litigation with the City, or are able to negotiate an early lease termination, or at the end of the lease term. This is not unexpected; nobody has believed that Bennett or his investors had any intention of keeping the team in Seattle; in fact, one of his money guys, Aubrey McClendon, confirmed it in an interview with a local Oklahoma newspaper back in August. The thing that's got me intrigued, however, is the next paragraph in the release: We have not made a decision regarding the future location of the Seattle Storm. We appreciate the deep local interest and support for the Storm and have begun to evaluate a future course of action for the team. Now that's interesting. Bennett has, thus far, resisted talking about splitting the teams, insisting that Oklahoma City would be a great WNBA market ... which is silly. I wonder if it's finally dawning on him that he might be able to recover some of his costs - and salvage some goodwill - by leaving the Storm here. It's gonna get messy, folks. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 3, 2007 9:12 AM. October 17, 2007WNBA Welcomes AtlantaThe WNBA grew a new team today, welcoming Atlanta to the Eastern Conference and bringing the total number of teams in the league to 14: The WNBA will feature 14 teams in 2008, with the Eastern and Western Conferences comprised of seven teams each. Atlanta will join the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Detroit Shock, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Washington Mystics in the Eastern Conference, while the Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, San Antonio Silver Stars and Seattle Storm will continue to comprise the Western Conference. The money factoid, however, is: The Atlanta franchise, which will choose a name, logo, colors and head coach at a later date, is the sixth WNBA team to be independently owned and operated. (Emphasis mine.) The Storm could be the seventh. In the meantime, let's keep "Oklahoma City" off the WNBA franchise list for as long as possible, huh? Welcome, Atlanta! We're looking forward to seeing you in Seattle next year. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 17, 2007 11:35 AM. September 5, 2007LJ Gets MVPDespite the Storm's first-round shutout in the finals, Lauren Jackson has earned the league's Most Valuable Player award. She'll receive the award today in Detroit: Storm forward-center Lauren Jackson will be named the WNBA's most valuable player before Game 1 of the league Finals today in Detroit, The Seattle Times has learned. I've said it before, and it bears repeating: Lauren's a force of nature, and amazing to watch on the court. She totally earned this. Way to go, LJ! (Ozzie! Ozzie! Ozzie!) UPDATE, October 7, 2007: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 5, 2007 6:37 AM. August 30, 2007"Storm faces offseason of uncertainty for future"Seattle Times' Jayda Evans has a wrap-up piece on the Storm this morning - and the uncertainty around the team's future here in Seattle: "Our last game at the Key and seeing all the fans and seeing how emotional they were made me go, 'Oh, my God, this is really real,' " said Jackson of the standing ovation the team received despite a 17-point Game 1 loss. "Hopefully the team comes back. That's what everyone wants." Fans are on hold until the end of October, when the jousting over the new arena, funding, contracts, and the future home of the teams really starts to boil. Until then, it's all idle speculation and stomach ache. (But I did buy my 2008 season tickets, just in case...) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 30, 2007 9:06 AM. August 29, 2007"Can't Seattle Keep The Storm?"ESPN.com has a column ("Can't Seattle Keep The Storm?") that's worth a read: Frankly, I don't think the Sonics are moving. I've listened to ownership threats for most of my life, and they're rarely more than threats. Clay Bennett is a two-faced carpetbagger of the lowest kind -- in other words, a typical team owner -- but the NBA's ratings are too low for the league to allow him to move the Sonics from the country's 12th-largest market to the 44th. And even if the Sonics were to move, the decision probably would occur too late to move the Storm before next season anyway. Uh, what he said. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 29, 2007 7:38 AM. August 18, 2007Playoffs: August 24, 7 PMThe Storm ended their regular season last night, with a thrilling, high-speed win against Los Angeles, 97 - 77. More importantly, however, the playoff math finally got settled, and Round 1 will be Storm vs. Phoenix; game one is here at Key Arena on Friday, August 24 at 7 o'clock. Should be a hell of a good game (as it usually is with Phoenix) - high-scoring, fluid, fast. Don't miss it. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 18, 2007 7:05 AM. August 11, 2007We're In The PlayoffsTonight was a great night to be a Storm fan for a few different reasons:
The last two regular-season games are Tuesday and Friday. Catch 'em while you can. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 11, 2007 10:01 PM. August 9, 2007The Storm In 2008 ... Sort OfI got an e-mail earlier today that the Storm are selling season tickets for 2008 ... sort of. Since the organization isn't 100% sure they will be back next year, they can't guarantee that there will be a 2008 season, but they're taking 10% deposits against the full ticket price from interested, current season ticket holders. (And if the season fails to materialize, you get your money back.) As you might imagine, I signed right up. Obviously, I'd love to keep the Storm for another year (or longer), but it may not be in the cards (hey, nothing lasts forever). But the mail made me a little sad, because it underscored that these last few games this month might well be ... it. WNBA could be leaving Seattle in very short order (Dammit.) Barring the playoffs, we've got three left this season: Saturday, the 11th (Mystics), Tuesday, the 14th (Lynx) and Friday, the 17th (Sparks). Catch 'em while you can: you won't be sorry. And: fingers crossed for '08! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 9, 2007 7:21 PM. July 28, 2007LJ's 4kLast night, Lauren Jackson scored the 4,000th point of her career, doing so faster than anyone else in the WNBA (209 games), and also becoming the youngest player to do so (26 years old). Elaine and I caught it all from our usual seats in Section 121 of the Key. (Oh, and we also beat the Indiana Fever, 89 to 75.) Earlier this week, I posted a link to an article about Jackson, which talked about her unbelievable skill and raw athletecism: At the All-Star break Jackson was leading the league in scoring (22.4 points a game, the highest average of her career), blocks (2.16) and double doubles (10) and was ranked second in rebounding (9.3). She was also 12th in three-point shooting, hitting at a 40.5% clip. "Lauren Jackson is not a prototype, she's a freak," says Chicago Sky coach Bo Overton. "She's a post player with a guard's body control and skill, who can shoot the three, drive and handle the ball. There's no one like her." Then, on Tuesday, she posted a league-high 47 points (!) in the game versus the Mytics. A lot of people ask me what it is that I love about going to Storm games, and, much as there's a lot to like about the league and the team, watching Lauren Jackson do her thing on the court is just ... incredible. She's an phenomenal player at the absolute top of her game, and there's nobody like her. Jaws drop. The last regular Storm home game of the season is Friday, August 17. If you've yet to see LJ in action, be sure to catch her before the end of '07. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 28, 2007 9:20 AM. July 24, 2007Lauren And Sue In The NewsI wanted to call out a couple of great articles on the Web right now about Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. The first comes from Sports Illustrated ("How Lauren Got Her Groove Back"), and gives some nice depth to Jackson's personal journey in the WNBA over the last few years: Perhaps that explains why Jackson, 26, continues to defy basketball convention. Now in her seventh year in the WNBA, the 2003 league MVP is playing the most productive and joyful basketball of her career despite stress fractures in her left shin. At the All-Star break Jackson was leading the league in scoring (22.4 points a game, the highest average of her career), blocks (2.16) and double doubles (10) and was ranked second in rebounding (9.3). She was also 12th in three-point shooting, hitting at a 40.5% clip. "Lauren Jackson is not a prototype, she's a freak," says Chicago Sky coach Bo Overton. "She's a post player with a guard's body control and skill, who can shoot the three, drive and handle the ball. There's no one like her." It also confirms that if the Storm move to Oklahoma, she's not going with them: Jackson is signed through the 2008 season but says she won't be heading anywhere. "I want to stay here," she says of Seattle. "The thought of not having a team here, or not being able to end my WNBA career here, is really sad. It definitely weighs on my head because I know this could be my last year in the league." She says there are a few other teams she would consider playing for, "but it's hard to pick and choose where you go in this league." The second article is on ESPN ("Rolling in Rubles"), and it focuses on Sue Bird's experiences playing in Russia before the start of the regular WNBA season. Due to team and player salary caps ($728,000 and $93,000 respectively), many WNBA players spend their WNBA off-season playing around the globe as a way of monetizing their talents. In this case, Sue and Phoenix player Diana Taurasi went to Moscow to make nearly a half-million each playing ball: Bird, 26, and Taurasi, 24, are too young to appreciate the incongruity that the man responsible for the public funding of their team's sparkling new arena is Moscow region governor B.V. Gromov, a former general and the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan in 1989. For that matter, they are too young to fully appreciate the irony of American basketball players traveling to Russia to earn a far better living than possible in the United States. They learned about the Soviet Union in history class, certainly, but they do not personally remember when Reagan first called the U.S.S.R. the "Evil Empire", nor the decades when the threat of nuclear war between the two countries was a constant source of tension and worry. Though they somewhat understand the complexities of those times because they saw "Rocky IV." Both are good, and worth a read. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 24, 2007 9:37 AM. June 15, 2007Storm 84, Comets 71I feel for the Houston Comets, I really do. They're a talented team, full of great players who are aggressive, can shoot the ball, and aren't afraid to give their all. The Comets won the first two WNBA titles in the league, and have proved to be serious contenders every year since. Until this year. The Comets came in to Key Arena tonight with a zero and eight record for the season, and left with zero and nine. They've yet to win a game in 2007, and, for a team that talented, it's gotta sting. The Storm turned in a solid, solid performance tonight, despite some slop midway through and a lot of turnovers and steals. The Comets, on the other hand, were hungry, and it appeared to be their undoing - moving too fast, fouling too often, shooting too prematurely. I think their record is hanging over their heads right now, and it's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. (Of course, some Storm fans claim that we jinxed 'em after our 44 - 9 run upset their imminent victory at the Storm Home Opener; I, however, think it's Just One Of Those Things.) I respect the Comets - they're just having a rough streak. Luck on the next one, I'm sure. In the meantime, it's great to see Seattle stay in the hunt and play such solid ball for four straight quarters. We're vs. the Shock next Wednesday. See you all there! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 15, 2007 10:19 PM. June 9, 2007Storm 90, Lynx 76The Storm handed the Minnesota Lynx a defeat tonight, scoring 90 to 76 at Key Arena. It was a hell of a game. Fast, furious, lots of back-and-forth for the first half, and then the Storm just ... pulled away, and stayed there. (Anne was so confident in the ourcome that she benched the starting lineup halfway through the fourth quarter.) We snapped our losing streak, so we're 3 and 3. Next up at home is Houston, this Friday. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 9, 2007 11:02 PM. June 2, 2007Storm 68, Silver Stars 78The Silver Stars snapped the Storm's winning streak at Key Arena tonight, handing us our first defeat of the season at home, 68 to 78. What can I say? San Antonio just played better. Despite some great work from Betty, Izzi, JB and Wendy, we were matched for speed, shots and defense all the way through the game. It was close at the half - and damn exciting - but as the game went on, the Silver Stars just ground us into powder. (Plus, those Texas girls are terrific at getting up in your face.) Next home game is Saturday, the 9th vs. the Lynx. Be there. UPDATE, August 5, 2007: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 2, 2007 10:07 PM. May 23, 2007Storm 100, Mercury 87(The post's title just about says it all, donchathink?) The Storm had an amazing game tonight, both handing the Pheonix Mercury a loss and breaking into the triple digits for the first time ever (the previous franchise-high game had stood at 97 points). The team fired on all cylinders for each of the four quarters - strong offense, outstanding defense, and top-notch rebound work by Janelle Burse, who snagged a career-high 19(!) during the evening. And the final score simply doesn't convey the absolute beating we gave the Mercury, because Anne benched the starting lineup with three minutes left in the game to give floor time to the others. It'd been a 20-point loss (or more) if LJ, Sue, Betty and Janelle had stayed in. Incredible, just incredible. I remember watching early-season games last year, and seeing the Storm stumble as they learned to play together. It's a natural thing - basketball is such a team sport that the players need time to find sync their rhythms, trust each other, find their intensity. Well, that learning curve is gone in 2007. The Storm, today, are playing like they did at the tail end of the 2004 Championship season. They're tight, they're working well together, and they're hungry. We're only 2 games in to the season, but ... something feels different. (I'm just saying.) The next home game is June 2, against San Antonio. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 23, 2007 10:28 PM. May 19, 20072007 Storm Home Opener
I'm hoarse as hell, and grinning from ear to ear. It was a hell of a good game. We opened strong, with a some good, old-fashioned horse-trading between us and Houston. As the game progressed into the second quarter, it became clear that Anne Donovan had failed to make the official blood sacrifice to the Gods Of Basketball, or something, because everything - everything - we threw bounced, missed, got intercepted, you name it. And so the Comets pulled ahead (they led 46 - 37 at halftime), and kept pulling ahead, eventually building a 60 - 38 lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. (Yes, 60 - 38. It was incredibly demoralizing.) And then ... something changed. We clicked, pulled it together, whatever you want to call it, and suddenly were piling up shot after shot after shot - twos, threes, free throws ... and pulled off a 44 - 9 run over the last bit of the game. It was amazing, exhilarating, incredible - a complete snatch of victory from the jaws of defeat. And the even more amazing, if-you-saw-it-in-a-movie-you-wouldn't-believe-it moment came at the very end. With just 3.2 seconds left in the game, Lauren gets the ball, runs for the Comets basket, and launches a half-court shot. Which, of course, goes in. (Wow.) The game was a sellout, and Elaine and I were stylin' from our new, third-row seats over in section 121. The fans were out in force tonight, holding signs and doing the facepaint thing. I'm really impressed with how the Storm faithful have rallied around the team - this may be our last season, ever, in Seattle, but we're not about to send the team gently into that good night. (Key Arena remains one of the best places in the world to watch WNBA, in my humble opinion.) The Storm blogosphere has opened up in recent weeks, too - in addition to Jayda Evans' blog over at the Seattle Times, I'm also reading the (always-excellent) Chasing The Title, as well as StormTracker (the official team blog) and The Horton Report. It's great to have so much coverage, and so many perspectives. 2007's just getting warmed up, and if this is the Storm's final season here in Seattle, then it looks like it's gonna be one for the books. Game on! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 19, 2007 10:26 PM. April 25, 2007Eight Days EarlierScore! The Storm are playing a pre-season game against the Monarchs on Friday, May 11 (a good eight days before the home opener on the 19th), and today it was announced that we, the season-ticket holders, get free tix. Lane and I are so going. (Is April too soon to talk about Christmas coming early?) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 25, 2007 10:13 PM. April 17, 2007End GameAnd, just like that, it was over. The Washington State Legislature has tabled the proposal to build the Sonics and Storm a shiny new half-billion-dollar arena down in Renton. As I've said previously, I agree with this decision - much as I love the Storm, there is precious little public interest to be served by subsidizing the payroll deficits and bad business decisions of a bunch of private team owners. Following the announcement of the Legislature's non-action, Clay Bennett, new owner of the Soncis/Storm, said: "This is a staggering and quite likely a debilitating blow to our efforts to develop a world-class arena facility. Clearly at this time the Sonics and Storm have little hope of remaining in the Puget Sound region." Translation: "We're taking our ball and going home to Oklahoma." Yes, I'm sad. Sad that the economics of the NBA are so broken that they require massive public subsidy. Sad that Seattle is losing a long-time icon (the SuperSonics, whatever you may think of their record this year, have been part of the Seattle cultural landscape for four decades). And sad that the new team owners are so freakin' vindictive that they're taking the Storm with them. WNBA is a distinct market from the NBA - the league tends to do better in "Creative Class" cities like Chicago, New York, or Washington, DC, and fail in places like Orlando or Cleveland. Seattle has one of the best WNBA markets in the country, and I'm willing to bet that the team struggles to find an audience in Oklahoma City. The new owners could easily split the teams, leave the Storm here, and take their NBA prize with 'em to OK. But they won't. That's business, and that's life. Nothing lasts forever. The Storm home opener is Saturday, May 19 - just over a month from now. Catch the action while you can, y'all. I'll be there. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 17, 2007 1:34 PM. March 30, 2007Izi's Back!It's official: the Storm have re-signed Iziane Castro Marques for the 2007 season. This is great, great news. The home opener (vs. Houston) is May 18 - seven weeks from tomorrow. Can. Not. Wait. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated March 30, 2007 5:56 PM. January 6, 20072007 Storm Calendar In .icsAs I (seem to) do every year, I've compiled the 2007 Storm Home calendar into an .ics file (download here). If you're an iCal user (or a user of ics-compatible calendar software, such as Outlook), you can simply subscribe to this file to get your calendar populated with all the games. Enjoy! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 6, 2007 8:18 AM. January 4, 2007Storm 2007 Calendar AnnouncedScore! The Seattle Storm announced their 2007 calendar today. The first game of the season is May 19 (vs. Comets, As per usual, I'll build a downloadable iCal file once the Storm site updates with all the home games. Go Storm! UPDATE, January 6, 2007: The Storm Season Calendar is now up; turns out that the Houston game is at home, not away, which means May 19 is the magic date. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 4, 2007 1:28 PM. November 11, 2006The Sonics Are GoneIt's been a jubilant week for me, politically - aside from the overwhelming "blue wave" that put Democrats back in control of both the US House and Senate, most of the local Seattle issues I cared about passed or failed, as appropriate. Our local repeals of the estate tax (I-920) and land-use laws (I-933) went down in flames; conversely, initiatives for better streets, rapid transit, and clean energy passed. Waking up on Wednesday morning felt an awful lot like Christmas. One local Seattle initiative, I-91, prevents tax subsidies for local sports stadiums. Voting yes on 91 effectively prohibits the city from from building a new stadium for the Sonics. I-91 passed by a 3-to-1 margin, 76%. And now, as expected, the Sonics are going to leave: Seattle has been all but mathematically eliminated as a long-term home for the Sonics and Storm, meaning the future of professional basketball in the area is down to two options — the suburbs or so long. In all fairness, (and despite being a Storm season ticket holder) I voted for I-91. I've been on record ("Nothing Lasts Forever") as saying that I don't support taxpayer bailouts for sports franchises that can't get their spending under control: If the price of Sonics basketball in Seattle is a massive, $200M subsidy to the team, then I'm not sure it's worth it to keep them. The Sonics organization has serious cost problems - it's expenses are too high, relative to its income. The team's unwillingness to cut its costs - especially their payroll - to make their operation profitable is the problem. My fellow Seattleites agree with me, it seems. Nickels said the I-91 result, which passed 3-to-1, reflects fan disenchantment with aspects of the NBA, such as high salaries and player turnover. The Sonics lease at KeyArena expires in 2010. So now the new owners will, undoubtedly, shop around in Bellevue or Renton to see about a new facility there. I don't know that they'll be successful. If an arena can be built with private dollars, then they're likely to pull it off. But if the private money were so easily available (I mean, this conversation has undoubtedly been going on in well-appointed Eastside living rooms for years), why dance with the taxpayers for so long? Private ownership means never having politicians in your business, and never dealing with revenue splits. My sense is that the team is going to Oklahoma. There's clear appetite for NBA in Oklahoma, and I've no doubt they will be able to get a new stadium and all other manner of benefits from a pliant legislature. (And, I stand by my belief that WNBA is a bad fit for that market, but maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.) So. Public financial sanity won, and that's a good thing. The teams are leaving, and that'll smart. The new owners claim they'll honor their lease at the Key until 2010. By my count, that's another four seasons of the Storm. I'll be there. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 11, 2006 9:33 AM. August 22, 2006Season's OverThe 2006 Storm season ended tonight, with a 68 - 63 loss to Los Angeles. The Storm fought their way back from a 13-point deficit with a spectacular 4th quarter, closing the spread to just 2 points with 10 seconds left on the clock. Sue went for a two-pointer ... and missed. And that, effectively, was that. It was a great season, and a great run. Tonight stings, of course, but it's an infinitely better way to go down - swinging - than the air-leaking-from-a-balloon route of last year's loss to the Comets. (sigh) We'll get it next year. Fair play to LA - they really, really earned it. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 22, 2006 9:17 PM. August 21, 2006Bird's Beak May Be Broken ... For The Third TimeElaine and I were driving back from the ocean yesterday, and managed to catch the second round of the WNBA quarterfinals (Storm. vs. Sparks) on KJR. What should have been a smooth victory for Seattle (we were up by 15 points early in the game) turned in to a disaster, with both an eight-point loss (70 - 78) ... and the possible breakage of Sue Bird's nose. Again. Bird left the game with 54.1 seconds to play after the Sparks' Tamara Moore inadvertently elbowed her in the nose while trying to pass. (Dammit!) Obviously, I'm bummed about the score, but more worried about Sue (and her mental state - I mean, can you imagine getting your nose broken three times in as many years?). The final quarterfinals game is Tuesday at 7 PM; KJR and ESPN2 will cover it. I hope she's OK. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 21, 2006 8:39 AM. August 18, 2006Round One, Game A: Storm By 12The Storm extinguished the Los Angeles Sparks, 84 - 72, at a sold-out Key Arena tonight. The game was everything you'd want in the playoffs - fast, exciting, with lots of drama and turnovers. We led going in to the first quarter and first half, and then watched LA erode our lead and finally pull ahead by 5; we then hit a 13 - 2 streak in the fourth quarter, and just kept coming, and coming, and coming. The team is off to Staples Center for Game B on Sunday (2 PM Pacific; also on KJR and ESPN2). I have high hopes that we'll be on our way to Round Two - the battle for the Western Conference title. (The fan energy and noise were insane tonight. I am frickin' hoarse right now!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 18, 2006 10:16 PM. Jackson vs. JacksonTonight (for me at least), the entertainment options available in Seattle are some kind of cruel test, akin to asking a parent which of their children is prettiest. In one corner, we have Samuel L. Jackson, star of "Star Wars" and "Pulp Fiction", whose latest, Web-fueled masterpiece, the sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated (not) "Snakes On A Plane", opens everywhere today. (Kim caught the midnight show in San Francisco last night, and called me from line just to taunt). This is as sure-fire an entertainment bet as one gets in this world: for your $10, you get to see:
In the other corner, we have Lauren Jackson (no relation), who opens the first round of the WNBA playoffs tonight at Key Arena with the Seattle Storm vs. the Los Angeles Sparks. Given the longtime rivalry between Jackson and the Sparks' Lisa Leslie (they play the Imperial March when the Sparks are introduced at the Key), I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear LJ utter some flavor of "I'm tired of these motherf*ck*n'" line, herself. (With an Aussie accent, of course.) So which to choose? C'mon, it's not even a contest. Sam, I love ya, buddy, but I'm goin' with the Storm. See you all at tipoff. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 18, 2006 8:22 AM. August 13, 2006Playoffs On FridayPlayoffs are here! The Storm play the Sparks in the first round of the Western Conference this Friday, 7 PM, at Key Arena. If you've been holding off catching a WNBA game, this is a golden opportunity - tickets start at just $16. (And yes - I'm going, and I'm going with signs.) We can deliver another championship in 2006. See you all there! UPDATE, September 4, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 13, 2006 10:43 PM. August 8, 2006We're In The Playoffs!!It's official: with tonight's 81 - 79 win over the Shock, the Storm have clinched their position in the playoffs! Right on! Seattle basketball season is now in overtime, folks! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 8, 2006 7:52 PM. August 5, 20062006 Storm Season: Wrap-Up
We've played four home games since last Friday: vs. the Shock (loss, 77-67), the Sparks (loss, 71 - 70 ... a real nail-biter), the Mystics (awesome win, 86-78), and tonight's win against the Sting (who have never, ever won a game against us at Key Arena). (Incidentally, each of these last four games have been sellouts.) It's been a great season. The big breakout players were Janelle (pictured, with yours truly, at the Season Ticket Holder party last weekend) and Izzy, both of whom got some serious fire in their games. JB is turning in fantastic rebound performance; Izzy is great offensively, making shots consistently (and consistently getting the crowd on its feet). Anne chose her newcomers well, too - Tiffani Johnson, Barbara Turner and Edgwie Lawson-Wade have been excellent. The benefit of all this depth is that we finally have some options on the floor. Lauren has been hurting - badly - for the last few weeks, and Anne can keep her on the bench unless she's really needed. Sue and Betty, both reliable rock stars, now have help. And it also means we can get new personalities in play when the other team seems to have figured us out. The playoffs await. We're off on a three-game road show between now and the 12th (playing the Shock, Silver Stars and Comets, respectively); we are still 2.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the fourth slot in the Western Conference. Assuming things go well on the road, we're in. (I'd put our playoff chances at 90%.) 2006 has been a hell of a good year for the team, and Seattle WNBA in general. I'm obviously apprehensive about what might happen with the Storm under its new owners beyond 2008, but we do know - for certain - that the teams are in town for the 2007 season. I, for one, am renewing my season tickets. (Go playoffs!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 5, 2006 10:29 PM. July 26, 2006Evans: The Storm Should StaySeattle Times reporter (and blogger) Jayda Evans asked Lauren Jackson about her feelings regarding the sale of the Sonics/Storm to Oklahoma. Rather than answer first, Jackson threw the question back at Evans. Evans' response? I told her the same thing I've been spouting all week - I can't believe NBA commissioner David Stern would move the Storm franchise. As I've posted previously, Evans' book, "Game On!" repeatedly makes the point that WNBA markets are distinct from NBA markets. The two audiences are vastly different, and the cities that go for one may not go for the other. Seattle, to put it bluntly, is special: I travel with the team and nowhere in the WNBA do you find what Seattle has cultivated. So, if it's moved just because the NBA side of the deal isn't what the new owners want, then I'll have to give in to the belief that the women were nothing but a second thought to make money off of during the summer months when the real show (the NBA) is done competing. If the Storm relocates to Oklahoma City (or anywhere else in America) then Stern and WNBA president Donna Orender are full of malarkey. I am (cautiously) optimistic that, even if things fall through with the new arena for the Sonics, we might well be able to keep the Storm here. In the meantime, every Storm fan I've talked to is planning to pack Key Arena for the remaining games of the season. (Oh, and LJ said she doesn't want to play in any market other than Seattle.) If you've ever thought about catching a women's pro game here in Seattle, well, now's the time. Tickets are cheap, the games are good, and we're even on a hot streak right now. See you there! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 26, 2006 8:37 AM. July 24, 2006Westneat On The StormSeattle Times columnist (and Pike Place Politics reader) Danny Westneat had a piece in yesterday's paper ("To Sonics: How to win us over") that does a great job of walking through Seattle's ambivalent feelings toward keeping the Sonics. It closes with this little gem: As a Republican, [New Sonics Owner Clay] Bennett no doubt believes that less is more when it comes to government. Well, as far as tapping the treasury to pay for private sports arenas, that's what liberal Seattle thinks, too! Amen. UPDATE, December 31, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 24, 2006 3:52 PM. July 19, 2006Nothing Lasts ForeverIn case you missed the news, the Seattle Sonics and Storm were sold yesterday to an investment group in Oklahoma City for $350M. At first, this felt like a sucker-punch to the gut. I got the news while standing in line at the Houston airport, talking to Richard on the phone ("Where have you been? Have you heard the news?"). In a particularly cruel twist, I'd spent the bulk of my flight in to Houston reading (and thoroughly enjoying) Times reporter Jayda Evans' book, "Game On! How Women's Basketball Took Seattle By Storm", and it got me really pumped up about the league, the Storm, and the future of WNBA. The book is all about the history of women's pro ball, as told through the lens of the 2004 WNBA Championship run. I came off the plane with an incredible amount of optimism ... ...and then promptly saw it wash away. So. I've been flooded with e-mail from friends who either a) want to know what the hell is going on, or b) are concerned about my mental state. I'll start with the latter, and say: I'm fine. Here, in no particular order, what I think is going on.
The new owners seem to be playing to this by stressing that they want to stay in Seattle: Howard Schultz, former Sonics owner, sat side-by-side with Clayton Bennett, Sonics owner as of this morning, at a news conference to announce the sale of the Sonics and Storm this afternoon. For the record, I stand by my earlier post on the subject ("Sonics: Let 'Em Go"). If the price of Sonics basketball in Seattle is a massive, $200M subsidy to the team, then I'm not sure it's worth it to keep them. The Sonics organization has serious cost problems - it's expenses are too high, relative to its income. The team's unwillingness to cut its costs - especially their payroll - to make their operation profitable is the problem. That said, I still suspect that we will wind up building a new arena for them (and if we do, can we please build it down next to our other arenas, with the freeway access and light-rail infrastructure?). But what about the Storm? Well, I'm not as bitter/pessimistic as Patrick at Chasing the Title, and I've noticed that some Storm fans have already organized a Web site ("OK Is Not OK.com"). But I do recognize that the team I love is at serious risk of going to Oklahoma. Or are they? Evans' book makes a pretty convincing case that NBA fans are not WNBA fans, and vice versa. The two leagues serve very different markets, and appeal to very different people. Further, the towns that do well with WNBA franchises tend to be "Creative Class" cities like New York and Los Angeles and Seattle - and less so in markets like Orlando (the Miracle are now the Connecticut Sun) or Cleveland (the Rockers are now defunct). I don't think the WNBA would have a very good time of it in Oklahoma City - it seems to be the wrong market, demographically and psychographically, for success. And given that the Storm operation - unlike the Sonics - is profitable (and has been since October 2005), it's entirely conceivable that the Sonics would move, and the Storm would stay. The Storm have a lot of their own infrastructure already, including their own lease with Key Arena. And, barring the owners' decision to keep the team in town ... well, they might be persuaded to sell the WNBA team (again, as Orlando did to Connecticut) to a group of local investors. And given how passionate Storm fans are (and how many of them have money, or friends with money), well, I could see a pool of cash being raised pretty quickly. Look, the future is uncertain, and nothing lasts forever. Evans' book reads like a chronicle of failed teams and broken dreams, from the Seattle Reign to the Portland Fire and a handful of other teams that never made it. It's heartbreaking when they go, but, at some point, it happens. In the meantime, I'm going to every game I can. Go Storm! UPDATE, December 31, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 19, 2006 8:49 AM. July 16, 2006Storm 83, Sun 92Char, Jason, Danika, Elaine and I joined 8,000-some of our closest personal friends tonight to watch the Storm lose to the Connecticut Sun, 92 - 83. The loss was painful, but the game itself was actually pretty good - especially the first half. Hell, our first quarter was rockin', with some incredible passing and rebounding work. We went into the half six points ahead, and then proceeded to do what we always do in the third quarter: blow our lead. Seriously. And it's maddening as hell. Basically, out pattern this season is that whatever points we've put in the bank in the first half of the game are gone by the end of the third quarter, and the fourth quarter is the breaker. Problem is, the Sun are a very good team (at the half, our shooting percentages were virtually identical at 47% and 46% - they just weren't throwing as often as we were), and they exploited our third-quarter weakness like pros. (sigh) Things weren't helped by the loss of Shaun Gortman to injury, and we've yet to get Wendie Palmer back on the court. (Plus - and I know this sounds like whining - the refereeing suuuuuuuuuucked tonight. Suh-huh-cked.) We've got just 5 home games left this season, and we're 11-10 right now (fourth in the league). I can't make Tuesday's game (travel), but absolutely plan to see the other four. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 16, 2006 9:56 PM. July 15, 2006Storm 86, Liberty 66Just a quick note about last night's Storm game versus the Liberty: it was a blowout. The Liberty have had a rough year (going in to the game, their record was 4-14 to our 10-9), and their bad luck continued last night at Key Arena: their shooting and defense were no match for Lauren, Sue, Betty & Janelle. Our lead was better than 30 points going in to the fourth quarter, and Anne was so comfortable that she elected to retire our starting lineup and put the Storm bench on the court with more than five minutes left in the game. Even then, New York still couldn't make a substantial dent. Ouch. Mostly, it's just great to see the Storm playing good, fun ball again - especially after their dizzying loss to the Fever last weekend. We playing Connecticut on Sunday; that's one we're going to really have to fight for. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 15, 2006 8:30 AM. June 22, 2006Storm 80, Mercury 87My friend Bill Hays and I were at Key Arena last night to watch a very lackluster Seattle Storm lose to the Phoenix Mercury, 80 to 87. The Times has the coverage: And Bird probably didn't have much of an appetite after the disappointing defeat before a crowd of 7,536, which dropped the Storm below .500 at 6-7. It was the team's third loss at home this season, matching last year's KeyArena total. The only good thing I can really say about last night was that we didn't lose by as much as we could have. At one point, the Mercury were leading by 16 points; we successfully closed the gap to seven by the end of the fourth quarter. It was the trifecta: Lauren's been hurt, and was lagging; Bird and Lennox couldn't shoot; our defense wasn't gelling. As it was Bill's first Storm game, I kept leaning over to him and apologizing with, "Really, they're great. They're just having an off nigh-" ... and then Diana Taurasi would throw in another three-pointer. (sigh) In other Storm news, this week's Seattle Weekly has a piece ("A Gender Gap At The Key") about the (surprising) lack of Storm presence in the Sonics/Key Arena debate: The Storm, remember, is also owned by Starbucks CEO Schultz and more than 50 partners. The women draw upward of 8,000 fans per home game, of which they play 17 a year, not counting preseason and playoffs. In 2004, they were WNBA champions—selling more than 17,000 tickets to each of the home games in the league finals and notching Seattle's first world championship in any professional sport in 25 years. The Storm captured the hearts of a "world city" that's prone to pooh-poohing pro athletics as the undereducated brute of a dynamic, heady arts-and-entertainment matrix. It's a good read. We're playing the Silver Stars on Friday; hopefully, our game will be together by then. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 22, 2006 2:03 PM. June 7, 2006Storm 86, Sky 73My good friend John Kaufmann (aka, "He Who Introduced Me To The Storm") and I got together tonight at Key Arena to watch the Seattle Storm darken the Chicago Sky, 86 - 73. It was the first game at the Key for the Sky (they're the newest addition to the WNBA), and neither the Storm nor the Sky acquitted themselves too handily tonight. Play was awkward, sloppy, ugly (kicked balls, missed passes) for the first 3/4 of the game, when the Storm finally kicked it in gear, got their defense together, and gave the ball over to Betty - who would promptly put it in the basket. The crowd was small tonight - about 4,000 - and we didn't really come out and scream until the Sky got within a single point of our lead. One thing the crowd did get up and cheer for was Lauren Jackson's 3,000th (!) point in her career - at which point, she became the fastest woman to get 3,000 career points in the WNBA. It was great to win - especially after Sunday - and it's always terrific to see John. Next home game is vs. Phoenix on the 21st! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 7, 2006 10:48 PM. June 6, 2006Wendy Palmer's Out For A MonthOn the heels of Sunday's emotionally crushing defeat to the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Seattle Storm's collective psyche absorbed another blow on Monday. Backup center Wendy Palmer, the team's most important reserve, will miss at least a dozen games over the next month with a partial tear in her left Achilles tendon. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 6, 2006 5:51 AM. June 5, 2006One Up & One Down
The games were very different in both tone and feel (the crowd, for example, was dead on Friday until the last quarter; last night we were making noise like it was 1999), but they shared a consistent theme: our defense needs work. In both games, the Storm managed to lead the opposition going into the second half, but then watched their lead crumble in the third quarter. I don't know if this is team fatigue, or good adaptive strategy by our opponents, or what, but the Silver Stars erased a 14-point deficit to win 89-87, and the Mercury shrank a 10-point lead to just 4 points before we surged late in the game, winning 97-87. Dad enjoyed himself ("I can see why you like this so much!"), but I'm a bit worried about the team. I'd hoped that our blowout win against the Sparks at the home opener was a whiff of things to come ... now I'm not so sure. In Anne we trust, right? Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 5, 2006 1:12 PM. May 21, 2006Seeing Is Believing: Storm 90, Sparks 67
Tonight, Elaine and I had the extraordinary pleasure of watching the Seattle Storm open 2006 by blowing the Los Angeles Sparks out of Key Arena, 90 to 67. Storm season is here, baby! (And God, it's good to be back!) There was an article in the Friday Post-Intelligencer about the closeness of the new Storm bench players ("Close-knit Storm bench may be best yet"): The Storm's freshly stocked reserve corps has needed only a month of training camp to develop such familial closeness -- just 20 days of practice and three exhibition games to forge a salty sisterhood of merciless but good-natured ribbing. This is spot on, and it's the reason we're going to win the championship this year. Lauren, Sue and Betty were great (natch), but the heat in the game came from how well the rest of the team performed. Tanisha Wright was setting 'em up and knocking 'em down (just like last year), but the big news was the strength of Barbara Turner and Wendy Palmer - they both want to play, aren't afraid to get aggressive, and are right where you need them, every time. We played outstanding ball tonight. The Storm have changed their marketing a bit this year, and swapped out their last slogan ("Bring It") for the slicker, and (presumably) new-fan-attracting "Seeing Is Believing." My original feelings on "SiB" were a bit mixed (I rather liked "Bring It"), but after tonight, I think the Storm marketing folks might are on to something. The next home game is Tuesday at 8 PM (vs. Houston); grab tickets and go see for yourself. (Oh, and my season-ticket seats kick ass. I can't believe how good they are!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 21, 2006 10:28 PM. April 22, 2006My Storm Season Tickets Are Here!
(Oh, man, if there was anything on the planet that would have made my Saturday more, I'm hard-pressed to know what it might be.) Since this is my first time (ever) as a season ticketholder of, well, anything, I naturally ripped open the package to see what they'd sent me. The envelope includes:
It's been a great week for the Storm: we re-signed Izzy Castro Marques, and, as of today, we're less than one month to tipoff. (And if you're interested in an iCal-compatible version of the Storm home game calendar, you can get it here.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 22, 2006 5:05 PM. April 20, 2006Metroblog likes the Storm!Seattle's Metroblog had an entry on Tuesday about the Sonics/Key Arena deal ("Sonics: The Envelope, Please"), where they basically say, "let 'em go." Among the reasons they cited (the basketball is terrible, the price is too high, etc.), they posted this gem: The Storm don't play often enough. The Seattle Storm are the heartwarming antithesis of the Sonics: the tickets are cheap, the basketball is great, and the Storm win. They are, in fact, the only championship winners of Seattle of the past two decades. But they have a shortened season and only play 17 home games per year, and sports fans are frequently forced to choose between M's games and Storm games. They'd be sadly missed, but are they worth $220 million? I have to say (and it hurts me, profusely, as a fan of the team): I agree. In semi-related news, Lauren Jackson gave an interview following Monday's signing of her multi-year deal with the Storm. The transcript is available on WNBA.com. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 20, 2006 12:54 PM. April 17, 2006Lauren's Back!It's official: Lauren Jackson has re-signed with the Storm (yay!): Jackson, the team's leading scorer last season (17.6), agreed to her first multi-year contract since joining Seattle as a No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001. Terms weren't announced, but the contract should pay Jackson $91,000 this summer, which is the league maximum. This totally makes my Monday! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 17, 2006 11:47 AM. March 21, 2006Storm In TwoTuesday Fun Fact: the Storm home opener is just two months from today: Sunday, May 21. Not that anyone's counting or anything... Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated March 21, 2006 9:01 AM. February 21, 2006Sonics: Let 'em GoThese last few weeks, the Seattle press has been abuzz about Howard Schultz's hard-core arm-twisting of the state legislature to get a $200M rebuild of KeyArena for the Sonics (and the Storm). In the latest development, Schultz has begun channeling his inner Ken Behring, saying, in effect, that if Seattle fails to build him a new arena, well, he might have to take his ball and go home. Given how much I love the Storm, it pains me to say, but ... if these teams can't stay solvent without a massive government handout, maybe we should think about what that means. Take the team someplace where you can turn a profit, Howard. God bless. Look, I've benefited enormously from Mr. Schultz's presence in the Seattle community, so I'm not chalking this one up to "tell the rich guy to go pound sand." However, this is a one-sided bailout of a private company with public dollars. If the only corporate-welfare test we're asking for these days is that there be a nebulous "public good" to having Groups X, Y or Z in town, I suspect we'll have one hell of a lineup outside City Hall in the morning - every arts group in town should be able to get on that gravy train. (And I'd like to personally propose a $100,000 subsidy - just 0.05% of the money Mr. Schultz is asking for - for John Kaufmann's "Date Of Birth." A modest proposal.) My problem with handing the Sonics a new arena is twofold. First, there's the philosophical problem of subsidizing private interests with public dollars. While this happens all the time (the USDA, for example, helps firms like Monsanto, while the State of Washinton is busily building new freeway ramps for my employer), these public/private partnerships often are justified by the economic value of the whole transaction. There's more pie for everyone (gross receipts for the business, taxable revenue for the people), so the partnership is a good investment. The Sonics deal clearly doesn't meet that test - there's no possible way that the Sonics are worth $200M to the city of Seattle. In fact, it turns out that we can let them go and potentially do just great at KeyArena ("KeyArena could be profitable without Sonics, study finds"): [City counciman Nick] Licata isn't alone in thinking KeyArena could survive the Sonics' departure. The city-owned arena could turn a profit without an NBA team by hosting more concerts, ice shows and college and high-school games, according to a study by a city consultant. This is why, if you read Howard Schultz's recent op-ed piece in the Seattle Times (and you should), you'll see that the primary thrust of his argument is that the Sonics are a cultural good for the city, something that brings us together: Culture isn't just about art galleries, performance halls and museums. Culture is also about the amateur and professional sports that help define who we are. I agree with this. Totally. But it's one thing to say, "sports help define who we are," and quite another to say, "and therefore we need to define ourselves by giving $200 million to the sports team I own and operate." (As a point of perspective, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported in April 2004 that the value of the Sonics franchise is $196M.) And this is the second part of my problem. I mean, if we're valuing sports as part of our culture, shouldn't we also ask whether or not that $200M would be better-spent on other cultural pursuits? Or heck - even other sports teams? The Storm are a great case in point. The Storm operation is reported to run on just $3M a year - barely a blip on the balance sheet of the Sonics. Yet, for that $3M, the Storm field an impressive 20-some home games per year, plus another 20-some on the road. The games aren't very expensive ($10 gets you a seat, and a good one at that), and thus seeing a Storm game is something that can be done by a modest-income family on a semi-regular basis. Or what about hockey? We have an NHL team, here - the Thunderbirds - but we're not proposing a $200M handout to them. Yes, they'll benefit from a new KeyArena, but so will Coldplay when they come to town. Nobody is kidding themselves about who this new arena is really for. This is not complicated. The Sonics are losing money. That means their revenues aren't sufficient to cover their costs. As a manager at the Sonics, I'm faced with three choices. First, I can raise revenues. This can be done by changing prices on current offerings, coming up with new offerings (think "corndog" or "t-shirts"), increasing the volume of stuff I'm selling, or some combination of the these. Second, I can cut costs. This means I get rid of perks (flying coach instead of first class), make my operations more efficient, or find a way of holding the line on my labor costs (like, you know, maybe not paying my players so much). Or third, I can do nothing and close up shop. The Sonics seem to want Option Four, which is "change nothing, and get the public to pay for our business." Again, I understand their motivation (heck, I'd like a $200M handout, too - GavArena, anyone?), but it seems unconscionable that our political leaders are taking this seriously. And yet they are taking it seriously. The Times had a great piece about "The 5 major hurdles Sonics face in Olympia", and the upshot is this: the sin the Sonics committed is not asking for $200M. No, the sin is that they didn't bow and scrape enough in front of The Right People before getting all up in our faces about things: They haven't sweated enough. Much like the team's sluggish defense on the court, some legislative insiders say the Sonics front office has not moved its feet quickly enough in the political arena. So here's my prediction: the arena upgrade is going forward. There's going to be some political theater, some last-minute negotiations, some hand-wringing in the press, and, when it's all over, the Sonics will get the new-and-improved KeyArena in 2011 or 2012 or whenever. And we'll all like it, the way we like Safeco or Qwest Field. Tickets will be more expensive, and so will concessions. And the Sonics (and the Storm) will stay happy for a while. But still, I wonder - isn't there something better we can do with $200,000,000? UPDATE, February 25, 2006: It's been pointed out to me by several folks that, while the Seattle Thunderbirds do use Key Arena, they are not an NHL franchise. I regret the error, and thank everyone who wrote in to correct it. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated February 21, 2006 11:52 PM. February 18, 2006Betty's BackThe PI is reporting that Betty Lennox has signed a multiyear contract with the Storm, , which means she'll be returning to the Key come May 21. (Personally, I can't wait!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated February 18, 2006 3:00 PM. December 23, 2005Storm Calendar In .icsAs I did last year, I've compiled the 2006 Storm Home calendar into an .ics file (download here). If you're an iCal user (or a user of ics-compatible calendar software, such as Outlook), you can simply subscribe to this file to get your calendar populated with all the games. Enjoy! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 23, 2005 8:18 AM. December 21, 2005Storm 2006 Calendar Is OUT!Score! The Seattle Storm released their 2006 calendar today; the first home game of the season is Sunday, May 21, 2006 vs. Los Angeles. Can. Not. Wait. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 21, 2005 3:41 PM. December 12, 20052006 WNBA Rule ChangesI'm just getting caught up on some of my RSS news, and it looks like the folks over at Chasing The Title have the skinny on some new rules for the WNBA:
For the full report, check their site or visit the WNBA directly. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 12, 2005 9:12 PM. December 7, 2005More People, Less Energy
The first thing I did upon arriving, naturally, was to check out the view from my new season ticket seats. Since I'd purchased the tickets over the phone (trusting my account rep and general knowledge of the arena), I'd had yet to experience the full-throttle, full-tilt, maximum-red-hot goodness of the view itself. Naturally, I packed my digital camera to snap a photo of the view. And, as you can see from the attached picture, it rocks. Sadly, the Sonics people weren't down with letting me stay in said seats, and so Elaine and I trudged up to the tippy-top of the 200 level (pack some oxygen, binoculars, and a hanky in case you get nosebleeds) to peer down at the game. It'd been so long since I'd been to a Sonics game that I'd forgotten what the energy and vibe felt like. It was a touch surreal, as I was in this place I was familiar with, watching a sport I know pretty well, and seeing many of the same ArenaVision graphics (as well as hearing the same "Arena Rock" CD music) - but it was so different. It took me back to watching the Sparks game in Los Angeles. The verdict? Well, I'm hardly impartial, but the Sonics just aren't the Storm. The game was fine (we lost by a hair), but the audience just isn't the same. I've written before about Storm fans: But mostly, I like the fans. I like their energy, their positive vibe, their welcoming of anyone (and everyone) who wants to come and watch this team play. We've all been to sporting events where drunk boors shout obscenities and epithets at the players; those people don't come to WNBA games. Who does come? Families, young couples, 15-year-old girls who play high school ball, older folks. We get - what? - 7,500 fans in to the lower bowl of a typical Storm game? And yet we're easily louder than the 16,000 or so that were there to watch the Sonics. The crowd was dead. Things would perk up from time to time (when the game got exciting) but a lot of the chants ("Let's go Sonics!") that the ArenaVision tried to instantiate were just ignored. Instead, we were treated to some amusingly blue language from the guys in front of us. Ah, so. The 2006 Storm season kicks off in May. Can't wait. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated December 7, 2005 8:26 PM. November 18, 2005We've Lost FrancescaWell, the newest team in the WNBA - the Chicago Sky - has claimed one of our own. Francesca Zara, new to the Storm as of last year, will be moving to the Windy City. This is a loss; Francesca's a great player, and always did well for us when we needed her. I'm sorry to see her go. (You can read the Storm take on this at WNBA.com.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 18, 2005 1:55 PM. November 10, 2005Storm Season Tix!Today is a happy one: season tickets have been secured for the 2006 Seattle Storm! I've even managed to get reasonably close to the floor, as well - row 6, section 121. It's the opposite end of the Key from where I usually sit, but, hey - change is good, yeah? (You can take a look at the seating map if you're so inclined.) In other Storm news, Chasing The Title turned me on to a report that Lauren's leg is getting better: Though it was announced last week that Jackson would miss the remainder of her season with the Canberra Capitals in the Australian Women's National Basketball League because of stress fractures in her left leg, her status has been upgraded. The season's still six months away. Let's hope she takes it easy. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 10, 2005 9:38 AM. November 1, 2005"WNBA Draft To Double As Bachelorette Auction"The Onion takes on the WNBA in this week's issue: The WNBA is billing the event as a showcase of talented, interesting, and fun women who would be great catches for a team in need of some offense or anyone who's free next Saturday night. A little harsh, a lot funny. Give it a read. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 1, 2005 8:58 PM. October 22, 2005Lauren's Got A Stress FractureLooks like I'm not the only one with mobility problems: Lauren Jackson's got a stress fracture in her left leg. The Australian Opals and Canberra Capitals forward has been ruled out of the remainder of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) season. Depending on how she's healing, it's entirely possible that she won't be able to play in the WNBA this year. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 22, 2005 8:10 PM. September 3, 2005Season's OverThe Seattle Storm ended their 2005 season tonight, losing badly to the Houston Comets, 75 to 58. It just wasn't our game. We started slow, stayed slow, and never got our shooting together (at the half, we'd made just 30% of all field goal attempts, while Houston was shooting 68%). Conversely, the Comets were alive, strong, fast, accurate ... a real machine. My hat is off to them, and their talented coach, Van Chancellor. They'll need to keep that intensity to succeed against the Monarchs in the next round. For us ... well, maybe it's for the best. Our players have been in pain for a lot of the season: Sue with a broken nose, Betty with a messed-up wrist, Lauren with ankle surgery and back pain, and, finally, Janelle, who lost her house to Hurricane Katrina. So we're calling it a season, regrouping, and can come back at it next year. In the meantime: nice work, ladies. It was a great run, and I'll see you all next year ... with season tickets. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 3, 2005 9:46 PM. Janelle Burse Has A Blog!OK, Storm fans, feel free to get your quota of inside dirt: Janelle Burse is blogging. No kidding. Her latest article is all about purse-shopping ("Burse Knows A Good Purse"), rather than, say, how much she wants to kick Houston's ass tonight ... but blogs are supposed to be personal. Right? I'm walking out the door for Playoff Game #3 game right now. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 3, 2005 5:49 PM. September 1, 2005In Anne We TrustSo we lost tonight, 67-64. And it hurt. In some ways, the loss makes sense - with our victory over Houston on Tuesday, they needed the win to stay in the playoffs. That kind of pressure tends to focus the mind wonderfully. For our part, the shooting was outstanding for the first half of the game, but we couldn't get a break from the officials all night. When our game started to crumble toward the last ten minutes, it all caught up with us. So now we're off to Game 3 (Saturday, 7 PM, Key Arena), and the tiebreaker. I was reflecting tonight at how, despite the astounding athleticism of our team, the real credit for getting to this point two years in a row is due to one person: coach Anne Donovan. WNBA is unlike most professional sports in that it has a salary cap for both teams and players. This year, no player can make more than $89,000 a year; no team can have a payroll that exceeds $673,000. Yeah, you read that right - eighty-nine thousand a year for star players. The lowest-paid players in the Mariners make at least $319,000, and Ichiro clears better than twelve mil a year. And while I might think it's nearly criminal that a good number of my geek friends clear more a year than Lauren Jackson, that's a conversation to be had over beer - not on a blog. But in practical terms, that meant our 2004 championship team presented some problems. We needed to keep both Sue and Lauren, of course, but Betty Lennox was the big breakout player last season, and we needed to keep her, too. So - BAM! - $89,000 x 3 = $267,000 ... and now 40% of the payroll is gone. Naturally, we got cherry-picked. Charlotte took Sheri Sam, Indiana took Tully, and Phoenix took Kamila. We lost a few other folks to retirement or lifestyle (Michelle Greco left to play in Italy, for example). And, because we were the champs, we got last pick in the draft. Our bench raided, we had to rebuild. And Anne was the principal architect of what we've grown in to. She did the hard work of figuring out her players, what they do well, and what gaps she needed to close. And then she went shopping, finding talent where she could. We got Izzy from the Mercury after she went free agent; we got Francesca from Italy, Suzy from Australia (although she'd been kicking around the league for a year), and Tanisha from Penn as 12th in the draft. Heck, when I got to the first game of the year, I didn't recognize half the players on the Arenavision. But we got it together, and now, well, here we are. Anne's amazing. Most people fixate on how tall she is (she's 6' 8", and she wears heels ... "which is cheating" according to some of my shorter female friends), but she's a remarkable athlete in her own right: three-time Olympian, with two gold medals ('84 and '88); played ball for Old Dominion. She's got 100 wins with the WNBA, and is the first female coach in the league to bring home a championship. Basically, she knows how to coach the Storm because she's been there. (She also knows how to motivate. Rumor has it Anne was the one behind all the "Lauren is out of shape" articles in the news at the beginning of the season. And they worked.) However Saturday turns out, we're here because of great strategy and great coaching. And, if we win another title, I expect we'll lose a number of our new stars to other, more-lucrative pastures. The good news is that we've signed Anne for a multi-year contract extension. Saturday, 7 PM. Make-or-break time. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 1, 2005 10:47 PM. August 28, 2005On Being A Storm FanSo at one point during the game yesterday, Jeff leaned over to me and asked, "So what got you in to this stuff, anyhow?" I get asked this question a lot, so I thought it was high time I wrote about my introduction to, and continuing enthusiasm for, the WNBA. It goes like this. Back in July of 2003, I tried to get my friend John Kaufmann to go see "The Matrix Reloaded I have a friend here from out of town, and I tried to talk him into some Matrix action tomorrow, but we're going to the Storm game instead (I've never seen a womens pro game, and I must confess I'm excited). As it happens, John enjoyed the game. In fact, he liked it so much that he sent me an e-mail on the 23rd to invite me to go to one with him: As for the Storm, August 6th pits them against their rivals in LA. That would be a great game to see. What do you think. Despite my misgivings, I agreed to go. Misgivings, you say? Yes. Most boys from the 'burbs grow up with sports, endlessly quoting players, teams, stats, and matchups, playing in "fantasy" leagues and whatnot. For me, as a young, sedentary geek amid all this sporting nonsense, a sports fascination seemed bizarre - like everyone around you being normal 95% of the time, but dropping into conversational Polish, say, when confronted with others of their tribe. It makes one feel like an outsider, to say the least. By the time I was 14, I had long since come to believe that the Sports Gene, or whatever the Human Genome people wind up naming it ("Sporticus Genus"?), was something I was lacking. Indeed, I'd decided that the space normally used in the Guy Brain for sports trivia was entirely occupied by computer stuff. Where most of my friends were happy to talk about the Mariners or the Seahawks, I was all about the C64 vs. the Apple II vs. the TRS-80 (go, Commodore!). I did attend Mariners games in the Kingdome, and, later, Safeco Field, but I just didn't see what all the fuss was about. So when John invited me to the game - this is women's basketball, mind you, which, last time I checked, was the least "macho guy" sport one might attend, save, perhaps, competitive crochet - I went primarily for his company (plus, John gets enthusiastic about stuff, and it makes you want to check it out). I didn't expect much from the game, really; I knew squat about basketball (I mean, I knew you had a ball, and you needed to put in the opposing basket, but that's still squat). But the prospect of spending two or so hours with John is a unique thing, and one worth treasuring. So I ponied up the $8 for the ticket, and off we went. I remember that first half of the game pretty well, mostly because it was so surreal. The fans were doing their strange rituals (standing and sitting on cue, booing at calls, and so on). The graphics on the Arenavision weren't too helpful, and I found a lot of the game mystifying - who fouled? what did that mean? why are people cheering? - but at some point, Sue got the ball, and ran with it, and lobbed it, and it went in. And I found myself on my feet, cheering and hollering, arms in the air, feeling excited and alive at having witnessed something that was, without question, just cool. I was hooked. Still sports-clueless, but hooked. There were only a couple of games left in the 2003 season, and I saw one more before calling it a year. But as the 2004 season approached, I started to get excited, and began making plans to go to games. My friends were skeptical ("Seattle has a women's basketball team?"), but I twisted a few arms and suddenly, surprisingly, wound up attending about half the home games for the year, usually with a different group of people. I found myself following the team in the newspaper (I'd habitually tossed the sports section for most of my life, so that was kinda new) and on the Internet. And then we started winning. And kept winning. And made the playoffs. And won some more. And, ultimately, brought home the first championship to Seattle in 25 years. All told, 2004 was an excellent year to get your Storm groove on. But why do I like this game? What makes the Storm special? This is a hard question. Marnie and I have had little conversations about "why we like" certain teams or sports (she's an M's fan, and a killer baseball player in her own right). Heck, Nick Hornby's first novel, "Fever Pitch For me, though, there's no one, single answer. I think the most honest thing is to say that I like the Storm because I like the Storm - there's some irreducible quality, there, that's not really pull-apart-able; even if you could isolate some aspect of the appeal, you'd only be talking about 10% or 20% of what's really there ... which is sort of like saying that you like the Mona Lisa because it's got blue in it. I like that the sport is a different style of basketball than the NBA. There's more passing, more collaboration, more team plays. WNBA has its star players, of course, but they don't hog the ball or the spotlight. I like that the players seem genuinely thrilled to be playing basketball - they love the sport, not the spectacle, and they love their fans. I like that WNBA is an underground, growing thing, gaining respect and converting fans through sheer will and determination. The league has been around nearly a decade, but ink spilled about the Storm is perpetually buried on Page 2 of the sports section. (Which is changing, and not a moment too soon for me.) But mostly, I like the fans. I like their energy, their positive vibe, their welcoming of anyone (and everyone) who wants to come and watch this team play. We've all been to sporting events where drunk boors shout obscenities and epithets at the players; those people don't come to WNBA games. Who does come? Families, young couples, 15-year-old girls who play high school ball, older folks. It's exciting, and novel, for me to see sports through the same lens that I've always seen music. I love New Order, right? But maybe not their latest album, or even that one track that everyone else loves, and that's OK. So, working with that analogy a bit, getting myself down to Key Arena for 20-some home games a year is kinda like seeing my favorite band play a string of local shows. Each one is different, each one is worthwhile. Even when they lose. Hey, it's the hottest ticket in town, if you ask me. And, if you're reading this Web site, well, you're asking. We're in the playoffs again. So try it. There'll be 17,000 people in Key Arena, and the games'll be awesome. Chances are good that you'll like it. And in the meantime, at least you know who Lauren, Sue and Betty are. Hell, you can impress your friends with your sports knowledge ("Seattle has a women's basketball team?") when you see them on Page 2 of the sports section. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 28, 2005 5:06 PM. August 27, 2005Storm 85, Mercury 74This afternoon, the Storm matched their franchise-high record (20-14) by handily beating the Phoenix Mercury, 85-41, at Key Arena. It was glorious. A lot of the bench got game time tonight; Anne pulled Lauren about five minutes into the second half, and didn't send her back out for the balance of play. Phoenix needed the win (they're now out of the playoffs), but we were pretty much bulletproof; as such, I think the strategy was to let some of our folks get out there and see what they could do. Sue and Betty both made strong contributions, but the night belonged to Tanisha, Izzy and Suzy. The Storm have momentum, and the fans know it. We had a lower-bowl sellout tonight, and there were a good thousand or so in the upper section of the Key. I was joined at the game by Jeff and his wife, Debra, along with their two (adorable) kids. Frankly, I think the kids were more taken with the International Fountain (we hung out there post-victory) than they were with the game - especially Gillian. So The playoffs await us, starting next Thursday at 7 PM. Let's remember what happened last year, shall we? Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 27, 2005 8:12 PM. August 25, 2005Home Court Advantage
True to their word, Marnie and Gary joined me for the game (that's them in the photo, above, joined by fellow UW'er Mike Allen on the far left), and, candidly, I'd been worried. Sacramento's got an incredible record this year, and we lost to them by a good 10 points last Saturday. But last Saturday, we played in Arco Arena. Tonight was in the Key. There's something special about watching the team at Key Arena. The fans give off a certain energy, a vibe; the team feels it, responds to it, and plays outstanding ball. Tonight, for example, marked our eighth consecutive home win, tying the previous franchise record. When we close the season on Saturday by beating Phoenix (and we will beat Phoenix, oh yes...), it'll be the record. And then we're off to the playoffs, the first home game of which will be next Thursday or Friday. I'm hoarse as hell from all the cheering. Good thing I'm not presenting anything tomorrow. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 25, 2005 10:53 PM. August 23, 2005We're In The Playoffs!About ten minutes ago, the Storm secured their slot in the 2005 WNBA Playoffs by trouncing the San Antonio Silver Stars, 78-51, in Texas. This is very exciting! Our next challenge is to secure a second-place slot in the Western Conference, which will give us home-court advantage for the first round. As the Storm do much, much, much better in Key Arena, this is not a trivial benefit. So we've officially got a shot at a two-fer with the crown ... but the Monarchs (who are 23 and 8!) are going to be a real problem. (No matter. My playoff tickets are already here.) Wahoo! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 23, 2005 7:07 PM. August 17, 2005"A Shot Of Their Own"Seattle Weekly has an article this week about the Seattle Storm (and the WNBA in general): Nine years ago, women stepped on the court as professional athletes with the birth of the WNBA. Five years ago, the Seattle Storm was born, and last year the team brought home Seattle's first professional sports championship in 25 years. They have a fan base. Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson are household names. The article talks a bit about the economics of the league, what the players make, fan base, and a few other notes. But the most important points are that the league a) has momentum, b) is starting to get respect and attention, and c) is solid enough that women can seriously consider playing ball when they leave college. The league is expected to be profitable in 2007; the 13 teams will become 14 when Chicago adds their franchise next year. Good news, all. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 17, 2005 12:05 PM. August 10, 2005Storm 71, Comets 68Mary and I watched the Storm hand a narrow, 71-68 defeat to Houston in Key Arena last night. The victory means we are now second in the Western Conference - trailing the Monarchs - and have an outstanding shot at the playoffs. (At the moment, I'm feeling like the $50 was money well spent.) The game was touch-and-go the whole time - we got a bit out in front at the jump, but the Comets gave as good as they got. Basically, the Storm did great when they played strong defense and grabbed rebounds; otherwise, we got killed. Notable fun fact: Lauren threw the 200th 3-point shot of her career at the beginning of the second half. We've got just three home games left in the regular season; I've got tickets to two of 'em (the 25th and the 27th). Let's hope our luck holds out on the road - we're against Minnesota on Friday, and Houston (again) on Sunday. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 10, 2005 12:17 PM. August 3, 2005Season TicketsWell, it's official - I'm going to be a season-ticket holder for the Storm in 2006. While it seems to shock my friends that I don't have season tickets yet, it's true - I've been buyin' my seats on a game-by-game basis (it's a great reason to walk to Seattle Center, you know?). Anyhow. The deal works like this - put $50 down for next year's season tickets, and get priority seating for any playoff tickets this year. And, since I'm convinced we're going to the playoffs (we are, we are, we are) that seemed like a no-brainer. Plus, you know, season tickets. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated August 3, 2005 7:38 PM. July 18, 2005Storm 78, Sparks 70
One of the things I like about the Storm is the way Key Arena "feels" when the team takes the court. Storm fans tend to be pretty enthusiastic, so 6,500 of us can sound like 17,000 when we're in the middle of a great game. So this prompted me to wonder: what's it like for other teams/fans/arenas? Is the Storm experience a WNBA thing, or a Seattle thing? Or what? And hence, my trip to LA. A few notes from the trip:
Finally, my favorite "LA Moment" came about midway through the second half. Betty had just made a three-point shot, and I stood up, cheering. This large black woman was walking in the aisle nearby, stopped, turned me to me and, in a very pissed-off voice, demanded, "Are you cheering for the Storm?!?" I paused for a second (am I gonna get my ass kicked?), but went with it. "Yeah!" (I mean, it was kind of hard to deny, given that I was wearing a big-ass "SEATTLE STORM" t-shirt.) The woman broke into a huge smile and said, "Right on!" and gave me a high five. So I said, "Are you from Seattle?" "No," she said. And wandered off. My friend Chris Norris, watching the whole exchange, just started cracking up. "Welcome to Los Angeles." Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 18, 2005 8:02 PM. July 16, 2005Storm vs. Sparks Halftime UpdateWe're winning! 36-30. Key Arena kicks the butt of Staples Center. (Big thanks to Todd - who loaned me his Treo for this post.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 16, 2005 8:32 PM. July 15, 2005Storm 92, Silver Stars 70We rocked tonight! The Storm delivered an ass-whuppin' to the San Antonio Silver Stars, bringing home an astounding 22-point victory at Key Arena. It's as if the team read John Levesque's column in the P-I yesterday; everything we did wrong on Wednesday, we fixed tonight with a vengeance - shooting (Bird was delivering 3-pointers like she was FedEx, or something), defense (seven(!) rebounds), overall play, you name it. The last ten minutes of the game were pure, unadulterated heaven for Storm fans. My mom and stepdad came along for their first-ever game; I hope they know how hard it'll be for us to replicate this performance. I can't wait for tomorrow's matchup against the Sparks. We're back! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 15, 2005 10:59 PM. July 13, 2005Mystics 78, Storm 71
Cintra, Keith, Angela and I caught the Storm against the Mystics at noon today in Key Arena. (Yeah, I went to a game at noon on a Wednesday. I love this summer-vacation business.) Sadly, we lost, and it was simply because we were playing sloppy ball. We missed shots, weren't guarding very well, and the Mystics did a great job of getting up in our faces and exploiting our mistakes (especially Coco Miller, who has more energy than any woman should). Ah, well. Hopefully we'll be in better shape come Friday. One thing I did not know when I bought the tickets was that today is "kid's day", so Key Arena was packed to the rafters with thousands of four-to-twelve-year olds. They all came with their respective summer camp, YMCA, and so on. The noise was unbelievable - I haven't heard cheering like that since the frickin' playoffs! (Oh, and the photo with this post is of Doppler (and several other WNBA mascots, each of whom showed up to celebrate Dopplers' birthday) playing dodgeball with some kids from the Boys & Girls club.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 13, 2005 4:13 PM. June 23, 2005Storm 95, Sun 86.
Another thrilling game tonight, as the Storm beat the Sun (handily), 95 to 86. The opening was disheartening: Connecticut scored first (and kept on scoring). Despite being down by more than 10 points in the first 5 minutes, we'd closed to a one-point difference by halftime. And the second half was pure point-trading, with the Storm always on the losing end. It wasn't until Sue got two free throws off a foul - landing points 79 and 80, respectively - that we got ahead. And then we just built on it, shot after shot after shot. Betty and Izzy did most of the heavy lifting, but the thing is - we're working as a team. The Storm are playing very good basketball for so early in the season. We could be a two-championship team this year. I want to believe. My next game is July 13! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 23, 2005 12:04 AM. June 21, 2005Gavin's (2005) California Adventure!Lately, I've been toying with the idea of going to a Storm away game. The only time I've seen the team outside of Key Arena was last year, when they did a "home" game during HoopFest in Spokane. As I started researching all this, two things popped out. First, if I'm going to go to an away game, my best choices for proximity are either the Sacramento Monarchs or the Los Angeles Sparks (I mean, given the flight time, I'm not too keen to cheer in Connecticut, you know?). And second, if I'm going to California, I'm going to want to hang out with friends for at least part of my trip. As Ah-nuld and I are on the outs right now, that means Los Angeles. So looking over the summer schedule, I notice that my two choices for games against the Sparks are July 16 or July 31. I've got a wedding to go to in late July, which kicks the 31st out of the pool. So I flip over to check my calendar about the 16th ... ... and notice that, Disneyland's 50th birthday is the very next day (the park opened July 17, 1955). Oh, yeah, baby! Could this be more perfect? My airline tickets are bought, couch-crash arrangements made (thanks, Heidi!) and I'm gathering a group of folks to hit Staples Center on Saturday, the 16th. Tony and I are planning to run around Disneyland (along with, in all probability, every Disney maniac for 1,000 miles) all day on Sunday. Lines will be, undoubtedly, off the charts. So so so so cool. I can't believe it came together like this! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 21, 2005 9:04 AM. June 19, 2005Stephen Burt On The WNBACintra slid me her copy of "The Believer" magazine on Wednesday, because "it has a great article on the WNBA." Indeed, Stephen Burt's "Welcome To The Almost Cult-Like Fan-World Of American Women’s Pro Basketball" is a breezy, wonderful read; a snapshot of the people I have come to know and appreciate at Key Arena during the season. Burt is a fan of the Lynx (who, alas, recently defeated us), but his enthusiasm for the sport and the league are palpable, and I share his views. (Sadly, only the excerpt is available online) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 19, 2005 12:00 AM. June 16, 2005Storm vs. Lynx
We lost. 81 - 86. As predicted by the dailies yesterday morning, Sue was out of action. She sat on the bench and cheered the team. (It was also cool to see all the fans with band-aids over their noses. Again.) The game was exciting - a real tooth and nail scrap. We had a hell of a time getting it together for the first ten minutes, being down by as much as 11 points. But we finally got in gear and closed the gap to 1 point by halftime, and then took the game into overtime, 77-77. (Which, in those last, intense, pre-overtime seconds, gave everyone in the crowd that excited, fluttery feeling. I frickin' live for that.) Fouls killed us. We fouled twice, and the Lynx' free throws basically put the game out of reach. Despite the loss - Izzy was great, and so was Francesca. The new team is definitely coming together. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 16, 2005 2:11 PM. June 14, 2005PI: "Bird has nose surgery; new mask in the works"Sue is expected to be back in action for tomorrow's game against Minnesota: "Sue Bird's broken nose is back in place after successful closed reduction surgery yesterday." "Bird will likely play tomorrow night when the Storm faces the Lynx at KeyArena. She needed only one day to retake the floor after the surgery last year." After Sue broke her nose last season, there were a number of fans who came to the games with band-aids on their noses (and even a 14-year-old girl in a "Bird" jersey who was doing the full-on Hannibal-Lecter-facemask thing). I'll be curious to see what the emotional support looks like tomorrow. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 14, 2005 12:18 PM. June 8, 2005Bird's Nose Is Broken .. Again!"Storm guard Sue Bird broke two bones in her face when she was elbowed in the nose by teammate Lauren Jackson." We'll know more about her condition tomorrow. This sucks. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated June 8, 2005 9:52 PM. May 29, 2005Storm Beat Silver StarsExcellent! The Storm beat the Silver Stars at Key Arena tonight, 79 to 51. This season is getting off to a great start! (Plus, it turns out the Storm have an RSS feed. Gotta love that...) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 29, 2005 9:53 PM. May 28, 2005Storm Won Last NightThe Storm won against the Comets last night, 79-69. (Too bad we couldn't have done it last Saturday, but, ah, well.) We're playing San Antonio tomorrow at 6. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 28, 2005 2:08 PM. May 21, 2005It Has Begun
We arrived about a half hour before gametime to watch the (very cool) ceremony where the Championship Banner was hoisted to the top of Key Arena. It was very touching: many of the unsung folks in the Storm operation were thanked for doing their part to make the team' success possible. And then, in the game, Los Angeles just murdered us: 50 to 68. We opened strong, scoring 20 points right up from to the Sparks' 6 or so. And then, as if a switch got flipped, we couldn't score to save our lives. We'd shoot and miss, or take too long to get the shot, or get intercepted passing, or, well you name it. We just weren't together yet. Part of this is simply the youth of the season. I remember watching the "home" game they played in Spokane last year - the girls were not good. But by the middle of July, they were a well-oiled machine. It's the learning curve, right? 50 to 68. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 21, 2005 5:54 PM. May 11, 2005Storm Home Opener Is Sold Out!The PI has a great little blurb in this morning's paper (" Storm's popularity poses challenges ") about how the team's success is changing things. A few fun facts:
Only 10 days to go until the Storm take on Los Angeles at Key Arena. Can't wait! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated May 11, 2005 8:11 AM. April 11, 2005Storm Tix On Sale!
Our lineup has gone through some major gyrations over the last few months, but I'm pretty excited to see what Anne has done with the team. It sucks that we lost Tully, Kamila (free registration required), and Sheri, but at the same time we've got some interesting new folks coming in the door. I have no idea how fast opening-day tickets will sell out, but if you're at all interested in catching the game I suggest you move fast! UPDATE, June 3, 2005: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. UPDATE, March 12, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated April 11, 2005 10:04 AM. February 24, 2005Storm ShuffleThe 2005 Storm season starts May 21, and it looks like Donovan is getting the house in order. The bad news is that we're losing Tully to Indiana; the good news is that Lauren is sticking around. (Big props to Mike Allen, who clued me in to Tully's departure - I'm just now digging out of my e-mail backlog.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated February 24, 2005 5:54 PM. January 10, 2005Storm WatchThe Storm have published their 2005 game calendar. Opening night is Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 1 PM. Key Arena. Be there. If you're an iCal user (or a user of ics-compatible calendar software, such as Outlook), I have built a file with their home games all populated and ready to go. Get it by clicking here. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated January 10, 2005 4:05 PM. October 13, 2004Monarchs, Reloaded
The Storm are the 2004 WNBA World Champions!! In the end, the way we dealt with the Sun was very much The Monarchs, Reloaded. When playing Sacramento for the Western Conference, we lost a close game in their house, won a close second game here, and then blew them apart with a huge margin in the third game. It's like the Storm need the first two games to figure out how the other team is constructed ... so they can take them apart as efficiently as possible. Sports writers all over this town are hyperventilating with praise for the Storm, and rightfully so. It's been a long season, a good season, and, I predict, a major turning point for the team in terms of its legitimacy, credibility, and visibility. A lot more people are going to turn out at Key Arena in 2005. They're very, very welcome. For the first time in a quarter century, Seattle has brought home a professional championship. Rather than do some blow-by-blow of the game (others have already covered it more eloquently), I've just included a photo of me, Kaufmann and Mary for today's update. It was taken just moments after the final buzzer - confetti was still streaming from the ceiling. (And yeah, they played Queen over the Key Arena sound system. The entire crowd - hoarse, tired, and elated - sang along.) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 13, 2004 1:06 PM. October 10, 2004There Can Be Only One
They were selling tickets for Tuesday's matchup (technically, they were ticket options, since the game schedule didn't actually exist until the Storm won) before tipoff tonight, and I was amazed at the sheer number of people milling around the Key. Tonight was a sell-out, of course, and it looks like Tuesday is fast on its way to the same. If the ladies pull it off on Tuesday (and hey - they're gonna), it will be the first pro sports championship Seattle has won in 25 years (since the Sonics in 1979)!! Ticketmaster, anyone? Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 10, 2004 9:59 PM. Seattle PI: "If the Storm's not on your radar, it's time to pick up the signals and start cheering." Tipoff in four hours... Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 10, 2004 12:02 PM. October 6, 2004The Sound And The Fury
The Seattle Times' Steve Kelly said it best in his column this morning: "This was a very good team, playing its best basketball at the absolute right time of the year. It was Jackson patiently picking her spots, filling up her box score, - 27 points, five rebounds - dropping heartbreaking sets shots from every angle." We've secured tickets for the Storm/Sun matchup on Sunday... but we were only able to get tickets in the upper bowl at Key Arena. While it sucks to be farther away from the court, it's great news that demand is so strong. With luck, it'll be a sell-out. Now I just need to get busy making signs. Anyone have a good, pithy Sun-related saying? =) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 6, 2004 5:45 PM. October 5, 2004We Are The ChampionsJust got home. The Storm destroyed the Monarchs tonight, 82-62, securing both the WNBA Western Conference Championships and a Friday-night date with the Connecticut Sun for the finals. Unless you had a front-row seat to Mount St. Helen blowing her top in '80, you have never, ever heard a noise like the one out of Key Arena tonight. Storm fans are known for their loyalty (and we tend to get a little excited when the loyalty is rewarded!). God, I need a shower - and some sleep! Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 5, 2004 10:51 PM. October 3, 2004Perfect Storm
The Storm came back tonight from their Friday-night loss to the Monarchs, beating Sacramento 66-54. Since Kaufmann turned me on to the Storm last year, I've attended close to 10 or 15 games. Nothing prepared me for how well the team was playing tonight, especially in the first half. It's not just the Lauren And Sue Show - the whole team was integrated, conducting a dizzying ballet of hard-ass basketball. The Storm really want to win the finals. You can see it on their faces, and you can definitely see it in their play. The crowd, of course, loved every minute (except the bits with the refs, who clearly were trying to do for Sacramento what Sacramento could not do for itself). Tickets for Tuesday's game (you know, the one where we squash Sacramento again and win the Western Conference) went on sale right after we won; a half hour in line, and tix were secured. I'm going with Kaufmann and Brynn. (The Storm don't lose in Key Arena!) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated October 3, 2004 10:46 PM. September 2, 2004When She's GoneA good-sized group of us went out for the Storm's "Welcome Back" game last night (shout out to Allie: Kaufmann was there!). It wasn't their finest two hours, but the second-quarter rally put a lot of excitement and energy in to Key Arena. The surprise news was that Lauren Jackson wasn't playing (you could hear the air leak out of the fan enthusiasm when they mentioned it). Although we lost, the lack of our erstwhile MVP just made some of the other players - Betty and Tully, especially - look better (and come on, Sue always kicks ass). At one point, ArenaVision pointed out that the Storm are 3 and 5 for the 8 (now 9) games Jackson has missed (title: "No Silver Lining"). That kind of stuff isn't useful; it just makes the rest of the players feel a little un-loved. If you're on the court, you're there for a reason. Last night seemed to be more about rusty skills and fatigue than the absence of the 6' 5" point machine. Can't wait for the game on the 15th. UPDATE, May 13, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated September 2, 2004 9:47 AM. July 24, 2004We Won. Again.Tonight's game was pretty fantastic. Houston played really well, and even managed to erase an 11-point lead midway through the first half. Our girls came back strong and we finally beat them 67-63. One of the best things about tonight was hanging with my good friend John Kaufmann, his girlfriend Brynn, and Brynn's brother, Will. John is the one who originally got me in to the Storm, so it was great to spend an evening next to someone who is (easily) as enthusiastic as I am about the team. Brynn had never been to a game before, but she came out a fan. Awesome. ..oh, and I caught one of the free t-shirts that Doppler was throwing in to the crowd. Guess I finally have something to wear to the games, neh? =) Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 24, 2004 11:38 PM. July 22, 2004Times On Bird And Jackson: "Stars Have Aligned"
"All it takes is a slight rise of the brow from Jackson and instinctually the basketball floats from Bird's grasp to her for a turnaround jumper. Or, as in Saturday night's overtime win, it could be Jackson's monster block at the free-throw line that Bird bats forward to race downcourt for a dazzling backward shot." Lemme tell ya: as one who was there for the 'dazzling backward shot' last Saturday, it was a hell of a thing to see in person. The Storm play Indiana in Key Arena in about two hours. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 22, 2004 9:24 AM. July 18, 2004Fly Like A BirdSix of us were at Key Arena last night to watch the Storm scratch out their win over the Mystics. We just couldn't get it together for the first half of the game, but started rolling as the clock ticked down to halftime (personally, I saw the look on Lauren's face ... she was pissed). Halftime was over, and the Storm came back to erase a 14-point deficit ... and then matched the Mystics in a point-for-point run. The crowd was insane. Overtime. The Mystics were up by 5 early into overtime, but the Storm managed to close the gap to 83-83. With seven seconds left on the clock, Sue grabbed the ball and ran it all the way to the basket. This is the amazing part. She launches herself into midair, spinning, and throws the ball toward the basket. And made it. 85-83, 2 seconds on the clock. If this had been in a movie, I don't think I would have believed it. Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated July 18, 2004 10:51 AM. |
Tonight was the first Storm home game of 2007, and I'm proud to report that we rocked the house, 
The regular 2006 Storm home season wrapped up tonight, with a 
My dad was in town this weekend, which meant he got to check out two Storm games with me in Key Arena - Friday's victory over the 
My 
Last night, Elaine and I went to Key Arena to watch the Sonics/Knicks game. (And we did it on Microsoft's nickel, as part of a MLR morale event.)
" in IMAX. Instead, I woke up on the 14th to find the following e-mail from him:
The Storm trashed the Monarchs in the Key tonight, 
I know this is a belated post (traveling - whatcha gonna do?), but the Storm beat the Sparks, 78 to 70, Saturday night at Staples Center.
Wow.
Todd, Mike and I were at KeyArena last night to watch the Storm play the Lynx.
Today was the 
After a long winter, tickets for the first Storm game - May 21, 2005 - went on sale this morning through Ticketmaster at 10 AM. I've secured a four-pack for me, Mary, Kaufmann and (hopefully) Brynn.
The largest crowd I have ever seen at Key Arena came out to 
The Seattle Times