Rumors

The Seattle Storm, in partnership with Climate Pledge Arena, announced today that a statue honoring WNBA legend and Hall of Famer Sue Bird will be unveiled on Sunday, August 17, at 10:00 a.m. The Storm is the first franchise in WNBA history to dedicate a statue to a former player.

WNBA.com

Seattle Storm: Local legend @nate_robinson in the house 👋

Twitter

More Than a Vote, a nonprofit organization founded by LeBron James in 2020, is rebooting this fall with a new focus on women’s issues and reproductive rights. Nneka Ogwumike, a nine-time W.N.B.A. All-Star with the Seattle Storm and president of the players union, will take over James’s role in leading the organization, and has recruited a group of female athletes to her cause.

New York Times

Sportico spoke to more than 30 people inside and around the WNBA over the past six weeks to gauge the value of the 12 existing franchises. In most cases, we traded candor for anonymity with bankers, investors, owners and team executives, so people could share freely on why every franchise is worth “at least $100 million” to “I would never invest in one of these teams.” The average team is worth an estimated $96 million, led by the Aces, Seattle Storm ($135 million) and New York Liberty ($130 million). The Atlanta Dream, who play in a 3,500-seat arena, represent the current floor at $55 million. The teams are collectively worth $1.16 billion, including real estate and assets related to the franchises, such as practice facilities.

Sportico

Force 10 Hoops, owners of the Seattle Storm, is pleased to announce that WNBA legend Sue Bird, has joined the ownership group. Sue’s illustrious playing career spanned over 20 seasons with the Storm and included four WNBA championships, 13 All-Star Game appearances, eight All-WNBA teams, and five Olympic gold medals. “We are thrilled to welcome Sue into the ownership group after a storied career on the court,” said Seattle Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel. “Her knowledge of the game and the league, her ever-expanding business acumen, and her dedication to the Storm organization, make her a superb addition to the ownership group.”

WNBA.com

Michael Grange: WNBA announces they will having another pre-season game in Canada, this time in Edmonton, on May 5th, featuring the LA Sparks and Kia Nurse vs. the Seattle Storm. Tickets on sale on March 20th via Ticketmaster.ca Quote from WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert: pic.twitter.com/5aoXexNSdN

Twitter

Kevin Durant is recruiting Breanna Stewart to Brooklyn. The Nets star believes it would be “an incredible dynasty” if Stewart — the 28-year-old former MVP and two-time WNBA champion — were to join the Liberty. Both teams play at Barclays Center under the ownership of businessman Joe Tsai and his wife, Clara Wu Tsai. “Stewie come here, it’s going to be ridiculous,” Durant said on the Monday episode of his “The ETCs” podcast — which came the day after Stewart reportedly narrowed down her options to the Seattle Storm or the Liberty. Stewart has been with the Storm since they selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft. “I hit Stewie [Breanna Stewart] the other day, and I never do this, and was like, ‘Yo, it would be an incredible dynasty in New York City if you came here.’ “I don’t think she’s seen it yet,” Durant said, adding that the Liberty are “cooking up” after acquiring former MVP Jonquel Jones in a three-team trade this month.

New York Post

Joakim Noah, like his father, is now a winner on the clay at Roland Garros. The former Chicago Bulls center teamed with Gabby Williams of the WNBA's Seattle Storm to beat former Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton and Spanish tennis player David Ferrer in a basketball game on the famed clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday night.

ESPN

Fox is hoping to lead the resurgent Kings back to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years and become a first-time NBA All-Star this season. Fox’s wife was also an outstanding basketball player in her own right. Formerly Recee Caldwell, she was a former McDonald’s All-American like her husband; played college basketball for UCLA, Texas Tech, and Cal-Berkeley before going to training camp with the WNBA Seattle Storm; and was a player development intern for the Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors. The Foxes have another basketball player on the way, as they are expecting their first child together in February.

Andscape

The WNBA playoffs have practically been an infomercial for Becky Hammon’s brilliance as a head coach. She has the Aces two wins away from their first WNBA championship going into Tuesday night’s game against the Connecticut Sun. Her in-game decisions have been flawless – if you want to know how to run plays out of a timeout, go back and watch the end of Game 3 of the semifinals against the Seattle Storm – and no less than LeBron James has taken notice. Impressive as Hammon has been, however, it raises a question: What the hell were the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic doing in passing her by? And what’s the excuse for all the other sad-sack NBA teams that didn’t even bring her in for an interview? “I have not,” Aces owner Mark Davis told USA TODAY Sports when asked whether he’s heard from any jealous NBA owners. “But I’m sure they’re sitting there thinking, 'Hmm, why didn’t I think of that?’ ”

USA Today Sports

Luminaries in the crowd included Hall of Fame player and coach Lenny Wilkens, LA Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer, several former Seattle Seahawks (Cliff Avril, Marcus Trufant and K.J. Wright) and members of both the Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics -- who practiced elsewhere in the building earlier Saturday ahead of Game 2 of their WNBA playoff series on Sunday.

ESPN

The Las Vegas Aces are off to a stellar 6-3 start to their season and Thursday night’s 94-82 victory over the New York Liberty took head coach Bill Laimbeer to second place in career wins (288), passing former Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm head coach Brian Agler. Laimbeer was a four-time All Star and two-time champion during his days in the NBA. Since retiring in 1993, he’s seen similar success in the realm of coaching, leading the WNBA’s Detroit Shock to three championships during his 2002-2009 reign.

SLAM

Instead they were Nike’s line of Kobe Bryant’s signature sneakers, which were worn by 103 players last season — about 20 percent of the league’s players — according to the sneaker website Baller Shoes DB. Many W.N.B.A. players, like the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd, also wear Bryant’s signature sneakers. But soon those players will need to find new shoes, at least if they want to play in brand-new pairs. Nike confirmed Monday that its contract with the estate of Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash last year, expired last week. “Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection to consumers,” a Nike spokesman, Josh Benedek, said in a statement. “He pushed us and made everyone around him better. Though our contractual relationship has ended, he remains a deeply loved member of the Nike family.”

New York Times

The NHL's expansion into Seattle will be official next season when the Kraken begin play. The Kraken will play in Climate Pledge Arena, a $1 billion edifice that will open by fall and will also house the WNBA's Seattle Storm. Durkan said the arena is "NBA-ready." (Kraken majority owner David Bonderman is a minority owner of the Boston Celtics.) "If there's basketball karma, we'll get the Sonics," Durkan said. "If there's economics involved, we'll get the Sonics. If there's just smart, what's the best city in America, we'll get the Sonics. So, I'm pretty optimistic."

USA Today Sports