Elements of Change: The Storm Finally Settles in Everett
It’s often said that birds of a feather flock together. When one of those birds get injured, the flock bands together and becomes stronger than ever—and that’s exactly what happened to the Seattle Storm when it lost not only a Bird, but an MVP, a head coach and its home court.
“This team is very competitive and very resilient,” said Storm interim head coach Gary Kloppenburg. “They have a chip on their shoulder. They don’t like to lose.”
Following a season in which the Storm pulled off the trifecta of having the WNBA’s best record, the league’s most valuable player in Breanna Stewart and winning the championship, the team started its 2019 campaign with the polar opposite trifecta of losing Stewart and 11-time all-star Sue Bird to injuries and head coach Dan Hughes to a cancer diagnosis.
A Storm player goes up for a shot in their victory over the Minnesota Lynx at Angel of the Winds Arena // Courtesy Michael Lavoie
Not to mention the team having to start its season in Everett’s Angel of the Winds Arena while the Key Arena undergoes renovation.
Despite a veritable cascade of challenges, the Storm is taking everything in stride and adjusting to the new normal—even if it’s temporary.
“We are still trying to learn (about) each other,” said veteran Storm forward Alysha Clark. “We have new players and new roles. New responsibilities. It’s going to take time for us to gel and settle down as the season goes along.”
As Kloppenburg and the Storm painstakingly piece together gameday strategies, matchup-by-matchup, game-by game, new leaders and playmakers emerge on a nightly basis. The latest player to step up was last year’s first-round pick and Bird’s replacement, Jordin Canada, who scored a career-high 17 points as the Storm took down the WNBA’s last remaining undefeated team, the Minnesota Lynx.
“Everyone knows their role,” said Storm all-star guard, Jewell Loyd. “We don’t have any ego problems here. That’s something that’s very rare in this business.”
A Storm player takes free throw in their win against the Lynx // Courtesy Michael Lavoie
While Bird, Stewart and coach Hughes recover from their respective ailments, coach Kloppenburg and players such as Loyd, Clark and Canada continue to define and redefine their roles on a team that is still learning how to harness its full potential despite having a depleted roster. Relying on each other and the support of fans will help the Storm maintain its title-contender mentality that has led the team to three WNBA championships.
“It’s different, but we still have our fans here supporting us,” said Clark. “we’ve adjusted.”
Catch the Storm’s last home game at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett on Friday June 21st against the Los Angeles Sparks at 7:30 PM. The Storm will return to Angel of the Winds Arena for two-game homestand in August. See the team’s home schedule here.
Nick has a professional background rich in digital marketing and media. His work has appeared in The Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The New York Post, and on MSN.com, among others. He has a graduate degree in journalism from Syracuse University, as well as creative writing and philosophy degrees from Seattle University. He grew up in Woodinville and spends his free time playing and coaching baseball, running half marathons, and seeing as much live music as possible.
