The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Indiana Fever hold the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft for the second consecutive year after again winning the draft lottery.

Following the Fever in the 2024 draft will be the Los Angeles Sparks (No. 2), Phoenix Mercury (No. 3) and Seattle Storm (No. 4).

No. 1 overall picks have a prolific history in the WNBA. Those players have won 38 championships, 13 MVPs and 124 All-Star selections, according to ESPN.

The Fever were represented at the draft lottery by 2023 top pick and WNBA rookie of the year Aliyah Boston. If Iowa star Caitlin Clark decides to go pro after her senior season, she and Boston on the same team could prove deadly for the rest of the league. 

“I think it’s just going to be another talented player that we can use to help build us to back to the franchise that the Fever was at, so I’m super excited for the upcoming draft,” Boston said to ESPN on the broadcast. 

Like many other players for the draft, Clark has some NCAA eligibility remaining, which could shake up draft predictions. Players have until March to declare for the draft — unless their team is in the NCAA tournament after the deadline, in which case players have until 48 hours after their final game to declare.

The draft is scheduled for April 15, 2024, and Just Women’s Sports has made early predictions for the lottery picks.

Sue Bird is welcoming fiancée Megan Rapinoe into retirement with open arms.

Rapinoe played in her final professional soccer game in Saturday’s 2023 NWSL Championship. The OL Reign star exited after just six minutes with a suspected Achilles injury in the 1-0 loss to Gotham FC, and her teammates and opponents alike called the turn of events “devastating” for the soccer legend.

“I just feel so gutted for her. Honestly, I never thought that would ever happen,” fellow retiree and Gotham captain Ali Krieger said. “And I feel so sad because you know football is such a risk, right? And you never know if it’s going to be your last game, your last moment.

“And to happen to such an incredible player, in that moment … It just is so sad and I feel for her and I’m gonna be there every step of the way for her recovery. … And I never wanted that to happen because I wanted to celebrate with her at the end.”

Bird, who has been in a relationship with Rapinoe since 2017, retired from professional basketball last year as one of the greatest players in WNBA history. In a post on Instagram Stories, the Seattle Storm great welcomed Rapinoe into retirement.

“Cheer to you, baby! To an unbelievable career, to all you’ve accomplished, and to all the lives you’ve impacted along the way,” she wrote. “It’s not how you wanted it to end. It’s not how any of us wanted it to end, but the truth is a legacy like yours has no ending.

“Even though you’re saying goodbye to the game, you’ll be saying hello to a whole lot more and that legacy will just continue to grow. Congratulations and welcome to retirement!! I’ve been waiting for you.”

The WNBA draft lottery will be held at 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 10, the league announced Tuesday.

The lottery, which will air on ESPN, will decide the top four picks for the 2024 WNBA draft. The 2024 draft class should be laden with talent, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. But all three of those players hold at least one more year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could complicate the picture.

Teams’ lottery odds are determined via their combined records from the 2022 and 2023 WNBA seasons. The Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm are in the running for the No. 1 overall pick.

The Fever, who won the lottery for the first time in franchise history in 2023, have the best shot at the No. 1 pick again in 2024. With this year’s top pick, Indiana selected South Carolina star Aliyah Boston, who became the unanimous pick for WNBA Rookie of the Year.

2024 WNBA draft lottery: Team odds

  • Indiana Fever — 18-58 record — 44.2% chance at No. 1 pick
  • Phoenix Mercury — 24-52 — 27.6%
  • Los Angeles Sparks — 30-46 — 17.8%
  • Seattle Storm — 33-43 — 10.4%

Jewell Loyd is the all-time single-season scoring leader for the WNBA.

Last week, Breanna Stewart held the honor, as the New York Liberty star became the first of three players this season to surpass the previous mark. But on Sunday, Loyd finished at the top of the pack, scoring 939 points in 2023 compared to Stewart’s 919. And the Seattle Storm guard did it in 38 games to Stewart’s 40.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson also broke the previous record, set by Diana Taurasi, who scored 860 points in 2006, when the league played shorter seasons. Wilson scored 912 points in 40 games in 2023.

Loyd moved past Stewart in the Storm’s second-to-last game Friday. While Stewart moved ahead of her again in the Liberty’s final game Sunday, Loyd scored 28 points in the Storm’s season finale later that day to take the record. The 29-year-old guard needed nine points to beat out Stewart — and she reached that mark in the first four minutes of the game, nailing a three-pointer with 6:33 left in the first quarter to seal her place in league history.

“That wasn’t a goal of mine at all coming into the season,” Loyd said. “Even hearing about it and talking about it, it never was a goal of mine. It kind of just happened naturally. I think it’s pretty cool. What I miss, (two) games and still was able to produce the way I was producing, so that’s pretty cool.”

It was Loyd’s first game since signing a two-year supermax contract extension with Seattle, which she said Sunday was a result of her having no desire to become an unrestricted free agent.

“I didn’t have to think about it like seriously until a week ago,” Loyd said. “It’s kind of hard to make decisions while you’re in a season just because you’re not thinking about it. It takes a lot of energy and you have to focus in on what you’re going to do with your life.

“It didn’t feel like any pressure or I felt overwhelmed. At that same time, I understand the business and I knew kind of what I wanted. It was a feeling for me. At the end of the day it was a pretty easy decision.”

As Loyd moves forward with the Storm, and Stewart does the same with the Liberty, expect more records to fall. Stewart predicted as much after she broke Taurasi’s record last week.

“More games is more points,” Stewart said. “As we have 40-game seasons, and we continue to build off that, there’s going to be a lot of records that are broken.”

Jewell Loyd is staying with the Seattle Storm.

Loyd, 29, has agreed on a two-year extension, her agent, Jade-Li English of Klutch Sports, told ESPN. The deal will pay her $241,984 in the first season, the supermax for that year, and $249,032 in the second.

The All-Star forward has scored 911 points this season, a WNBA single-season record, and she’s leading the league with an average of 24.6 points per game. Loyd has been with the Storm since the team picked her No. 1 overall in the 2015 WNBA Draft.

“It’s been special for Seattle to witness Jewell compete for championships and rise to be one of the best in the game. She is a franchise player, and we are excited to continue to build our future around her,” Storm president and CEO Alisha Valavanis said. “She is a remarkable person and leader, she lifts her teammates, the organization, and her community. Everyone around Jewell knows she embodies greatness. We’re so glad she’s staying in Seattle.”

Loyd has been a bright spot in an otherwise dark season for Seattle, which is 11-28 entering its final game of the season, Sunday against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Loyd will look to finish her historic season on a high note. After signing the extension, she posted a famous Bruce Lee quote to X.

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine,” Loyd wrote.

The Dallas Wings’ loss Sunday to the Chicago Sky featured two ejections and a fight during a chippy WNBA weekend, one which has resulted in one suspension and seven fines for players.

Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, one of the players ejected Sunday, gave voice afterward to a question that has echoed across the league this season: What is going on with the referees?

Ogunbowale received her second ejection of the season for making unnecessary contact with an official with 52 seconds left in the game. The 26-year-old guard’s shoulder knocked against the referee’s shoulder, which led to the technical foul and ejection.

“[The referee] was looking for something. I just watched it back a million times,” Ogunbowale said after the game. “I don’t know what’s going on this year with the refs but that was the worst call I’ve ever seen in my life.”

While Ogunbowale avoided a suspension, she did receive a fine for her contact with the official and for her postgame comments. Sky forward Ruthy Hebard received a one-game suspension and a fine for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation earlier in the game, and her teammate Courtney Williams received a fine for doing the same.

The WNBA also handed out punishments for an altercation during Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics. Los Angeles’ Layshia Clarendon and Washington’s Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin all received fines.

Mystics players Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud both have expressed frustration with WNBA officiating this season. In May, Delle Donne criticized the referees for treating her “like a rookie with calls.” In July, Cloud had even harsher words for the referees.

“I don’t care what pipeline refs we have coming through. I don’t care,” she said. “We have to do our job every single night. You need to do yours. This is bull—t. This is f–king bull–t.”

In June, Atlanta Dream coach Tanisha Wright questioned the officiating in one of her team’s games, particularly a flagrant-one call on New York Liberty guard Stefanie Dolson that Wright believes warranted a flagrant-two and an ejection.

“We’re expected to play at a high level every single night… The officials need to be able to rise to that same occasion. They should be held to that same standard,” Wright said. “They’re going to fine me for this, but I’m challenging them to raise their standards… Officiating needs to get better, period.”

Also in June, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd — after scoring a career-high 41 points — took time to call out officiating issues.

“Protect the players,” Loyd said. “It’s not just us. Every single team has said something about the refs. That tells you that something is going wrong in that department. You expect high-level players, we expect high-level refs. We’re not getting that every single night.”

The Seattle Storm fell to the Connecticut Sun 93-73 on Thursday, but not without another stellar effort from 2023 WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd.

Loyd led all scorers with 22 points through 29 minutes, but she was one of just two players to finish the game with double-digit scoring marks for the Storm, compared to six players for Connecticut. After the first quarter, Seattle trailed Connecticut 29-6, and at one point Loyd expressed her frustration with the Storm bench.

“Who wants to f–ing play today? Who wants to play today?” Loyd shouted at her teammates, according to reporter Mark Schindler.

When asked about the moment after the game, Loyd said she has a responsibility to motivate her team and thought they did a good job of responding toward the end of the first half. The Storm went into halftime down 33 points and clawed back in the second half before losing their fourth straight game.

“My job as a leader is to try and find ways to motivate our squad,” Loyd said. “Most people know that I’m very calm and cool, collected, but if I need to light a fire under someone’s ass, I will. And so that’s what was needed and we ended up playing well for a stretch going into the half.”

For their part, the Sun (13-5) were seemingly unstoppable on offense. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas each had 16 points, and the team as a whole shot 54 percent from the field. Veteran guard Rebecca Allen was also all over the court, recording 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

“Obviously this loss is tough,” Storm center Ezi Magbegor said. “But we have more games on this road trip. I don’t think we can put it away completely because there’s things that we need to get better at.”

Loyd and Magbegor have been bright spots for the Storm during a rebuilding season. After losing Sue Bird to retirement and Breanna Stewart to the New York Liberty in free agency, Seattle (4-13) is in second-to-last place in the WNBA standings nearing the halfway point of the season.

Gabby Williams is not a fan of the WNBA’s new prioritization rule.

Under the new rule, players must complete offseason play before the opening day of the WNBA season. Williams played with French club ASVEL through May, and while some international leagues adjusted their timelines to fit the WNBA’s rule, the French league did not.

Williams managed to sidestep the prioritization restrictions by breaking her contract with ASVEL a few days early, just before the start of the WNBA regular season on May 19. That technicality allowed her to rejoin the Seattle Storm earlier this week, signing a deal for the rest of 2023. She had sustained a concussion during the French league playoffs, which kept her off the court for the start of the WNBA season and contributed to the early end to her ASVEL contract.

“I still think the prioritization thing is ridiculous. I’m sorry, I’ll say it. Like literally, I’m only here because I got concussed,” Williams told reporters Wednesday. “Something has to give. France needs to have shorter seasons, or the WNBA needs to (allow players) to make money and do both. And no, this doesn’t give me any hope that I can do both.”

The recovery from her concussion was a process, Williams noted. While she initially tried to play through symptoms, a specialist forced her to shut down for three weeks. Eventually, she eased back into basketball activities. From there, she began to think about the WNBA.

“As I started to feel better, the competitiveness to come back started to come back,” Williams said. “Because at first I was like, ‘I don’t want to even think about basketball for a while.’ Once I started getting back into shape and everything and feeling good, I was just like, ‘All right, I miss my girls. I miss my team, I miss Seattle,’ so that kind of was the motivation to get back.”

And while Williams missed out on winning the French league championship with ASVEL and a third-place EuroBasket finish with France, Williams knows that “everything happens for a reason” and is looking at the concussion as a silver lining, she said.

She also views her Storm return as an opportunity to help the team win more games.

“I feel like this team has all pieces,” she said. “I just feel so happy to be back. Of course I was really, really disappointed missing the (French league) final, but seeing that the girls were able to do it and finish it is obviously a relief. I’m just happy we won. … Mentally it was really, really, really hard knowing that I was going to be missing Euros, but just being back and back in this environment. … I just couldn’t be happier.”

Gabby Williams is back with the Seattle Storm, after the team announced Monday that she had agreed to a deal for the 2023 WNBA season.

To make room on the roster for the veteran forward, Seattle waived Arella Guirantes last week.

“We are excited to have Gabby back with us,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said in a release. “Her veteran leadership and work ethic adds so much value as we continue our development this season. Gabby’s offensive versatility and ability to play and guard multiple positions will make an immediate impact, adding another level of scoring and boost to our defense.”

A 2018 WNBA draft lottery pick, Williams has spent significant time playing overseas, setting her on a crash course with the WNBA’s prioritization rule that went into effect this season. While other leagues have adjusted their seasons to accommodate the clause that requires players to report to their WNBA teams before the start of the regular season, the French league did not.

Williams’ contract, however, was suspended by her club, ASVEL, before the league’s May 19 deadline, allowing her to maintain her eligibility to play in the WNBA this summer.

As a WNBA free agent this past offseason, Williams had to “fully complete” offseason play before the WNBA season began, but did not need to report to a team. If she had been under contract, she would have needed to report her team by the start of hte regular season.

Prior to that, Williams’ WNBA status remained up in the air. Her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, had said that the WNBA season was “an option for Gabby, but not a certainty.” Williams had suffered a concussion during the French league semifinals and did not compete for France during June’s EuroBasket to recover from the injury, according to French publication L’Equipe.

It wouldn’t have been the first time Williams missed a WNBA season due to overseas commitments. In 2021, the Chicago Sky placed her on the full-season suspension list while she fulfilled her French national team duties.

“I would love to return to the WNBA,” she told reporters following the 2022 season. “But what’s best for my career, what the WNBA decided to do with players like me, it’s complicated.”

On Monday, Williams expressed her excitement to be back with the Storm.

“It feels so good to be back in Seattle!” she said. “I’m really excited to be able to join the team again and I can’t wait to get started. I’m just so ready to get back to work with the girls and the staff and look forward to finishing the season strong.”