Seattle Storm

Seattle Storm fans will gather at Seattle Center this Sunday to honor the team. They won their third WNBA title this week, defeating the Washington Mystics in a three-game sweep.

KNKX sports commentator Art Thiel tells host Kirsten Kendrick that the Storm was the team to beat all season. And they had a not-so-secret weapon.

The Seattle Storm will play the Phoenix Mercury in the semi-final round of the WNBA playoffs. The first game is Sunday at 2 p.m. at KeyArena.

KNKX sports commentator Art Thiel talked to Morning Edition Host Kirsten Kendrick about how the Storm has stood out this season.

The Seattle Storm is on fire this season with the best record in the WNBA. And three Storm players were named league All-Stars this week: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. For Sue Bird, it’s a season of records as we hear from KNKX sports commentator Art Thiel and Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick.

Seattle hosts the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time Saturday afternoon at KeyArena. One of the big draws for local fans will be to honor Storm veteran Sue Bird.

KNKX sports commentator Art Thiel talked with 88'5’s Kirsten Kendrick about Bird – and her team – being in the national spotlight this week.

The WNBA playoffs open Wednesday night with a pair of games showcasing the league's revamped playoff format. First up will be the single-elimination games as fifth-seeded Indiana hosts No. 8 Phoenix and seventh-seed Seattle is at No. 6 Atlanta. Sports Commentator Art Thiel says the new "one-and-done" format could actually be a boon for the Seattle Storm.

The WNBA is on a break while the gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team defends its Olympic title in Rio. Two Seattle Storm players are on the roster: rookie Breanna Stewart and veteran Sue Bird.

Sports commentator Art Thiel talked with KPLU's Kirsten Kendrick about Team USA and the Storm’s season so far.

A revised agreement for a new Seattle sports arena that was unveiled this week got people talking again about the future of KeyArena. As part of the amended deal with lead investor Chris Hansen, the city negotiated $7 million for upgrades to KeyArena and a study about its future.

That future may not include the Seattle Storm, according to KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel.

The success of the Seattle Storm has led to some pretty high-profile women's basketball events being held in the city. One of them is Saturday night at KeyArena.

The U.S. Women's National team will play the Chinese Women's National team in an exhibition game at 7:30 p.m. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says this is a big deal for fans of women's basketball and for the city.

There were some bright spots in the local sports scene in 2011. But not many. Find out what KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel named as the high points and low points of the year.

They may have won it all in 2010, but this year the Seattle Storm reverted back to their old habit of exiting the playoffs in the first round. They've done it six out of the last seven years.

KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says injuries and exhaustion were big factors.

"Your star player will be out for the rest of the season, and maybe the playoffs. Now ... SMILE!"

That was pretty much the scenario for members of the Seattle Storm this week when the 2010 WNBA champions were honored by President Obama at the White House.

As they were taking photos in the White House Rose Garden, most of the team learned that three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson – "the heart and soul of the Storm," according to KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel – was to have hip surgery. She's expected to be out up to three months.