Seattle is a basketball city that bleeds green and gold. The Emerald City proved this during the years of the Seattle Supersonics and it has continued into the success of the Seattle Storm.
Even though the celebrations have been a bit more muted due to Mr. Covid, a championship is still a championship. And the added circumstances of playing in Floridaβs IMG wubble for three months has to be a testament to camaraderie, talent and being mentally strong.
Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Mercedes Russell were at the top of the Space Needle a few days after the Storm won the 2020 title to raise a green Storm flag atop the Emerald Cityβs signature landmark.
Seattle, π¬π’π¨π₯ ππππ π£π¦ ππ₯π ππ’π π! βοΈ π π#StrongerThanEver #WeRepSe4ttle pic.twitter.com/JWAC29SLWJ
β WNBA Champs (@seattlestorm) October 9, 2020
Leaving our mark on history. βοΈπ#StrongerThanEver#WeRepSe4ttle pic.twitter.com/r44B1Y7pFd
β WNBA Champs (@seattlestorm) October 9, 2020
βπ Back home where it belongs! πβ#StrongerThanEver #WeRepSe4ttle pic.twitter.com/x6L2BcTija
β WNBA Champs (@seattlestorm) October 9, 2020
Look, Stewie. Everything the light touches is our kingdom. ππ#StrongerThanEver #WeRepSe4ttle pic.twitter.com/X9dxTZlnW4
β WNBA Champs (@seattlestorm) October 9, 2020
Along with the flag raising, there was also a virtual rally held beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT that featured not only Storm players such as Bird and Stewie, but local luminaries from the city and the state β including King County executive Dow Constantine and Washington state governor Jay Inslee. Storm general manager Alisha Valavanis also joined.
πLIVE: Virtual Championship Rally
The @seattlestorm celebrates its fourth WNBA title with a virtual rally at 4 p.m.
Watch it live hereβ‘οΈ https://t.co/Wa9ufOr7Zc pic.twitter.com/WWGZHCQjet
β Q13 FOX Seattle (@Q13FOX) October 9, 2020
.@S10Bird thanks @SeattleStorm fans for support thru the team’s ups & downs: “They went through it with us…they’ve been there when I’ve had injuries, they see me on the sideline, they see me come back…they also see us fail…we’ve all kind of gone through this together” #wnba pic.twitter.com/EN73wT8yn3
β Hoopfeed.com π (@hoopfeed) October 9, 2020
State of Washington governor @GovInslee salutes @SeattleStorm during virtual rally on “behalf of seven million Washingtonians.” Adds, “this is a group of people who have done as much for racial and social justice as you have for the game of basketball.” #wnba pic.twitter.com/c4QCQfIsR9
β Hoopfeed.com π (@hoopfeed) October 9, 2020
KCPQ-TV Q13 Fox in Seattle also carried the virtual rally online on its website.
The rally not only celebrated the Storm for its accomplishments on the court, but for an element to the team (and the league) that has been a consistent theme β the teamβs status as change agents in the fight for equality and social justice.
Sami Whitcomb even appeared all the way from Sydney, Australia β as did coach Dan Hughes. The rally closed with a call from Storm players for the country to vote in this yearβs election and with an ode to the championship-winning Storm teams of 2004, 2010 and 2018.
