Forecast for KeyArena: a perfect Storm

On an elevated stage, they posed before 12,079 standing fans, a team of MVPs, all-stars and legends, drenched in applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you see before your very eyes, this is the PERFECT Storm!" the public-address announcer exclaimed.

And the perfect rescue mission.

And the perfect reinvention.

And now, the perfect season for a franchise handcuffed by uncertainty only four months ago.

The team has been saved. The zany idea of creating an iconic roster has come to fruition. The hope has been restored.

That was really Sheryl Swoopes channeling her mid-20s with a turnaround jumper at the start of the game.

That was really Sue Bird dishing highlight-reel passes to Yolanda Griffith for layups.

That was really Swin Cash behind the white headband, darting into the right places whenever the Storm needed a big play.

That was really Lauren Jackson, relaxing, picking her spots, because she knew the offensive burden was not all hers anymore.

As new beginnings go, this one couldn't have been more intriguing or spirited. After a shaky first half, the Storm finished with vigor in a 67-61 season-opening victory at KeyArena on Saturday night.

Yes, with Swoopes and Griffith in their late 30s, this is a short-term project with great pressure to win a championship now. But this is fun, unabashed fun.

"Bringing everybody together, it's fantastic," Jackson said. "It's equal opportunity for everyone on this team. It definitely feels great to be playing with so many great players. And the four owners, they're very inspiring."

The four owners, or Force 10 Hoops, sat courtside with chief executive officer Karen Bryant and WNBA president Donna Orender. On occasion, Bryant and the four owners stood together to cheer. How about that? Just a bunch of fans enjoying basketball. They are serious businesswomen unafraid to show personality.

Everything has changed. A year ago, the season ended with Jackson expressing her strong dislike of a possible move to Oklahoma City. Then, last November, coach Anne Donovan resigned. The franchise seemed lost.

But a month later, Force 10 Hoops persuaded Sonics owner Clay Bennett to sell the Storm, keeping the WNBA team in Seattle. Since then, the franchise has been providing thrill after thrill.

"I think it's definitely a positive step," Jackson said of the ownership change. "In the past, you were not sure. You didn't know if the owners cared or not. They weren't around."

Now, professional women's basketball in Seattle has never been healthier.

In a touching moment after the final buzzer, the players ushered the four owners to midcourt, and everyone huddled up, hands extended and touching.

A previously cracking franchise is united once more.

Supposedly, the past week was a downer for women's sports because two of the world's finest female athletes, golfer Annika Sorenstam and tennis player Justine Henin, gave retirement announcements. Sorenstam will leave golf at the end of the year. Henin shocked the sports world by quitting immediately.

In women's athletics, when superstars leave in their primes, it always feels like it stunts the sport. It shouldn't be considered a disappointment because it's a personal decision that includes more factors than a male athlete must consider, Jackson said. She said a primary concern is having and raising children.

But thank goodness for the Perfect Storm. It couldn't have been created without the admirable commitment these athletes have to promote the women's game. Swoopes didn't really need to return to basketball after her back injury. Griffith didn't need to play another season.

And with all the demands of a star women's player — playing in multiple leagues to make enough money, never turning down an opportunity to represent your country — it's amazing that Bird or Cash or Jackson haven't approached burnout.

"I'd be lying if I told you the schedules we keep aren't grueling," Bird said. "But this is fun. Of course, I wouldn't mind being on the beach, relaxing, but I'm still enjoying basketball. There's more I want to accomplish."

For a league only 12 years old, the mission to sustain the WNBA never ends.

"Definitely," Jackson said. "I think that's especially true for American stars. For Sheryl and Yo and Lisa Leslie, this is their league. Without them, the league would've never been started. For me, I don't feel as much responsibility, but I do feel a responsibility to our fans."

Born of that responsibility is this wonderful team. The Perfect Storm. The perfect turnaround.