Originally published January 7, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified January 8, 2008 at 12:48 AM

Storm sold to local owners

The Storm has been sold to local private owners, and the team will stay in Seattle, according to sources. WNBA president Donna Orender and Karen Bryant, the Storm's chief operating officer, are scheduled to hold an 11 a.m. news conference Tuesday to announce the sale.

By Jayda Evans

Seattle Times staff reporter

Bryant is not believed to be one of the new owners. Bryant did not return telephone calls tonight.

Clay Bennett and a group of Oklahoma buyers purchased the franchises in July 2006 for a combined $350 million. But Bennett, the Sonics and Storm chairman, filed to relocate the Sonics last fall after failing to secure funding for a new facility. Bennett wants to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City, but his lease with KeyArena runs through the 2010 season.

At a September news conference, Bennett said he would explore other options for the WNBA team. Bennett said then the strong fan base in Seattle, formed after the team's inception in 2000, could not be replicated quickly in Oklahoma City.

Bennett had said many times he would not separate the franchises and sell the Storm, but potential local, private ownership groups continued to approach him in order to buy the team and keep it in Seattle.

The Storm's WNBA championship in 2004 was Seattle's first major title since the Sonics won the NBA championship in 1979.

The Storm would join Los Angeles, Connecticut, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington as independently owned teams in the 14-team league. The Los Angeles, Houston and Washington teams each still play at the NBA arenas in their cities.

The Storm still is searching for a coach and director of player personnel, after Anne Donovan resigned from those positions on Nov. 30.

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