Goodbye, P-I

This morning, for the first time, there is no printed edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The P-I ran its last edition yesterday, ending a run that dated back to 1863 and moving to a new role online-only at seattlepi.com. In a 10th Anniversary season where the Storm's history is a focal point, it seemed appropriate to look back at some highlights of the P-I's coverage. Here are a handful of my favorite stories and columns on the Storm from the many writers who have written about the team for the P-I.

Bryant's the woman at the center of the Storm - Greg Johns, May 16, 2008
"She's experienced the high of the Storm's 2004 WNBA championship and the devastating low of the day the Reign folded in 1998. She's worked out of a little basement office and now a Seattle high-rise. She's been there with every player from Kate Starbird to Sue Bird."

It was over in 5 letters: L-O-S-E-R - Jim Moore, June 20, 2007
"A gracious winner, Bird didn't rub it in. She joked that she had been nervous all morning. As the result of yet another losing bet, I will donate $200 to one of Bird's favorite charities -- the Sonics and Storm Foundation."

Bad rep became bad rap on Storm's Betty Lennox - Ted Miller, July 21, 2004
"A Storm player called Lennox a sore loser. Said she was hard to approach. Outspoken. Intimidating.

"That assessment was supplied by Lennox herself."

Storm coach: A woman of stature - Ted Miller, September 24, 2004
"She was good. She was respected. She belonged.She was clutching the MVP trophy for her fifth-grade Catholic Youth Organization basketball team.That was the seminal moment for a serendipitous union: basketball and Donovan."

Burger with fan brightens Bird's day - Mark Bergin, August 23, 2003
"After a coincidental meeting with her idol in the hallway of a Pittsburgh hotel, Veilleux felt compelled to invite her new friend to lunch. While visiting family in Seattle last summer, she did just that, hollering to Bird from the crowd after a Storm game at KeyArena."

In a life of great expectations, Jackson has found her comfort zone - Molly Yanity, July 10, 2003
"Here's the thing with Lauren Jackson: Behind those sparkling blue eyes and radiant smile is a complicated woman.You can't pigeonhole her because Jackson, the Australian center who makes her third WNBA All-Star Game appearance Saturday in New York, is a 77-inch tower of contradictions."

WNBA's continued existence is something to cheer - David Locke, April 23, 2003
"The young girl who enters KeyArena on a summer evening to watch women play professional sports leaves the arena with an expanded view of the world. She has seen women in the spotlight. She has seen women with insane competitiveness, and she has seen strength. Most importantly, it was those qualities that were applauded with gusto."

Of course, my favorite Storm coverage came the day after the team won the 2004 championship, with stories by Miller and Bergin and a column by Robert Jamieson. I leave you with the cover of the P-I from Oct. 13, 2004: