An inside look at Seattle Storm's new training facility in Seattle, WA

The outside of the new training facility for Seattle Storm features a boxy-shaped concrete building with dark green accents sporting the team's colors. Freshly planted landscaping surrounds the building and newly planted evergreens line the way to the entrance. — The Center for Basketball Performance comes just in time for start of Seattle Storm’s training camp on April 28.

The Seattle Storm’s swishes have come true — their brand new, state-of-the-art training facility is finally complete, and we got to take a tour.

The $64 million build is the first dedicated WNBA practice facility designed and built from the ground up, marking a milestone investment in women’s professional sports.

Let’s talk about what we saw there.

The interior of the Seattle Storm's training facility features a lounge space with tufted booth seating and tables, plus a large sectional couch with two large flatscreens and an entertainment center. Infinity mirrors are hung up above the booth seating for decoration. — The new facility spans 50,000 sqft and will become the team’s dedicated practice facility and headquarters.

The sweet digs

All of the building’s features are player-focused and designed to naturally build camaraderie between the teammates, including:

Open community space in the eating area and lounge
A wide open locker room with storage space designed by the players
A pool area with a hot + cold plunge, sauna, steam room, and lap pool
Two basketball courts that mimic the temperature, lighting, and flooring of Climate Pledge Arena (they even did ball bounce tests)
Cameras installed around the courts that help track player performance + progress
Prominently displayed motivational artwork and trophies celebrating the team’s championship wins

This big step toward funding and supporting the team comes after a monumental year for women’s professional sports, too.

A wall features several backlit, boxed-in displays with shoes in bright colors, some with messages like "Black Lives Matter" or "Girls just wanna have equal rights" painted on. — The “shoe wall” is one of co-owner Lisa Brummel’s favorite features, showcasing the players’ unique styles and stories.

Viewership on the come-up

Such an avant-garde facility feels appropriate, considering Seattle’s status as a hub for women’s sports, where viewership continues to expand throughout western Washington.

From the recent women’s NCAA championship doubling in viewership to a staggering 18.9 million views (surpassing viewership of the men’s), it brings us to wonder: are we approaching a golden age of women’s basketball?

“The Storm are a beacon of light and hope for the community, being here in Seattle for this long and successful with multiple championships,” says Quinn. “To see the history of winning championships and to know that women built this [facility] gives [the youth] some hope and confidence that women can do anything they want.”

The new center represents not just a place to play basketball, but the progress forged by our city’s athletes and the commitment to seeing that grow.