Seattle back in finals after nearly losing team

SEATTLE (AP) - Those sleepless nights when all was still unknown remain vivid for Storm CEO Karen Bryant.

At the time three years ago, the Seattle Storm were still attached at the hip to the NBA SuperSonics and both franchises were potentially headed out of town with ownership based in the Midwest trying to relocate the franchise to Oklahoma City.

Would all the effort Bryant put forth, first with the Seattle Reign of the ABL and then since the beginning of the Storm, really come to an end with the franchise following its NBA brethren?

Bryant's fears were put to rest in January 2008 when a group of four Seattle-area businesswomen purchased the franchise from Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett to keep the team in Seattle.