Sports

The Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Hornets and Phoenix Coyotes have all been mentioned as possible migrants to Seattle that could bring to life a plan to build a new NBA/NHL arena downtown. More >

Four years after losing its NBA franchise, Seattle is working on getting a team back. However, Seattle’s gain may be Sacramento’s loss. The city of Seattle has been talking to hedge fund manager and Seattle native Christopher Hansen about his desire to buy an NBA team and build a new arena near Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners, according to documents obtained by the Seattle Times. More >

Sue Bird and Tanisha Wright have re-signed multi-year contracts with the team, Seattle Storm Head Coach and General Manager Brian Agler announced today. The prolific guards have both spent the duration of their WNBA careers with the Storm and together helped lead the team to its second WNBA championship in 2010.

The Storm selected Bird with the No. 1 pick of the 2002 WNBA Draft and Wright with the 12th overall pick in the 2005 Draft. The longest tenured starting backcourt in the WNBA, Bird and Wright have started 117 games together, the most of any Storm guards. (Bird and Betty Lennox started together 116 times.) They rank first (Bird, 1,780) and second (Wright, 627) on the Storm’s all-time assist leaderboard.

The Seattle Storm have added depth to their front-court by signing former No. 1 overall pick Ann Wauters.

Seattle announced the signing of the veteran center on Monday after head coach Brian Agler returned from Spain, where he met with Wauters, who is currently playing in the EuroLeague.

For three years, Kasey Keller was the face — and quite often the very loud voice — of Sounders FC soccer. So when Seattle opened preseason training last weekend, it was admittedly a bit odd to be doing so without Keller, who retired following the 2011 season.

“Yeah (it was a little weird), but I try not to focus on that,” Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. “I try to just focus on what’s going on on the field at the moment, but certainly he’s been a constant for us in the history of this franchise, so not having him out there leaves you with a little bit of a strange feeling.”

The Huskies’ main defensive focus Tuesday against Seattle University will be on Aaron Broussard. The 6-5 F averages 17.2 points, scored 29 against Virginia and can score inside and outside. “Virginia couldn’t stop him,” coach Lorenzo Romar said. “He’s strong, they post him up and he can shoot. He’s become a heck of a player.”

Hisashi Iwakuma, one of the premier pitchers in Japan over the past decade, signed a one-year deal with the Mariners on Thursday and will compete for a spot in the club’s starting rotation when Spring Training opens next month. More >

Seattle Sounders FC signed Swedish international defender Adam Johansson to a multi-year contract Thursday.

Johansson, 28, has spent the last seven years with Goteborg in Sweden. He made 129 appearances, and scored twice.

Mauro Rosales has signed a multi-year extension with Seattle Sounders FC, per a club release. The 2011 MLS Newcomer of the Year set a Sounders record with 13 assists, third best in the league, and scored five goals. More >

Michael Vick, the high-priced NFL playmaker who is nursing two broken ribs, will not play for the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday when they visit the Seattle Seahawks.

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