The Storm invited Season Ticket Holders to Alaska Airlines Arena on the University of Washington campus Wednesday night for the annual Winter Warm-Up event, a chance for fans to hear from Head Coach Brian Agler and President and CEO Karen Bryant on planning for the upcoming 2012 season and more. After the event, Season Ticket Holders watched the Husky women knock off Seattle U 72-53 in a matchup of crosstown rivals, both of whom feature a former Storm player as an assistant coach (Adia Barnes for UW and Kristen O’Neill for SU).

Check out photos from Winter Warm Up and find out more about how you can take part in future exclusive events by becoming a Storm Season Ticket Holder!

New UW Head Coach Kevin McGuff stopped by the event to talk about his first season with the Huskies.

Season Ticket Holders filled the UW Founder's Club.

Autographed Storm items were raffled off, with all proceeds benefiting the Storm Tickets 4 Kids program.

Bryant and Agler were joined onstage by Lisa Brummel and Dawn Trudeau from Force 10 Hoops LLC, the Storm's ownership group.

Season Ticket Holders had an opportunity to ask questions about basketball and business.

Agler draws a winning ticket for the raffle.

While there may be no games until next spring, the members of Force 10 Hoops and other Storm employees are staying busy representing the team in the local community. From time to time, they will share their stories in There is No Offseason. Today, Ginny Gilder explains how Storm “I am Home Court Advantage” T-shirts made it all the way to the other coast.

Because there’s no Storm basketball in mid-October, I have to find other ways to amuse myself.  Here’s a picture of me and my oldest son, Gilder Keeler, racing in the parent/child double event at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, all the way on the other end of I-90 in Massachusetts.  The race follows a swirling three-mile course that twists and turns under six bridges.  Crews chase each other up the river, starting sequentially about ten seconds apart.  Many times boats pass each other, and when that happens, it’s always a challenge to row the shortest course and command the inside of any turn.  Occasionally boats crash into each other or bridge abutments.

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I love racing in this regatta.  I started rowing over 35 years ago, as a freshman in college.  After I graduated, I spent five years training on the Charles River in a single, ten to twelve workouts per week, every month of the year.  During that time, I represented the U.S. on two national teams and the 1984 Olympic team.  Suffice it to say that Boston holds a special place in my heart.

This particular regatta is even more special to me.  I first saw rowing as a high school junior when a friend invited me to come watch him race at the Head of the Charles.  It was love at first sight (don’t ask me why … it is SO different from basketball!).  Plus, I won the women’s single event three years in a row there.  Can you believe it? I still hold the course record in that event, which I set in the deep dark ages – 1982.  Finally, now I get to race with my son. This is the third year in a row we’ve raced together.  Nothing quite like having a strapping 21 year old guy pull me down the course.

Note the matching uniforms, chosen by Gilder, who’s traditionally in charge of our attire, with no prodding from me.  We truly had home court advantage, even though we were three thousand miles away from the Key, outside in the weather, and on the water instead of the hard court.  I know the Charles River inside and out, given all my experience rowing on it in all sorts of conditions.  Our uniforms simply told the truth along with broadcasting that we BRING our home team spirit wherever we go … no wonder we were the fastest male/female duo.