Karen Bryant
From Hoopedia
Karen Bryant joined the Sonics & Storm on June 18, 1999, just 11 days after Seattle was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise, and is now in her eighth year with the organization. After spending her first four WNBA seasons as vice president of business operations and the last three as the Storm’s chief operating officer, Bryant added senior vice president of communications and community development to her title in 2006. In addition to her Storm responsibilities, Bryant now oversees the organization’s community relations and public relations departments.
An original architect of the Storm franchise, Bryant’s work has been instrumental in the team’s growth. Bryant spearheaded the franchise’s original drive towards the 5,500 ticket deposits necessary for securing a team, ultimately collecting more than 7,200 deposits for the Storm’s inaugural season in 2000. In 2005, the Storm surpassed the 150,000-mark in attendance for the first time and the franchise’s season-ticket retention rates and revenue growth continue to be among the best in the league. Bryant’s work contributed to the Storm’s 2004 WNBA Championship, the first major professional sports title in Seattle in 25 years.
Bryant joined the Sonics & Storm organization after two years with the American Basketball League’s Seattle Reign where she served as the team’s director of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant general manager. In February of 1998, she became the Reign’s general manager.
Bryant is an accomplished public speaker on the subjects of leadership, high performing teams and the evolution of women’s sports. Active in the community, Bryant serves as the president of the Sonics & Storm Foundation and is on the boards of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and the Seattle Sports Commission. Bryant was recently named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2005 Women of Influence.
Prior to joining the professional sports world, Bryant worked for NBBJ Architects and established a project management consulting company, KMB Associates, in 1993.
A native of Edmonds, Wash., Bryant was a standout athlete at Woodway High School and played collegiate basketball at Green River Community College, Seattle University and the University of Washington.
