Ex-Seahawks star Bobby Wagner joins Seattle Storm ownership group
The Storm announced Wednesday morning that former Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner has joined their ownership group.
The 2014 Super Bowl champion, who has a Master’s in Business Administration from Howard University, is the first active NFL player to have equity in a WNBA team.
“It’s an honor to join the Seattle Storm ownership group and support a franchise that has consistently set the standard in women’s professional sports,” Wagner said in a team statement. “This is about more than basketball, it’s about investing in a legacy of excellence, empowering women, and continuing to elevate the game for future generations.”
The partnership allows Wagner, who still resides in Bellevue during the NFL offseason, to stay connected to Seattle.
It also marks a trend of professional athletes taking an interest in WNBA front offices as the league reaches new heights in viewership and attendance. In 2023, former Patriots QB Tom Brady acquired a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces, while NBA star Dwyane Wade became part-owner of the Chicago Sky. Lions QB Jared Goff and former NBA center Chris Webber were part of an ownership group that successfully bid to bring a team to Detroit in 2029, and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes made public efforts to bring an expansion team to Kansas City.
“I’ve always watched [the Storm] from afar, you know, being in Seattle,” Wagner told Washington-area media after the first day at Commanders training camp Wednesday. “I’m really excited to be able to be a part of the growth and stay connected to a community that I still love.”
The 11-time All-Pro player joins forces with Seattle businesswomen Dawn Trudeau, Ginny Gilder and Lisa Brummel, who comprise Force 10 Hoops LLC, the Storm’s majority ownership group that purchased the team in 2008 for a reported $10 million (more recent reporting puts the price closer to $1 million).
Ownership has thrice sold minority stakes of the Storm in less than three years, beginning with an early 2023 sale to several investor groups, which helped finance the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance, a privately funded $64 million practice facility and team headquarters. That led to a league-record $151 million valuation for the Storm, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The second sale included Storm legend Sue Bird in April 2024 with undisclosed terms.
Wagner’s investment comes after a June report from Sportico that said Force 10 Hoops sold approximately 1.5% of the team to three investors at a valuation of the team at $325 million. Wagner may have been one of the three, but the buyers haven’t been named.
Last month, Forbes ranked the Storm the third most valuable franchise in the WNBA at $330 million. The New York Liberty was first at $400 million and the Indiana Fever was second at $370 million.
Wagner, a second-round pick in 2012, played his first 10 seasons in Seattle, making eight consecutive Pro Bowls appearances. After playing one season for the Los Angeles Rams, he returned to the Seahawks in 2023. He’s in his second season with the Commanders.
The Utah State alum is featured all over the Seahawks record book, including most career tackles with 1,566 and tackles for loss with 79.
“Bobby is a hometown hero who has had immeasurable impact on the Seattle community,” Brummel said in the statement. “He shares our desire to grow the game and knows the value and importance of investing in women’s sports. As we continue to build on the incredible legacy of the Storm franchise, we are excited to add Bobby’s experience and expertise to the mix.”