The Seattle Reign were the first professional women’s basketball team in Seattle, playing from 1996 to 1998 in the American Basketball League (ABL). The ABL was founded in 1996, with Seattle as one of eight founding teams. The league collapsed partway through the 1998 season under the financial pressure of competing with the rival Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), which was better funded and had higher average game attendance than the ABL. Many ABL players transferred to the WNBA, including several Reign players who later played for Seattle’s WNBA team, the Storm (founded in 2000).

This image shows a game between the Seattle Reign and the San Jose Lasers, which the Reign won 93-74. Kate Paye (front, #3) dribbles with two Lasers players around her. Reign teammate Cindy Brown (back, #15) is visible behind Paye.

Caption information source: “Seattle Reign’s league dies – bankruptcy sidelines women’s basketball teams,” by Ronald Tillery, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 23, 1998, page A1.
Caption information source: "Reign pours while leveling Lasers, record," by Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 20, 1997, page D1.