KeyArena was ranked second to last in a recent Swish Appeal article about the top WNBA facilities, for reasons that you're probably well aware of.
However, what that ranking didn't take into account was the atmosphere in the building when the lower bowl is full of amped up Seattle Storm crowd.
After their 2010 WNBA championship ring pre-game ceremony - with a little egging on by the PA announcer prior to tip-off - fans were cheering their team on in mid-season form almost immediately.
But the teams showed that they still had to shake off a little rust before hitting their stride this season on the court.
In a game that got off to a fast and chaotic pace, both teams struggled to hit shots out of the gate with shots sailing over the rim or even careening off of the side of the backboard. However, the Storm ended the quarter with a 18-16 lead at least partially because of their bench.
Newcomer Katie Smith came off the bench and immediately hit a 3-point shot with 4:50 left and helped lead a 7-0 bench advantage for the Storm. Camille Little and Swin Cash led the Storm with four points apiece. However one problem the Storm will have to solve is the Mercury's two stars: Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi had six points apiece.