@ikaterei_bot, on 14 November 2013 - 01:03 AM, said in Whence "Team Story"?:
The term was likely popularized through #cythera. ferazel_09 was actively recruiting participants on IRC because that's how he got me into it, in Nov 2001. I don't know who came up with it, but it was probably quickly adapted to help explain the concept to new members.
I think my best guess is that Avatara was responsible for coining it, but that it spread through ferazel. It entered his sig in the early days of the term, and if he was recruiting then anyone that came to the stories through him would use it too.