Storm Free Agency Recap: Good, Bad and Ugly From Transformational Signing Period
It’s hard to say the dust has settled on an expectedly tumultuous free agency period for the Seattle Storm, especially with the team rolling straight into a four-pick menu in Monday’s WNBA Draft.
The Storm are going to look very different just one year after a disappointing 23-21 finish in 2025 that saw them eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Las Vegas Aces for the second straight season.
Seattle Storm Free Agency Tracker: Signings, Departures and Rumors
As expected, WNBA free agency began this week and quickly picked up steam once it started rolling. The Seattle Storm are already looking at making an entirely new team heading into the 2026 season.
Veterans are on their way out, and it remains to be seen how much interest the team will get from unrestricted free agents. More than two-thirds of the WNBA players are free agents, and a lot of money will be moving around under the new CBA.
Teams have to act fast ahead of the WNBA Draft on Monday, April 13, to see how their rosters will look before making rookie selections.
Nneka Ogwumike Leaving Storm, Skylar Diggins May Follow
Veteran forward and unrestricted free agent Nneka Ogwumike will not be returning to the Seattle Storm for the 2026 season and is receiving strong interest from the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
Ogwumike confirmed her departure from the Storm with a farewell post to the franchise on social media. She has also met with the Minnesota Lynx, per Philippou.
The Storm may be losing multiple of their premier veterans, as point guard Skylar Diggins is also reportedly in talks with the Chicago Sky, per Beta Basket’s Roberta F. Rodrigues.
What Historic New WNBA CBA Means For 2026 Seattle Storm
Play ball. After weeks of intense negotiations, the WNBA and the WNBPA verbally agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement early in the morning on Wednesday that will completely reshape player compensation, per ESPN’s Alexa Philipou.
The new salary cap will be set at $7 million, a massive increase from $1.5 million in 2025, with the supermax starting at $1.4 million ($249,244 last season), per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Average player salaries will be around $600,000 ($120,000 last season), and the minimum salary could be higher than $300,000 ($66,079 last season). All of that, coupled with a revenue share of “nearly 20% across the length of the deal,” per Philippou, makes for a historic deal.
Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike Spearheading Tense WNBA CBA Negotiations Now in 11th Hour
As more deadlines continue to be dealt out by the WNBA, it seems the league and its players union are getting closer to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Monday is the new deadline the league set to avoid any impacts on the 2026 season, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, and Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike is at the forefront of the negotiations as they enter their 11th hour.
Ogwumike said Saturday that revenue sharing and team-funded housing were among the major items that are still being worked on, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. Negotiations have been especially hot this week to try to meet the league’s original March 10 deadline to not impact the season.
Storm Announce Pair of 2026 Preseason Games
The fate of the 2026 WNBA season remains up in the air, but the Seattle Storm announced their pair of preseason games that begin on Saturday, April 25.
Seattle will travel to the Golden State Valkyries for a 5:30 PM PT game that Saturday before coming back home to host the Portland Fire at 7 PM on Wednesday, April 29. That will be the Fire’s first-ever WNBA game.
What WNBA, WNBPA’s Moratorium on Business Means For Seattle Storm
The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a moratorium on league business, ending the potential for any contracts to be negotiated under the expiring CBA. How does it impact the Seattle Storm now?
Which Storm Free Agents Should the Franchise Prioritize Re-Signing?
The Seattle Storm have just four players under contract for 2026. The front office and new coaching staff will have to make tough decisions on who to re-sign and who to let go.
Seattle Storm 2025 Season Grades: Nneka Ogwumike
Undoubtedly the Storm’s MVP of the 2025 season, Nneka Ogwumike showed no signs of slowing down in her 14th WNBA season as she led Seattle to the playoffs for the second straight year.
Free Agency Primer: Storm’s Future Both Murky, Exciting
Entering an uncertain offseason, the Seattle Storm have just four players under contract in 2026. But they might be exactly the nucleus the team needs as it enters a true rebuild.
Seattle Storm 2025 Season Grades: Mackenzie Holmes
Kicking off the 2025 Seattle Storm season grades, rookie post Mackenzie Holmes was a small-but-efficient piece to the team in her first WNBA season.
Storm’s Ogwumike Earns 7th All-WNBA Second Team Nod
Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike is continuing to build her Hall of Fame resume with another All-WNBA Second Team nod.
WATCH: Was the Storm’s 2025 Season a Success or a Disappointment?
The Seattle Storm could be entering a rebuilding year in 2026 after parting ways with head coach Noelle Quinn. Seattle finished 23-21 in the regular season and was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs.
Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike Wins 4th Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
Continuing to build her reputation as a pillar of the WNBA community, Nneka Ogwumike earned the first 2025 end-of-season award by a Seattle Storm player.
Storm Move On From Head Coach Noelle Quinn
The Seattle Storm will not renew head coach Noelle Quinn’s contract for the 2026 season, ending a four-year stint that saw her compile the second-most head coaching wins in franchise history.
‘I Would Take That Shot Every Time’: Storm’s Wheeler Got Final Look She Wanted vs. Aces
Erica Wheeler was the Seattle Storm’s most clutch player in 2025. With their season on the line against the Las Vegas Aces, her final shot just didn’t fall.
Instant Takeaways: A’ja Wilson, Aces End Storm’s Season in Down-to-the-Wire Game 3
Jackie Young dropped in the game-winner off A’ja Wilson’s miss and the Seattle Storm couldn’t muster a response in a season-ending 74-73 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the opening round of the playoffs.
Instant Takeaways: Storm’s Heroic Comeback Forces Game 3, Snaps Aces’ 17-Game Win Streak
Fueled by a huge fourth quarter from Dominique Malonga, Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler, the Seattle Storm erased a double-digit deficit in an 86-83 win over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 of the opening round of the playoffs.
Instant Takeaways: Storm in Elimination Mode After Blowout Loss to Aces in Game 1
The Seattle Storm’s season will be on the line on Tuesday after they opened the postseason with a 102-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Clinch Playoff Berth, Survive Thriller vs. Valkyries
Erica Wheeler drilled a pull-up jumper with 18.5 seconds left and secured the final loose ball, sealing a playoff berth and a 74-73 win for the Seattle Storm over the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night.
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