Instant Takeaways: Mistake-Prone Storm Stumble Against Tempo
A healthy dose of turnovers doomed the Seattle Storm in an 86-73 loss to the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday, May 13, at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Toronto earned its first win in franchise history after losing its opener, dropping the Storm to 1-2 overall. It was far from Seattle’s best performance, with a lack of contributions across the lineup, sloppy play on both ends of the court and simply a lack of resilience to battle back.
Storm head coach Sonia Raman, just a few days removed from her first win, was a victim of Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello’s first win with Toronto.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Outlast Sun, Raman Earns First Win as WNBA Head Coach
Lexie Brown and Jade Melbourne led an efficient, physical comeback in the second half, and the Seattle Storm got Sonia Raman her first win as a WNBA head coach in an 89-82 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, May 10, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Brown rebounded from an abysmal season opener to sink five threes and lead the Storm with 17 points. Melbourne continued to be one of the fiestiest players on the court, totaling 15 points, six assists, one steal and one block. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson, though still inefficient, added 16 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block.
Connecticut was led by 17 points and 16 rebounds from Aneesah Morrow. Brittney Griner finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals.
The Storm battled foul trouble early, forcing Raman to dip even deeper into her bench. The balance across a 10-player lineup through two games has been incredibly unique.
Instant Takeaways: Inexperienced Storm Lose Early Mojo in Season-Opening Loss to Valkyries
A hot start for the new-look Seattle Storm and first-time head coach Sonia Raman rapidly fell back to Earth in a 91-80 loss against the Golden State Valkyries in the 2026 regular season opener on Friday, May 8, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Dominique Malonga unsurprisingly led the way for the Storm to begin her second season, totaling 21 points (8-of-15 FG), eight rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes. The Valkyries were led by an impressive 20 points from forward Janelle Salaun.
Seattle stormed out of the gates early with efficient shooting, but that quickly fell off, the turnovers piled up and its lead evaporated. The potential was apparent in the new lineup, which included six players who didn’t play for the team last season, but it also proved they have a long way to go.
Storm’s Flau’jae Johnson Trade Keeps Looking Better
The Seattle Storm went into the 2026 WNBA Draft with picks No. 3 and No. 14 in the first round. It was expected to be a second-straight transformative class for the Storm, who took Dominique Malonga No. 2 overall last year.
But by the draft’s end, Storm general manager Talisa Rhea had pulled off a masterclass. She got forward Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3, who has arguably the highest ceiling of any player drafted, and point guard Taina Mair in the first round.
When the Storm went to make their first pick of the second round, No. 16, they already had a deal lined up with the Golden State Valkyries to acquire guard Flau’jae Johnson — the eighth overall pick in the first round.
Storm Nearing Final Roster After Waiving 2 Players
One day after re-signing rookie No. 14 overall pick Taina Mair to a developmental contract, the Seattle Storm waived guards Jaelyn Brown and Rennia Davis, the team announced. They are now one player away from finalizing their 12-player roster.
Davis and Brown were battling tough odds to try to make the Storm’s roster, but Davis looked like she might have a legitimate chance to be a surprise retention after a pair of strong preseason performances. Instead, it’s down to Mackenzie Holmes and rookie No. 39 pick Grace VanSlooten for the final spot.
Storm Waive No. 14 Pick Taina Mair
The Seattle Storm have waived rookie No. 14 overall pick Taina Mair, per the WNBA transaction wire. Mair is the first 2026 draft pick that the Storm has waived.
Waiving Mair brings the Storm down to 15 players, which still puts them three away from reaching the final 12-player roster limit. The deadline for cutting to 12 players is on Thursday, May 7, before the team’s season opener the next day.
Mair is somewhat of a surprising cut, though it’s still possible the Storm are planning to try and bring her back in a developmental roster spot. Seattle will have to wait and see if Mair clears waivers before they can try and re-sign her.
Projecting Storm Final Roster After First Cuts
The Seattle Storm made their first round of roster cuts on Thursday, waiving forward Beatrice Mompremier and guards Jalyn Brown and Elle Ladine, the team announced.
Seattle’s cuts bring their current roster down to 16 players, meaning the team only has to let go of two other players before the regular season begins. Under the new CBA, teams are required to keep 12 players on their active roster and now have access to two developmental roster spots.
Storm’s Young Stars Shine in Decisive Preseason Victory vs. Fire
The Storm’s young guards led the charge in a 91-81 victory over the Portland Fire in the first matchup between the two franchises since 2002 on Wednesday, April 29, at Climate Pledge Arena.
For the new Portland franchise, the Storm had the privilege of hosting their first-ever game — even if it was just an exhibition matchup. And after taking one of their players (Nika Muhl) in the expansion draft, the Storm spoiled the Fire’s debut after April’s expansion draft, free agency and the rookie draft.
The preseason means next to nothing in terms of how successful the Storm will be. But the individual performances do tell us what could be on the horizon for some of the team’s young players, which is especially important this season.
What to Watch For in Storm’s Preseason Finale vs. Portland Fire
Almost nothing is the same about the Seattle Storm in 2026, and on Saturday, we saw for the first time how many of the new pieces fared against another WNBA team.
It was an especially young lineup for the Storm, with eight players 25 or younger playing big minutes in the team's 78-76 loss to the Golden State Valkyries to begin the preseason.
Even in a loss, there were many positives for the Storm’s new additions. Rookie No. 8 overall pick Flau’jae Johnson, No. 14 pick Taina Mair, and free-agent signings Jade Melbourne and Rennia Davis stood out.
New-Look Storm Fall Narrowly Short Against Valkyries in Preseason Opener
Despite holding an eight-point halftime lead, the Seattle Storm’s group of young, developing players narrowly fell to the Golden State Valkyries, 78-76, in the first 2026 preseason game on Saturday, April 25, at the Chase Center.
The Storm had 12 of their 19 players step onto the court in the game, getting a decent look at a mostly new group that has had just six days of practice together thus far.
Of that group who played, eight were not with the Storm in 2025 and four were rookies.
Even in a loss, there were plenty of bright spots for Seattle as we begin to see what the new-look Storm will look like. We won’t see the entire lineup until Ezi Magbegor is healthy and Awa Fam joins the team, but it was a glimpse at some of the exciting acquisitions.
Storm Center Ezi Magbegor Out At Least 6-8 Weeks
The WNBA regular season is less than a month away, and it appears the Seattle Storm will be without center Ezi Magbegor — their highest-paid player — to begin the campaign.
Magbegor is currently sidelined with a right foot injury suffered while playing for Australia during the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in mid-March, the team announced on Monday, April 20. Her timetable for a return is unclear, but “updates on her progress will be made available in 6-8 weeks.”
Too-Early Storm Starting Lineup Projection For 2026 Season
The Seattle Storm more than likely have their roster set for training camp after a whirlwind 10 days that included the free agency, the WNBA Draft and the post-draft signing period, where the team brought in training camp tryout players.
Currently, the Storm’s roster is at 19 players. Only eight of those players were with the team at all in 2025, and only five actually played regular-season minutes for Seattle.
Training camp begins on Sunday, April 19, before the Storm play their first preseason game on Saturday, April 25, on the road at the Golden State Valkyries.
Storm Sign 5 Players to Training Camp Contracts
Two days after an exceptional rookie draft that changed the trajectory of the Seattle Storm’s future, the team announced it signed five players to training camp contracts ahead of the first practice on Sunday, April 19.
The Storm signed forwards Jaelyn Brown, Rennia Davis and Beatrice Mompremier, as well as guards Jalyn Brown (yes, they are different people) and Elle Ladine.
Seattle now has 19 players on its training camp roster after making four selections in the WNBA Draft. The plus for this batch of rookies is that roster spots will be wide open on a rebuilding team, and franchises are now required to keep 12 players.
Storm Rumble Into the Future with Bold 2026 WNBA Draft
The Seattle Storm have found a direction after a frenzied few days of free agency.
The four-time WNBA champions held the No. 3 overall pick after going 23-21 last season with stars Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams leading the way. All three players departed the Emerald City in the past few days, leaving 2026 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga and recently re-signed All-Defensive center Ezi Magbegor to build around.
The Storm watched top guards like No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and No. 2 pick Olivia Miles fly off the board before taking Spanish teen star Awa Fam, who many experts projected to go first, at No. 3. With the 14th pick, Seattle took Duke point guard Taina Mair before selecting TCU’s Marta Suárez at No. 16.
But moments later, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert shocked viewers by announcing that Seattle had traded Suárez and a 2028 second-rounder for the night’s No. 8 pick, LSU star Flau’jae Johnson.
WNBA Draft Tracker: Storm Select Awa Fam 3rd Overall
Following a transformative free agency period that has the Seattle Storm trending towards a rebuild, the 2026 WNBA Draft is exceptionally important to the future of the franchise.
The Storm have four picks in the draft: Picks No. 3, 14, 16 (second round) and 39 (third round). All eyes are on the top selection, as Seattle could be acquiring the player who will team up with 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga for the long haul. With Malonga and Ezi Magbegor making up the starting frontcourt, look for the Storm to try to acquire a star member of the backcourt.
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.
WNBA Draft Preview: Storm Head Into 2026 With Big Shoes to Fill, But Plenty of Flexibility
If you found yourself in the recesses of Climate Pledge Arena for some Seattle Storm basketball last summer, chances are you saw one of the following:
A passionate Skylar Diggins hyping up her bench after a 3-pointer or a timely assist.
WNBA president Nneka Ogwumike settling into the post to hit a turnaround jumper to get Seattle rolling.
First-time All-Star Gabby Williams notching one of her three steals per game to flip the momentum to the home team.
The chances of one of those three things happening were practically 100% every night.
Those odds stand at 0% after a wild start to free agency.
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.
Storm Core Ezi Magbegor, Extend Reserved Qualifying Offers to 2 Others
The Seattle Storm made a trio of qualifying offers on Tuesday as they attempt to retain Ezi Magbegor, Mackenzie Holmes and Zia Cooke, per the WNBA’s transaction wire.
Seattle extended a core qualifying offer to Magbegor, which is a one-year, fully guaranteed deal valued at the new supermax figure of $1.4 million. It does not guarantee Magbegor will sign for that amount, but it does give Seattle exclusive negotiating rights.
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