3 Positives, Negatives From Storm’s 2026 Season
The Seattle Storm’s 2026 season has come to an end, and it wasn’t a campaign that will be well-remembered in franchise history — at least not for winning reasons.
Seattle finished 8-36 overall, losing the most games in one season by any team in WNBA history (44-game season only began in 2025) and winning the fewest games since the Storm’s first-ever season in 2000 (6-26 overall).
On the surface, those statistics make it seem like it was all doom and gloom for the Storm in a lost season. But it’s surprisingly the opposite heading into 2027, as this was intentionally a rebuilding year with a new young core of players who will make up the franchise's future.
There were still positives for the Storm in a season where they were far from competitive and consistently fell below expectations. However, as expected, there were also plenty of negatives.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Overpowered By Wings in Season Finale
The youthful trio of Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson fittingly carried the Seattle Storm in their final game of the season, but a lack of scoring across the lineup resulted in a 103-91 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Malonga (29 points, eight rebounds) led all scorers in the game, nearly posting her third 30-point game of the season. Fam scored 22 points and added seven boards, while Johnson tallied 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Seattle finished its 2026 season 8-36, setting a new WNBA record for losses in a season and posting the fewest wins by a Storm team since the franchise’s inaugural campaign in 2000 (32-game season). Their last win of the season was against the Toronto Tempo on Aug. 26.
Dallas (27-17), which was already locked into the No. 7 seed in the postseason, was led by 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists from Paige Bueckers. Arike Ogunbowale (23 points) and Jessica Shepard (20) also scored 20 or more points.
Instant Takeaways: Heroic Effort From Storm’s Johnson, Malonga Falls Flat vs. Aces
Flau’jae Johnson and Dominique Malonga combined for 54 points, but it was still far from enough in a 98-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Storm’s entire offense was dependent on Malonga and Johnson, with no other players scoring more than six points. Seattle (8-35) lost its fourth straight game and third since the FIBA break, with only one game left to play in the 2026 season.
Las Vegas (29-13) did what it has done all season, and the trio of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray combined to score 68 points. The Aces had more of a supporting cast and much stronger defense that continuously disrupted the majority of the Storm’s offense.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Allow Massive Run in Loss to Valkyries
The Seattle Storm put forth possibly their worst 13 minutes of basketball all season in the second and third quarters, but they finished strong with an attempted comeback in a 70-57 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Chase Center.
Seattle (8-34) lost its second straight game since the FIBA break ended. Flau’jae Johnson was the Storm’s only double-digit scorer with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam each added eight points and combined for 15 rebounds.
Even without former Storm star Gabby Williams, Golden State (31-11) inched within a half-game of the Minnesota Lynx (31-10) for the No. 1 seed in the WNBA standings. Five players scored 10 or more points, led by Kaila Charles with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Give Up Season-High Points vs. Aces in First Game Back From FIBA Break
A’ja Wilson (29 points) and Jackie Young (35 points) scored a combined 64 points and the Seattle Storm gave up a season-high in points in a 114-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, Sept. 17, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-33) was without Ezi Magbegor, Jordan Horston, Jade Melbourne and Katie Lou Samuelson, even though they did get Natisha Hiedeman back on the court for the first time since Aug. 14.
Las Vegas (28-13) continued to look like it could repeat as WNBA champions as a true powerhouse of the league, led by its top two stars. The Storm couldn’t keep up whatsoever.
Storm’s Malonga, France Lose World Cup Final vs. USA
Seattle Storm forward Dominique Malonga scored a team-high 21 points for France in a 97-79 loss to the USA in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup final on Sunday, Sept. 13, in Berlin.
The World Cup came down to the clear-cut top-2 teams, but France was still overall outclassed by Team USA. However, as they had many times during the nine-day tournament, Malonga and former Storm star Gabby Williams carried France.
Malonga finished with 21 points (8 of 12 FG), six rebounds and one steal in the loss. Williams totaled 20 points, three rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Storm’s Katie Lou Samuelson Out Final 4 Games After Knee Surgery
Receiving their second dose of bad news in as many days, the Seattle Storm will be without forward Katie Lou Samuelson for the final four games of the WNBA season after she underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee, the team announced on Friday, Sept. 11.
Samuelson, who missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, has sporadically missed time at various points throughout the 2026 season. She has still managed to play in 32 games (one start) and has averaged 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 15.3 minutes per game.
The two major injuries appear unrelated, as Samuelson tore her right ACL last season. It’s unclear exactly when Samuelson suffered the current injury, but either she or the Storm decided to have her get surgery during the FIBA break instead of at the end of the WNBA season.
Storm Center Ezi Magbegor Suffers Torn ACL at FIBA World Cup
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor tore her ACL during Australia’s quarterfinal qualifying game against Italy in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Wednesday, the Storm announced. She will miss the rest of the WNBA season.
Magbegor played just four minutes in Australia’s 82-80 victory before suffering the injury. It’s the third time this calendar year that Magbegor has suffered an injury that has forced her off the court.
Storm Well-Represented in FIBA Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals
Two of the four Seattle Storm players competing in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup have qualified for the quarterfinals, and there’s a good chance all four will make it.
Dominique Malonga (France) and Awa Fam (Spain) each finished first with their teams in group play, advancing them directly to the top 8. Ezi Magbegor and Jade Melbourne (Australia) still have to win one more game in a quarterfinal qualifier against Italy.
What Are the Storm’s Chances of Landing No. 1 Overall Pick?
The WNBA is currently on a late-season break for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, but when the Seattle Storm return to play on Thursday, Sept. 17, they will only have four games remaining in the season.
At this point in the season, the seven teams included in the WNBA Draft Lottery have already been decided. The league’s top-8 teams heading to the playoffs are already determined.
The Storm will be joined by the Connecticut Sun, Toronto Tempo, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and Portland Fire — all of whom are eliminated from postseason contention. The Washington Mystics hold the Sky’s first-round pick, however, and benefit from the more games Chicago loses.
Even though they have the worst record in the league this season, the Storm are essentially stuck with the fourth-highest odds for the No. 1 overall pick. To understand why, it’s important to understand how the WNBA conducts its draft lottery.
FIBA Women’s World Cup: How, When to Watch All Storm Players Competing
The Seattle Storm have four players competing in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup that begins on Friday, Sept. 4, in Berlin.
Dominique Malonga (France), Awa Fam (Spain), Ezi Magbegor (Australia) and Jade Melbourne (Australia) will all be playing for their home countries in the nine-day, 16-team tournament, which has all WNBA teams taking a short break from the season near its end.
Fam was the only Storm player who had her contract temporarily suspended by the franchise, as she reported to the Spain national team early. That forced her to miss Seattle’s final game before the FIBA break on Sunday, Aug. 30 — a 90-74 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Malonga, Magbegor and Melbourne all played right up to the break.
The World Cup has four groups, each with four teams. Each team will play three games in the group phase, one each against the other teams in their group.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall Back to Earth in Blowout Loss to Sparks
The short-handed Seattle Storm started and finished poorly en route to a 90-74 blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-32), which is missing Awa Fam due to international play and Natisha Hiedeman due to injury, couldn’t get much going for most of the game. Flau’jae Johnson led the Storm with 19 points, while Dominique Malonga totaled 17 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Zia Cooke, though she did most of her damage in the first half, still finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals.
Los Angeles (15-25) was led by 23 points and 12 rebounds from former Storm star Nneka Ogwumike. Rae Burrell totaled 22 points, four rebounds and three assists, and the Sparks won their second-straight game for the first time since early July.
Storm Remain Steadfast in Approach For Final 5 Games
On the surface, the Seattle Storm don’t have much left to play for this season. They have only won eight games and have long been eliminated from playoff contention. But that’s not how the team is approaching its final five games.
“We know that we can either end the season and look at ourselves like, ‘Wow, we didn't get better at nothing,’ or we can end the season and be like, ‘Look at this growth that we had, look at the things that we overcame,’” Storm rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson said after the team’s 90-78 win over the Toronto Tempo on Aug. 26.
“We got that ‘it’s still 0-0’ mentality, and we’re going to continue to get better.”
Instant Takeaways: Storm Capture 2nd Win in 5 Games vs. Tempo
Flau’jae Johnson, Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 54 points, and the Seattle Storm finally clinched a close game with a 90-78 victory over the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-31) snapped a three-game losing streak, won its second game in the last five, and still has a chance to reach double-digit wins by the end of the season. Toronto (11-27) has now lost 14 of its last 15 games and dropped its first against the Storm all season.
Melbourne turned in a solid game from the point guard spot with 16 points, six rebounds, seven assists and one steal. Johnson had a team-high 20 points, and Malonga added 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Suffer Worst Loss in 8 Weeks vs. Wings
Paige Bueckers scored 18 of her 32 points in the first quarter to help the Dallas Wings build a massive early lead, and the Seattle Storm fell flat in a 92-70 loss on Sunday, Aug. 23, at College Park Center.
Seattle (7-31) was sluggish and mistake-prone in its first game in the last seven days. Dallas (22-16), on the other hand, looked like a team prepared to make a playoff run.
Flau’jae Johnson led the Storm with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Jade Melbourne added 15 points, four rebounds and two steals. Bueckers gave the Wings their early lead and helped them never look back after a 34-point first quarter.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fumble Another Late-Game Comeback vs. Sky
The Seattle Storm nearly erased another double-digit first-half deficit, but they once again couldn’t complete the comeback in an 82-80 loss to the Chicago Sky on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Climate Pledge Arena.
After trailing by as much as 21 points, the Storm put together a late push in the fourth quarter. However, for the second straight game, that effort fell short in a two-point loss.
Seattle (7-30) lost the three-game season series against Chicago (13-22). Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 19 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks, while Ezi Magbegor had another quality game with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist and five blocks.
The Sky got a combined 44 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks from Kamilla Cardoso and Natasha Cloud. Chicago wasn’t as effective offensively in the second half, but that duo did enough to keep them ahead.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Swept By Fire in Season Series
The Seattle Storm erased a double-digit first-half deficit but couldn’t roll it into a second straight victory in an 84-82 loss to the Portland Fire on Friday, Aug. 14, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Portland (14-20) was led by a season-high 20 points from Holly Winterburn off the bench, and the Fire also got 14 points each from starters Bridget Carleton, Megan DiLeo and Carla Leite.
Seattle (7-29) couldn’t roll its momentum from Monday’s win into another victory. Dominique Malonga had a rough shooting night, scoring nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. Awa Fam scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Storm.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Flush Sky, Snap Monstrous Skid
The Seattle Storm played with a lead most of the game, defeated the Chicago Sky 97-88 and avoided what would have been a season-worst 12-game losing streak on Monday, Aug. 10, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (7-28), despite being short-handed without Flau’jae Johnson, snapped a long losing streak that began on July 9. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 26 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks — another dominant night for the team’s young star.
Natisha Hiedeman (18 points, nine assists) and Zia Cooke (16 points) also were major contributors in the Storm victory.
Chicago (12-21) took another hit in its pursuit to get back in the playoff hunt. The Sky have lost three of its last four games and are seven games out from eighth place with 11 games remaining. DiJonai Carrington led the Sky with 26 points and five steals.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Tie Season-Long Losing Streak With Loss to Fire
Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 44 points against a short-handed Portland Fire squad, but the Seattle Storm once again whiffed on a clutch game victory in a 100-93 loss on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Moda Center.
Melbourne set a new career-high with 23 points and five assists, while Malonga added 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The rest of the Storm’s starters struggled, however, and the bench had to contribute 32 points to keep Seattle (6-28) in the game.
Portland (13-19) lost its leading scorer early, but it got consistent offense from the entire team to win its second straight game. Bridget Carleton totaled a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Fire’s short streak comes after losing five in a row.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall to Liberty, Spoil Another Elite Malonga Performance
The New York Liberty spoiled Dominique Malonga’s second-career 30-point game in a 92-86 loss for the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Barclays Center.
Malonga scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to lead Seattle (6-27), which dropped its 10th straight game. No other player scored more than 13 for the Storm.
New York (19-13), which was led by 28 points and eight rebounds from Breanna Stewart, has won six of its last seven games. Jonquel Jones also posted a monster game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Even with a lineup shift that put Ezi Magbegor back in the starting lineup, momentum hasn’t shifted for the Storm in the last two games. Their last victory came nearly a month ago on July 6.
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