Storm Roster Roundup: Will Brianna Fraser Stick in Seattle?
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Former New York Liberty and current Seattle Storm forward Brianna Fraser warms up before a preseason game in May 2024. Credit: Brianna Fraser/Instagram [/caption]
The Seattle Storm are nearing the WNBA Draft on April 14 and will begin their preseason soon after on May 4. It will be head coach Noelle Quinn’s fifth season leading the franchise and the first without franchise legend Jewell Loyd, ushering in a new era of Storm basketball.
As the 2025 season approaches, we will profile each of the 14 players currently on Seattle’s roster, exploring the best- and worst-case scenarios for each player while also examining realistic expectations. Then we will discuss the team’s draft selections and what they could add to the team.
Currently playing overseas, forward Brianna Fraser signed her third WNBA training camp contract since 2021. Can she stick with the Storm?
Background
Fraser was named a McDonald’s All-American during her career at South Shore High School in Brooklyn, earning the No. 3 rank at her position from ESPN in the 2015 recruiting class. She committed to Maryland, playing four seasons for the Terrapins from 2015–2019.
Though she never earned a consistent role in the starting rotation, Fraser played in 132 games during her college career and posted career averages of 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. Fraser’s best season with Maryland was in 2017–18 when she played 20.2 minutes per game and tallied career-high averages of 10.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.06 blocks and 0.8 assists.
Fraser, 27, went undrafted in the 2019 WNBA Draft and began a professional basketball career overseas. She has played in seven different countries since and has been on two teams during the 2024–25 season — first playing 17 games with Galatasaray (Turkey) and now three games with Casademont Zaragoza (Spain) on her current contract.
Before signing with Zaragoza, Fraser was dominant with Galatasaray, averaging 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 31.3 minutes. However, with Zaragoza, her playing talk has more than halved, and Fraser is averaging 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game.
Fraser’s previous WNBA contracts include training camp deals with the Connecticut Sun in 2021 and the New York Liberty in 2024. She appeared in two preseason games last season with the Liberty, totaling 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal in 21 minutes on the court. All of Fraser’s points came at the free throw line, shooting 0-for-8 from the field in those two contests.
The Storm signed Fraser and former 2023 No. 10 overall pick Zia Cooke to training camp contracts on Feb. 12.
Best Case Scenario
Playing her best basketball during training camp, Fraser (6-foot-3) takes advantage of Jordan Horston’s likely season-ending injury, managing to outplay rookie Mackenzie Holmes and veterans Katie Lou Samuelson and Alysha Clark. Even then, without factoring in any rookies brought in from the draft, Fraser is left as a depth option in the lineup.
Fraser likely wouldn’t regularly receive minutes unless she shatters all expectations during training camp and the preseason.
Worst Case Scenario
With a stacked roster of post players, fueled by young prospects with potential and proven veterans, Fraser is cut before the preseason begins on May 4. Even though Horston won’t be a factor, Clark and Samuelson solidify themselves as the depth forwards and the Storm want to see what they have in Holmes — the team’s third-round pick last season.
What to Expect in 2025
Fraser displayed her ceiling overseas this season with Galatasaray but hasn’t maintained that level of play in her most recent stop in Spain. There are other forwards currently on the Seattle roster who have proven WNBA experience — a lot of it, in Clark’s case — which will make it hard for Fraser to crack the roster. She would need to be the surprise of the preseason.
Following the No. 2 overall pick, Seattle won’t pick again until the third round, but either of those selections could be a post player that makes the training camp roster even more cluttered. Fraser doesn’t have a history of defensive dominance, and thus her versatility from other posts on the roster is limited.
The preseason, if she gets there, will be critical for Fraser displaying whether she can compete with WNBA talent. Last time Fraser had preseason opportunities she wasn’t able to capitalize and ultimately was let go. Fraser will surely be determined to make a roster on her third attempt, but the odds are stacked against her.
Previous Roster Roundups: Mackenzie Holmes
