Storm Roster Roundup: Will Lexie Brown Lock Down Starting Guard Spot?
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Former Minnesota Lynx and current Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown drives into the lane against the Washington Mystics on July 24, 2019. Credit: Lorie Shaull [/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.
Only two years removed from a career year, guard Lexie Brown has dealt with health issues the past two seasons. Can she stay healthy and emerge as a potential starter for the Storm?
Background
Brown (5-foot-9) is the daughter of Dee Brown, a former NBA point guard and assistant coach. She was a prep star at Dr. Phillips High School in Florida before moving to North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Brown committed to the University of Maryland as part of the 2013 recruiting class, playing the first two seasons of her college career there. Maryland reached the Final Four in back-to-back seasons during Brown’s tenure.
After starting all 36 games as a sophomore and earning a Big Ten All-Defensive Team nod, Brown transferred to Duke and was eligible for the 2016–17 season. Brown was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2018, starting all 33 games and averaging a staggering 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.7 steals per game. In total, Brown played 137 collegiate games and started 132. She was drafted ninth overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2018.
Brown played on three different teams in her first four WNBA seasons. She was traded to the Minnesota Lynx after one season in Connecticut, appearing in 50 games over two seasons with the Lynx. Brown was a defensive ace with Minnesota in 2020, totaling 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals while starting 13 games. The Lynx waived Brown before the 2021 season, and she was in a deep bench role with the Chicago Sky’s championship-winning team that year. Chicago traded Brown to the Los Angeles Sparks in March 2022 for the rights to 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru, who is now also on Seattle’s roster.
Earning the most expanded role of her career to that point, Brown started 16 games (34 appearances) for the Sparks in 2022. The following season, Brown played the best basketball of her career while battling undiagnosed Crohn’s disease. She played in just 12 games (11 starts) but averaged 12.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 steals in 30 minutes per game.
LA gave Brown a new two-year contract before the 2024 season, but she again managed to play in just 16 games due to ongoing health issues. She was traded to the Storm in a pick swap on Feb. 14.
Best Case Scenario
It’s easy to see the type of player Brown can be when fully healthy — potentially a starting-caliber guard who can stretch the floor and play stout defense. Brown hasn’t quite been the defensive anchor at the professional level many anticipated she might be, but that’s still a strength of her game.
If Brown can stay healthy all season, she could be a full-time starter with the Storm for the first time in her career. With Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles forgoing the draft and Seattle unlikely to land UConn’s Paige Bueckers, it’s even less likely the Storm’s first-round pick is a Day 1 starter. That opens the door for Brown, and the 30-year-old could become a key piece.
Worst Case Scenario
Factoring in health is always an unfortunate reality when putting together these profiles, but Brown has played just 28 games over the last two seasons due to ongoing health complications. Although Brown looked healthy in offseason play in the Athletes Unlimited basketball league, she may still be limited in 2025.
The worst situation for Brown would be limitations due to health or being outbattled in training camp for a starting or rotational role. Those two outcomes may not be mutually exclusive, also. Brown’s long-term WNBA viability will be questionable if she can’t capitalize on this season.
What to Expect in 2025
Brown played in all 12 games of the AU season, finishing seventh (out of 41 total players) in the team’s unique individual player championship leaderboard. She averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. That’s not the same as playing an entire WNBA season, but it is encouraging when forecasting her ability to be available for Seattle.
Assuming she is available, the starting shooting guard spot is Brown’s to lose. The draft may impact that greatly — depending on where the team allocates its top pick — but she has a prime opportunity to be a full-time starter for the first time in her career.
In limited action, Brown showed her potential with the Sparks in 2023. That was even while she was beginning to battle Crohn’s disease. She has the skills but needs to be ready to step on the court every night.
