Storm’s Mackenzie Holmes Dominating WNBL During Offseason
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After a slow rookie season with the Seattle Storm, Mackenzie Holmes is putting together an MVP-caliber season with the Geelong Venom in the WNBL. Credit: Mackenzie Holmes/Instagram [/caption]
In an offseason that is currently on hold, the Seattle Storm are seeing some exciting play from one of their young role players while competing overseas.
Mackenzie Holmes, the 26th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is having an MVP-caliber season for the Geelong Venom of the WNBL in Australia. Holmes is currently averaging 20.93 points (2nd in WNBL), nine rebounds (4th), 1.07 blocks (9th) and 1.14 steals per game in 14 appearances.
The Venom are at the bottom of the league standings (3-11), but Holmes has been by far the team’s best player so far this season. Geelong is about halfway through its season, which ends in February. Thus, Holmes likely won’t be leading a playoff run, but she’s still developing into a player who could be a major asset for the Storm in 2026.
A former Indiana standout, Holmes played her first WNBA season in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 campaign with a knee injury. She was away from the team, and last season was technically her rookie year.
Holmes didn’t make the initial Storm roster before the season, but she was brought back just over a month later after Seattle traded Li Yueru to the Dallas Wings. Even then, former Storm head coach Noelle Quinn didn’t use her much.
Most of Holmes’ playing time with the Storm came in blowout wins or losses. She appeared in 10 games and averaged 1.0 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 5.8 minutes per game.
Holmes was a surprise cut before the season. The Storm did have a good bit of frontcourt depth, but Holmes impressed in Seattle’s lone preseason game against the Connecticut Sun (9 points, 8 rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes). It seemed she could be a solid developmental piece to the Storm’s roster.
She might be critical to the team moving forward. Holmes is a reserved free agent, which means the team will have an opportunity to bring her back before anyone else has a chance to sign her. That’s critical for new head coach Sonia Raman if they opt to pair her with Dominique Malonga in the post.
If Holmes can carry her WNBL momentum into the 2026 WNBA season, that duo could be excellent for the Storm. Malonga has the impressive height (6-foot-6), but Holmes is only three inches shorter. Raman could put Malonga at center and Holmes at the power forward.
Both can shoot the ball as well, giving Seattle a potentially dynamic frontcourt tandem that can score from anywhere. Malonga made the All-Rookie Team last season, and her second-season projections are only looking even more promising.
Regardless, Holmes should be getting more opportunities next season whenever the WNBA’s CBA negotiations get ironed out. She’s proving she can be more than a deep bench role player, even if it is overseas competition. That’s the kind of player the Storm should be looking to lock down long-term as they enter a rebuild.
Seattle has a chance to have an effective young core next season. The franchise also possesses the No. 3 overall pick, and it could get an elite-level point guard to distribute to the post players down low. Holmes should be part of the Storm’s future.
