What to Know About Storm’s Newest Assistant Coaches

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Seattle Storm assistant coach Natalie Achonwa spent eight seasons in the WNBA, including six with the Indiana Fever. Credit: Wikimedia Commons [/caption]

More than three months after being hired, Seattle Storm head coach Sonia Raman has assembled her coaching staff for the 2026 season.

The Storm announced that they hired Natalie Achonwa, Jarell Christian and Michael Joiner, completing what will be an entirely new staff under Raman after the franchise parted ways with former head coach Noelle Quinn.

In an offseason that still holds an incredible amount of uncertainty, the Storm nearly have all their ducks in a row before the WNBA Draft in April. Now, they just have to wait and see what happens with the CBA, the expansion drafts and free agency before finalizing a draft plan.

Here’s what you should know about all three of the Storm’s newest coaches.

Natalie Achonwa

Achonwa, who is from Ontario, Canada, played college basketball at Notre Dame from 2010-14, becoming the first international player to be recruited by the school. In her time with the Fighting Irish, Achonwa appeared in the Final Four four times and reached the National Championship three times. They didn’t win any titles out of those trips.

Despite tearing her ACL in her final college season, Achonwa was drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2014 WNBA Draft. Achonwa sat out the entire 2014 season due to the injury, but made the 2015 All-Rookie Team after averaging 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Achonwa spent six seasons with Indiana, but she only topped 10 points per game once in 2018. She was also a sound rebounder, pulling down 6.9 per game that same season — posting career highs in multiple areas.

In 2014, when Achonwa sat out her first WNBA season, she served as the interim director of operations for the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. Achonwa played for multiple overseas teams during her career, and she also spent two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx from 2021-23.

Achonwa was the general manager of the Michigan women’s basketball team, in addition to being an assistant coach, before joining the Storm. She’s making a big leap from two years in the college ranks to coaching in the WNBA.

Jarell Christian

Christian played college basketball at Emory & Henry before beginning his coaching career in 2009. He brings an extensive resume across multiple levels and leagues to the Storm.

After being in the college ranks from 2009-14, Christian landed an assistant coaching job with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League. That was his longest stint, staying in OKC from 2014-18.

Christian went on to become the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go in 2018, taking a big step in his coaching career. He was then called up to be an assistant coach for the NBA’s Washington Wizards in 2019.

Since 2021, Christian has been working with the Maine Celtics — first as the head coach and then as the general manager. Christian has a background in scouting, particularly while he was in the Celtics’ organization, which is another area of expertise the Storm now have filled. 

Moving to the Storm marks Christian’s first job in women’s basketball, and it’s a huge acquisition for Seattle. Even though it’s uncharted territory for Christian, he has experience in the front office and on the court, which matches well with head coach Sonia Raman’s analytical style.

Michael Joiner

Joiner played college basketball at Florida State before going undrafted in the 2004 NBA Draft. He had an extensive overseas playing career from 2004-14, competing for 14 different teams in that span — frequently playing for multiple different teams in the same year.

Beginning his coaching career in 2019, Joiner was hired as an assistant coach with the G League’s Memphis Hustle. Joiner made the move to the WNBA in 2024, joining the Phoenix Mercury as an assistant. 

While he’s still early in his coaching career, Joiner ascended quickly and he has experience in both the NBA and WNBA. That was likely critical as Raman was building her staff and trying to get a wide range of resumes.

Joiner specializes in coverage tracking and data-informed adjustments, which also lends itself to Raman’s analytical coaching approach. The trio all have different specialties, and Joiner is a defensive expert.