What to Watch For in Storm’s Preseason Finale vs. Portland Fire
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Seattle Storm guard Jordan Horston (23) shoots the ball against LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.jpg [/caption]
Almost nothing is the same about the Seattle Storm in 2026, and on Saturday, we saw for the first time how many of the new pieces fared against another WNBA team.
It was an especially young lineup for the Storm, with eight players 25 or younger playing big minutes in the team's 78-76 loss to the Golden State Valkyries to begin the preseason.
Even in a loss, there were many positives for the Storm’s new additions. Rookie No. 8 overall pick Flau’jae Johnson, No. 14 pick Taina Mair, and free-agent signings Jade Melbourne and Rennia Davis stood out.
The Storm led by as much as 11, including by eight at halftime, but surrendered the lead in the second half. It was sloppy at times, but that’s to be expected when a team has been together for only six days.
“I think we got sped up a little bit,” head coach Sonia Raman said postgame. “So, offensively, just kind of handling their pressure a little bit more. There were some possessions where we got some really good looks throughout the game. If you look at our finishing percentage around the rim, it wasn’t as high as it needs to be. But the positive is that we’re generating those looks.”
Seven of the Storm’s 19 players didn’t play. Natisha Hiedeman, Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston — three of the team’s five projected starters — sat out, though Magbegor is the only one not expected to be ready for the season opener. No. 3 overall pick Awa Fam, who is also expected to play a big role, hasn’t yet joined the team.
The other inactives were Beatrice Mompremier, Katie Lou Samuelson and Jalyn Brown.
It’s a quick turnaround to the Storm’s second preseason game on Wednesday, April 29, against the Portland Fire. That will be the team’s first appearance in front of the home crowd at Climate Pledge Arena in 2026.
Here are some things to watch out for throughout the week ahead of the preseason finale.
Will the lineup be more complete against Fire?
Holding out Horston and Samuelson, who are both coming off torn ACL injuries, seems more precautionary than anything else, unless they reaggravated the injuries in practice.
Hiedeman’s status (foot) is somewhat unknown, but her availability for Wednesday will be telling.
Raman would likely prefer to have at least some reps with Hiedeman and Horston in the lineup before the regular season rolls around, as they are each projected to be in the team’s starting five to begin the opener.
The Storm still played a 12-player rotation, which can be difficult to work in within a single game. It’ll be interesting to see if Mompremier or Jalyn Brown gets any action on Wednesday. If not, it’s essentially sealed that those two won’t be in consideration for a final roster or developmental spot.
Give Rennia Davis more minutes
Davis could be a legitimate sleeper with this team and should be eligible for a developmental roster spot if that’s the route the Storm goes. She looked like one of the most comfortable players on the court on Saturday, totaling seven points and four rebounds in just six minutes as a larger WNBA guard.
Raman has to give her some more playing time on Wednesday to see what they have with Davis. She’s only 27 years old and a former No. 9 overall pick in 2021. This team needs more of a veteran presence, and Davis could add to that.
On the backcourt
This backcourt could be much better than expected. We don’t want to overreact to preseason performances, but Johnson, Melbourne, Mair, Jaelyn Brown, Lexie Brown and Zia Cooke all showed some good things against Golden State.
Melbourne, Cooke, and Lexie Brown are not eligible for a developmental spot, which means they would have to be kept on the active roster if the Storm are going to carry them.
That creates some potentially tough decisions for Raman and the front office, and they should be watching for who stays consistent and improves in Game 2 of the preseason.
Johnson was as sensational as expected after being the No. 8 overall pick by the Valkyries before being traded to the Storm on draft night. She finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a steal.
“I think she settled in really nicely and this is her first game as a pro,” Raman said of Johnson. “So I thought she did a really good job of staying with it and really trying to focus on the defensive side of the ball every time down, and that’s what we’re going to keep talking about.”
On the Portland Fire
The Storm will host the Fire in the franchise’s first-ever game since being added as an expansion team this offseason. It may just be preseason, but it’s a pretty unique situation and treat for the fans at Climate Pledge as a potential new Pacific Northwest basketball rivalry begins.
Although she won’t be playing, Portland drafted former Storm guard Nika Muhl in the 2026 expansion draft. Muhl tore her ACL for a second straight year this offseason while playing overseas and ended up playing just 57 total minutes in her Storm career in two seasons.
If Muhl can revive her career with the Fire in future seasons, it’ll be interesting to see how that impacts the Storm long-term.
Seattle and Portland tip off at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday.
