Today was Seattle Storm Media Day. It’s where all the players sit and talk to the media ahead of the season. I, along with the rest of the Seattle Media, asked questions to the players and Coach Sonia Raman. The full press conference is over 2 hours long.

I really enjoyed my questions and the answers from Jordan Horston and Flau’jae Johnson. I don’t have the timestamps, but here is the order of the players to help you find the ones you want to see the most, if you don’t have the time to watch the entire thing.

Ezi Magbegor
Stefanie Dolson
Natisha Hiedeman
Katie Lou Samuelson
Dominique Malonga
Jordan Horston
Lexie Brown
Jade Melbourne
Zia Cooke
Mackenzie Holmes
Flau’jae Johnson
Taina Mair & Grace VanSlooten
Rennia Davis & Beatrice Mompremier
Jalyn Brown and Elle Ladine
Head Coach Sonia Raman

Enjoy!

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Sunday, April 19th, was Day 1 of training camp for the Seattle Storm and the 2026 WNBA season. At the Storm’s practice facility, there were a lot of new faces running around, and that included the brand new coaching staff headlined by Coach Sonia Raman. Being that it was just day one of practice, there wasn’t a ton of major revelations, but these are some notes I took from what stood out.

Flau’jae

As soon as the media was allowed to come in, it was while the players were scrimmaging against the male practice players. Right after I took my seat, I watched Flau’jae Johnson crossover her defender to create excellent separation as she pulled up and knocked down the midrange jumper. That seemed to get some “oohs” and “aahs” from those in attendance and from some of her teammates.

That wasn’t the only time Flau’jae would impress. She made a couple of acrobatic layups against the defense where her athleticism clearly stood out. Johnson made another nice play where she missed a corner three-pointer, raced to get her own rebound, then sank a dribble step-back fadeaway over the defense.

Afterward, I got to participate in a scrum interview, and to no surprise, she’s going to be a media darling. Her positive energy and outgoing personality shined through even after just talking for a few minutes.

Back in November, I wrote this about Flau’jae.

Flau’jae Johnson is an excellent guard/wing prospect with high-end athleticism. Johnson is arguably the most complete guard in the draft. She is strong on both ends of the court. She can do just about everything. She is a strong dribbler who can create her own shot, attack the rim, and knock down the three-ball. Flau’jae would be the most obvious pick as a direct Jewell Loyd replacement. She has also been compared to the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper.

Nothing that I saw today changes my mind about what I said previously. Flau’jae is going to be able to use her athleticism and shot creation ability to score in the WNBA. Of course, this doesn’t mean there won’t be growing pains. But I’d be surprised if she doesn’t end up earning the starting Shooting Guard spot to start the season.

I spoke with Flau’jae after practice about how this compared to her first days at LSU.

“It’s the same. You know, I’m like, ‘What do I gotta do to play? What do I gotta do to be good? What I gotta do to learn the system?’ Just respond, come in, be confident, just come in ready to learn. I think everyone has a great opportunity here because it’s a new system, new people, new staff. So just take advantage of that opportunity. I think you know me, I just walk in with my confidence. My mom told me, go in there like you belong, so that’s what I’ve tried to do.” Johnson told me.

Mackenzie Holmes

Mackenzie Holmes made some nice hustle plays during some of the open scrimmages. I believe she was able to beat Dominique Malonga to get an offensive rebound, and she scored again on a short drive to the rim.

I’ll be very interested to see how the roster shakes out. I don’t think the team will carry six post players, and they might not even keep five. Will the Storm go with seven wings + guards and five post players? Or could it be eight guards/wings and just four post players? That’s important for when it comes to Mackenzie Holmes because I would have her 5th on the post depth chart behind Dom, Ezi, Awa, and Stef Dolson.

If Holmes doesn’t make the final 12, I think she’d be one of their two developmental players, unless she got picked up on waivers by another team.

Sitting Out

I noted a few players who didn’t participate in the 5-on-5 scrimmages. They were Jordan Horston, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Ezi Magbegor. During Coach Raman’s scrum interview, the media asked about Horston and Samuelson. She confirmed that they are still ramping up to 5-on-5 competition as both players are coming back from their torn ACL injuries.

I would expect Jordan to be a little closer than Lou, as I believe her injury occurred around two months before Samuelson had her injury. There is a chance that maybe they aren’t ready to go at the start of the season (my speculation). Coach Raman said that when they had more information to share on their injuries, they would. And if I see them participate in 5-on-5 during any part of training camp, I can update as well.

As far as Magbegor goes. I wonder if she just got veteran rest during the scrimmage time. While Horston was more in sweats, getting some work done on a massage table, and Samuelson was doing some resistance band training, Ezi was in full gear, but just stayed on the “bench” during the scrimmages that were open to the media.

Maybe there is a small something she is nursing, or it could just be that they don’t really need to evaluate Magbegor, and there are a lot of other players vying for the final one or two spots on the roster, so it’s more important for them to get some scrimmage time in.

Lineups

The first 5-on-5 scrimmage between all WNBA players (no male practice players) had these lineups.

Team Black:
Dominique Malonga, Natisha Hiedeman, Grace VanSlooten, Lexie Brown, Taina Mair

Team White:
Stefanie Dolson, Mack Holmes, Flau’jae Johnson, Jade Melbourne, Zia Cooke

I’m not sure how much we can take from that. As I mentioned above, Ezi, Jordan, and Katie Lou were all out. And Awa Fam is still playing overseas and was not there. I think at some point they will play the ones versus the twos, but on Day 1, we’re definitely not there yet.

The main thing I noticed was that Jade Melbourne was playing the point for Team White and Natisha Hiedeman was playing the point for Team Black. Taina Mair was on Team Black, but I don’t recall ever seeing her be the lead guard during the scrimmages that media were allowed to watch (final 30 minutes of practice).

Jade running point makes sense to me as I have her penciled in as the team’s backup point guard for this season behind Hiedeman. I posted my post-draft depth chart online a few days ago and will include it below.

This was after the draft, but before we got the announcements of the additional camp invitees. Nothing I saw today has really told me it should be much different than this. But it’s still very early. We still have around two weeks of practices and preseason games before final roster decisions have to be made. I guess my one question would be if it’s possible Jordan Horston and/or Katie Lou Samuelson aren’t ready to play 5-on-5 by the start of the season. It’s possible they’ll have to make do with fewer players early in the season, or play their developmental players early on.

Speaking of developmental players, I believe I saw Grace make a nice play. And Jalyn Brown (rookie out of Michigan State) made at least two nice plays that I saw.

Pace of Play

Another thing that immediately stood out to me was the pace of play the team was running during their scrimmages. They had a super short shot clock. I think it was only 14 seconds instead of 24 seconds, but it might have been even shorter than that. They really wanted the players to get out in transition and attack the defense as fast as possible. This could be a way to help build conditioning. I’m sure the team is also looking to play a fast-paced offensive style because they have so many athletes on the team. Huh. I mean, they’re all athletes, of course, but the Storm have some ATHLETES.

The one downside to this faster pace and short shot clock was that there were several shot clock violation turnovers, or bad shots taken to avoid the shot clock violation. But there were still some bright moments. Stefanie Dolson hit Jade Melbourne on a beautiful backdoor cut that resulted in a reverse layup. Flau’jae Johnson attacked the rim multiple times with some nice finishes in transition.

In one of the true half-court sets, Stef Dolson got open and knocked down a three-pointer.

After practice was over, I asked Coach Raman about the shorter shot clock, faster pace, and what she was looking to accomplish with that.

“Yeah, that was obviously intentional. We are trying to play fast, we get them comfortable playing fast. I think for anyone who was here and watched it, they might have seen some of the discomfort. We’re trying to break through that. We’re looking to get the ball up the floor as early as we can, touch the paint as early as we can, and see if we can get those early rollers. That was kind of the idea.” Raman told me.

“We also want to be elite as a transition defensive team. So if we’re guarding ourselves and we’re trying to push the ball, it’s really going to help us transition defense-wise. I saw some good things. There just wasn’t the consistency yet, right? And you’re going to hear me say yet quite a bit because it’s super early. I saw some really good things on both ends, and we just have to keep going.” She added.

This season is likely to be about growth and development. On Sunday, the team started Step 1 of that process.

Notes:
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Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.
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Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources!

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It’s been another wild WNBA offseason. This year, we weren’t even sure if we were going to have a 2026 season or not, as the CBA negotiations went well past the initial deadlines. The WNBA season was in jeopardy of being delayed or, worse yet, canceled. Fortunately, all the parties were finally able to come to an agreement that will pay the players significantly more money over the next several years.

Due to the CBA hangups, the league has had to cram in an expansion draft, free agency, the amateur/college draft, and training camp all within a couple of weeks.

I questioned which direction the Storm would go in after parting ways with Coach Noelle Quinn and hiring Sonia Raman. Would they still try to build around aging veterans, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, to try one last shot at a WNBA title? Or would they use the coaching change as a fresh start to start over with a major rebuild, building around their youth? Once we learned that Ogwumike was headed back to Los Angeles and Diggins moved closer to her home in Chicago, we had our answer.

It was the correct decision in my opinion. It felt like the right time to press the reset button on the franchise. They have younger players who have shown great promise already in Jordan Horston and Dominique Malonga. The team had a Top 3 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft and additional picks early in the draft. They’re already able to build a strong young core with that, and if they happen to be in the lottery again in 2027, they’re going to get another excellent player out of college. Plus, if any franchise knows the benefits of building around a young core through the draft, it’s the Storm. They’ve had the #1 overall pick four times in franchise history (Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart). Those four picks are directly responsible for four WNBA Championships.

The Storm may have expedited their rebuild due to some potential luck and savvy business moves during the WNBA Draft. They selected Awa Fam with the third overall pick. Many analysts had her as the top prospect with the highest upside in the draft. Then they pulled off an impressive trade with the Golden State Valkyries to acquire LSU star guard, Flau’jae Johnson.

When entering a new era of Seattle Storm basketball, there are going to be a lot of questions to ask. Here are the top six questions I have entering training camp and the start of the 2026 WNBA season.

1. Will Ezi’s Offense Return?

Ezi Magbegor had her lowest statistical output since her 2nd year in the WNBA when she was just 21 years old. Magbegor averaged just 8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 2.2 BPG. Over the past couple of years, Magbegor had to take a backseat to Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, among others. She was often relegated to just being the team’s defensive anchor. They rarely would ever run plays or sets for Ezi on the offensive side of the ball.

I’ve long believed Magbegor has more to offer on the offensive end of the court. She demonstrated that in 2023 when she averaged around 14.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG and was named to the WNBA All-Star team. We’ve also seen it during her International play. She put up 30 points in the 2024 Bronze Medal game, helping lead Team Australia over Team Belgium.

Magbegor has often had to defer to others, as I wrote about in my previous article. In 2026, she should be given significantly more opportunities. Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams, Brittney Sykes, and Erica Wheeler all left during free agency. I think the majority of those were the team’s decision, but there is no denying that Seattle lost a ton of talent and a lot of scorers. They are going to need the remaining (and new) players to step up. Maybe none more so than Magbegor.

Ezi doesn’t necessarily have to be the team’s #1 option on offense, even if she’s now making close to a supermax salary ($1.25 million). Dominique Malonga may be the team’s leading scorer this season, but even if she is, it’s not like she’s going to score 30-40 PPG. Seattle will need Magbegor to step up her offensive game and her consistency on that end. Ezi should have the opportunity to be a 15 PPG player and the potential to earn another All-Star honor this season.

I’m really curious to see if Coach Sonia Raman dials up more actions for Ezi to score than Coach Quinn did. And if so, I’m interested to see if Magbegor takes full advantage of those opportunities.

2. Will They Play Awa at the 3?

One of the biggest questions entering training camp and the Storm’s 2026 season will be how the Storm fit 6’4” Ezi Magbegor, 6’6” Dominique Malonga, and 6’4” Awa Fam together? Would they dare play all three at the same time? Sue Bird recently talked about the insane height of WNBA athletes today on a recent episode of A Touch More. She said the New York Liberty might go with a lineup of Sabrina Ionescu (5’11”), Leonie Fiebich (6’4”), Satou Sabally (6’4”), Breanna Stewart (6’4”), and Jonquel Jones (6’6”). The Storm have the athletes to have a similarly tall lineup. They could roll out there with Natisha Hiedeman (5’8”), Jordan Horston (6’2”), Awa (6’4”), Ezi (6’4”), and Dom (6’6”).

Last year, for a similar article to this one, I asked if we would see a lineup where Coach Quinn played Ezi, Nneka, and Dom all at the same time. As the season progressed, more and more wondered if it would happen. Per the Advanced Stats page, it never happened during the regular season. It only happened in the final minute of the team’s last playoff game against the Las Vegas Aces. Ironically, they gave up an offensive rebound to 6’0” Jackie Young, ending the Storm’s season.

I don’t blame Quinn too much for not trying the lineup earlier, because after the team traded away Li Yueru, they were really lacking size off the bench. They missed Jordan Horston’s height a lot last season. Or even a player like Katie Lou Samuelson (6’3”), even if she’s not a post player. It wouldn’t be fair to use Mackenzie Holmes (6’3”), who rejoined the team later in the year, as the only post player off the bench as a third-round rookie. With that said, when the team was floundering toward the end of the regular season with several losses, they could have tried the 3-Big lineup to change things up. But from a coaching and roster management standpoint, I do understand the decision. If they played all three (Nneka, Dom, Ezi) at the same time and both Ezi and Dom got into foul trouble early in a game, they would then have to either play half a game with a small-ball lineup or rely on Holmes too much. Dom and Ezi are both susceptible to foul trouble, so it was a legit concern. And there is also the rest factor. If you sub two posts out at the same time, you’re forced to go small and could get abused by the likes of Aliyah Boston, A’ja Wilson, etc.

So here we stand in 2026 asking the same question. Will new coach Sonia Raman play Ezi, Dom, and Awa at the same time? They won’t move Ezi out of the paint because she is by far the team’s best rim protector. Malonga’s better suited to be near the rim because she’s an excellent rebounder. You wouldn’t want to pull her out to the wing and away from the basket. That leaves Fam. She’s not a great rim protector or rebounder yet. Those are two of her considered weaknesses right now. But as we’ve seen with players like Leonie Fiebich or Katie Lou, just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you have to play in the post. The question will be, does Awa Fam have the lateral quickness and speed to keep up with players like Gabby Williams, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, etc., on the wing? I think she might, but that’s still something we’ll have to wait to see in training camp or the early portions of the season.

I think Coach Raman is going to end up with the same predicament as Coach Quinn. If you play all three at the same time, who are you playing when the posts need a break or get into early foul trouble? The Storm should be better prepared for that this year after signing Stefanie Dolson in Free Agency, and Mackenzie Holmes returning with more pro experience, but I still believe they will likely err on the side of caution.

At least before I see any practices or preseason games, I think a lineup of Hiedeman, Flau’jae Johnson, Horston, Magbegor, and Malonga makes more sense than Hiedeman, Horston, Fam, Magbegor, and Malonga. And we have to remember, Awa is only 19 years old right now. She has a ton of potential and upside, but she is still a very young prospect with a lot to learn and develop. If she is not a starter in Year 1, that is OK.

Long term, you obviously want a Top 3 pick to be a starter and ideally an All-Star, but I think it’ll be OK if the Storm slow-play this one. Almost the entire roster is under 30 years old, and a large portion of the young core is 25 or younger. I do believe they should experiment with lineups this season and see if a Big 3 lineup (Awa, Dom, Ezi) can work, but I wouldn’t force it. Maybe they try it in practices, but not the actual games. Or they try it during the 2nd half of the regular season with 10-15 games left.

It’ll be good to know if those three can play together all at the same time, but they don’t need to come to that conclusion anytime soon.

3. Who Will Step Up?

I think there is a very high chance that either Dominique Malonga or Ezi Magbegor will be the Storm’s leading scorer in 2026. The next question becomes, who else is going to step up? Even if both Dom and Ezi averaged 20 points each per game (doubtful), the rest of the roster would need to average another 40 points total.

Maybe she’ll surprise me, but I am not expecting Awa Fam to average much more than 10 PPG during her rookie season. Especially, if she is playing as a backup off the bench and maybe only playing 10-15 minutes per game.

Natisha Hiedeman could be an option, but I feel her main focus will be to run the show and get others involved. Hiedeman has never averaged double-digit scoring, even during the two years she started in Connecticut. I do think there is a chance she hits that mark and averages a career-high this season, but I’m still not expecting it to be in that 15 PPG range.

The Storm’s second or third-leading scorer is probably going to be either Flau’jae Johnson or Jordan Horston. The team is going to need one or both of those players to be very productive. And the overall success of the team could depend on it.

I’m not expecting the Storm to make the playoffs this season, which I believe is partly (or entirely) by design. I think the vision is to rebuild through the draft, get one to two more lottery picks in 2027 and possibly 2028, and then start trying to compete for the playoffs around 2028.

If they exceed all expectations and make the playoffs this year, then not only did Dom and Ezi significantly improve their production, but the team would have to get major contributions from Jordan Horston and/or Flau’jae Johnson.

There seems to be a pretty clear path for Flau’jae to start for the Storm. I think the only way she doesn’t start is if they end up playing Awa at the small forward position, moving Horston to the shooting guard. I think from a depth and rotation standpoint, that is less likely than starting Flau’jae at the shooting guard and Horston at the small forward.

Because the roster is so young, and there should be ample opportunities, Flau’jae should be in consideration for the rookie of the year award. I think there is even an outside chance that Johnson could be the Storm’s leading scorer, but if that happens, I think Seattle might be in trouble.

4. What Impact Will Coach Sonia Raman Have?

This is the biggest question mark for me because it’s harder to project. I’ve seen Dominique Malonga become the youngest player in WNBA history to have a 20/10 double-double. I’ve seen Ezi Magbegor average nearly 14 PPG and be named to the All-Star team. I’ve seen Jordan Horston improve her game significantly during her second season in the WNBA, including increasing her field goal percentage from under 37% (rookie season) to above 49%. And I’ve seen Flau’jae Johnson have several impressive scoring performances at LSU. The one thing I haven’t seen is exactly what Sonia Raman does as a head coach at the WNBA level.

And how should she be judged? Certainly not by wins and losses in her first season. The Storm lost their Top 5 scorers from the 2025 season. That’s nearly 68 points per game in production that they’ve lost. In their place are a lot of rookies or young players, many of whom are 25 years or younger and inexperienced.

How can you judge a coach if not based on wins and losses? Well, we’ll look for trends. We’ll look for inspired play. Coach Natalie Nakase didn’t have a whole lot to work with from a talent perspective, but the Golden State Valkyries were scrappy as heck, and they were extremely well coached. They executed their game plan, specific to their opponents, often, and were able to win games they frankly had no business winning.

I’m not even expecting Raman to lead the Storm to the playoffs in their first year like Nakase did with the Valkyries. But there will be things to look for. Does the team play hard? Does the team look structured? Do they get frazzled and frustrated easily? Are the young players developing and improving as the season progresses? Do the established players increase their production from last season? Does Raman lose the locker room and the players’ confidence if the team loses too many games?

One common theme under Coach Quinn, unfortunately, was that her teams often struggled during the 2nd half of each season. This was under both the Sue Bird/Breanna Stewart and the Skylar Diggins/Nneka Ogwumike eras. They often came out flat after the All-Star break, losing more games than they would win. That would end up costing them playoff positioning, and in 2025, it nearly cost them a playoff spot and subsequently a lottery pick.

Whether Sonia Raman is a good WNBA head coach or not will take a while to determine. But it should be fun to watch. As long as they don’t end up with moments like this, they should be fine.

5. How Much Will Dominique Malonga Improve?

Of all the questions, this one is probably the most important for the future success of the franchise. Malonga’s 2025 season stats were very modest at 7.7 PPG and 4.6 RPG. A lot of that had to do with her slow introduction into the rotation. At 19 years old, the Storm took their time developing her. But we saw flashes of brilliance. She became the youngest player in WNBA history to have a 20/10 double-double when she put up 22 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes against the Las Vegas Aces on August 8th, 2025. Malonga followed that up with another 20/10 performance with 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Los Angeles Sparks the very next game.

She had other shining moments, too. Like when she completely shut down Napheesa Collier in the 2nd half of a 94-84 Storm win over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. A contest in which Seattle trailed by 11 points in the 3rd quarter, and Malonga completely changed the tide of the game.

Maybe no game demonstrated Malonga’s potential more than Seattle’s 79-70 road victory over the defending champs, the New York Liberty. Malonga played only 10 minutes, but completely took the game over. She finished with 11 points and eight rebounds as she dominated the Liberty players. No moment stands out more than the color commentator shouting, “Give it back to her! Give it back to her!” as Malonga proceeded to hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper over Breanna Stewart’s 7’1” wingspan.

Dom showed her ability to take over games against the best players in the world at 19 years old. She even stonewalled A’ja Wilson a few times in Seattle’s lone playoff victory over the Aces. If that’s what Malonga did at 19, what is she going to do for an encore in Year 2?

Seattle’s best path to another WNBA Championship is building a competitive team around Dominique Malonga as Malonga grows into her body and develops her game even further.

The expectations will be high for Dom this year. But we have to remember that she’s still only 20 years old. There will be more growing pains in 2026. Her development will be one of the most fascinating things to watch this season. The highs and the lows will all be important.

The question is, how much will she improve in just one year? I think expecting her to be a starter this season is almost a certainty. Will her minutes increase from 14 MPG to 25? Or will she start playing 32+ as Ogwumike would? I think expecting her to average double figures with increased minutes is very reasonable, but will it be something like 10-12 PPG, 13-15 PPG, or 17-20 PPG?

It’s important for the Storm to develop several young players, including Jordan Horston, and rookies Awa Fam, Flau’jae Johnson, and Taina Mair, but none are more important than Malonga’s growth.

6. Who Wins the Backup PG Spot?

Unless we get a major last-minute change, I expect Natisha Hiedeman to be the Seattle Storm’s starting point guard in 2026. I’m pretty confident that the Storm lured her away from a competitive Lynx team with the potential to be a starter. Hiedeman was a backup for the Lynx, playing behind Courtney Williams. She didn’t start a single game during her two-year stint in Minnesota. However, she was a starter with the Connecticut Sun for the two years before that, including 2022, when the Sun reached the WNBA Finals.

If Hiedeman is the starter, who will be the backup? We’ll get a much better idea of what the coaches are thinking when training camp begins and opens to the media. We’ll be able to see who is running the point with the 2nd team. There are definitely a few candidates.

The Storm drafted Taina Mair, the point guard out of Duke, with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. I have to imagine they are going to give her a real chance to win the backup point guard position behind Hiedeman. If she plays above expectations, it’s possible she could eventually take over the starting point guard position (in a few years).

Jade Melbourne should also get some run at the point guard position. Melbourne may play the one or two in Seattle. She was the starting point guard for the Australian Opals 2024 Olympic team that won the Bronze Medal. Melbourne entered the league as more of a slasher/shooting guard, but has been training for years to play the one. Jade will be entering her 4th year in the WNBA, but is still only 24 years old. Like Mair, she will likely get opportunities as the backup point guard. If she continues to improve her game, she could also work her way into a starting role in future seasons.

While she primarily played backup shooting guard with the Storm last season, Zia Cooke could be an option to compete for the backup point guard spot. Cooke played point in high school and during some of her time at the University of South Carolina, where she helped the Gamecocks win a National Title, alongside Aliyah Boston, in 2022. I think this is less likely because I currently have Zia as the backup shooting guard behind Flau’jae Johnson on my projected depth chart.

Lastly, what if it’s Jordan Horston? I fully expect Jordan to be a starter for the Storm. She’ll likely be the starting small forward unless the team goes extra big and starts Awa Fam at the three spot (SF). Then I could see Horston being the starting shooting guard instead. However, I wonder if they might treat Horston similarly to Gabby Williams in previous seasons, where Gabby was the starting small forward, but due to her versatility, they had her run the point at times, especially when Skylar was on the bench.

Even though Coach Quinn had Jordan playing power forward for a portion of her rookie season, it’s important to remember that Horston was a point guard throughout high school and a playmaker at the University of Tennessee. Horston definitely has the potential to still be a primary ball handler, especially if she can limit her turnovers.

We have no idea what awaits this 2026 Seattle Storm team. But if the Storm were fortunate enough to land the #1 or #2 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft, they might end up with JuJu Watkins or Madison Booker. Maybe over a longer term, Horston moves to the point guard role. If there was ever a year to experiment and try different things (like Jordan at the PG), this would be the year to do it.

Notes:
Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.
Photography Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography, ESPN, NCAA
Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources!

Social Media:
Follow me on Bluesky (@wnbastormchasers.bsky.social)
Follow me on Threads (@WNBAStormChasers)
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With Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles off the board, the Seattle Storm selected Awa Fam Thiam with the 3rd pick in the WNBA Draft. Fam was considered the player with the highest upside entering this draft because of her skillset, combined with her size and athleticism.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Awa to Seattle,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea. “We’ve been watching Awa emerge as one of the most dynamic young talents in the world. She's already gained valuable experience competing professionally internationally and has tremendous upside. Awa will be an important part of our future and what we’re building in Seattle.”

A year after Seattle selected 6’6” Center Dominique Malonga out of France, the Storm went the International route again, selecting 6’4” PF/C Awa Fam. Fam will be 19 years old at the start of the WNBA season and turns 20 in June. Malonga will be 20 years old for the entire 2026 season and won’t turn 21 until November. They join Australians Ezi Magbegor and Lauren Jackson as 19-year-olds selected by the Seattle Storm in previous drafts. Both Jackson and Magbegor have combined to be a part of three of the franchise’s four WNBA championships. And now the hope is that Fam and Malonga will bring the team their 5th title.

It will be fascinating to see what new Storm coach Sonia Raman cooks up with potential lineups of 6’4” Awa Fam, 6’4” Ezi Magbegor, and 6’6” Dominique Malonga. Coach Raman was asked about that during the post-draft media conference call.

“We’re really excited for her (Awa). She’s a big that’s shown she can play anywhere with anyone. I think she’s going to complement the existing talent we have in our front court. And you know, we have this young, dynamic, exciting front court that is highly skilled, a lot of length there, two-way players. And I think that that combination out there is going to be really, really exciting kind of building and going forward with that group,” Coach Raman stated.

Fam is averaging around 9.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG in her Spanish league this year. At 19, she is certainly a work in progress. The Storm are entering a rebuild after they opted to move in a different direction as Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams all left the team during the Free Agency period. She will have time to develop and grow alongside the rest of Seattle’s young core.

You can watch some of Fam’s highlights from the recent 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in the video below.

The fact that Fam Thiam dropped to the third pick was a bit of a surprise, but not nearly the surprise of what took place at the beginning of the 2nd round of the draft.

Shocking Trade!

I’m going to be honest, the Storm’s Draft Watch Party at Rough & Tumble felt like it was lacking a little energy. I think the fans were pretty excited that the team selected Awa Fam, but they were also disappointed after the Minnesota Lynx took Olivia Miles one selection ahead of Seattle. The pick of Marta Suarez was positive, but not super enthusiastic. A few moments later, ESPN and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that a trade had been made. On several television screens across the bar, the Storm’s logo showed up again, and the graphic read that Seattle had traded Marta Suarez and the team’s 2028 2nd round pick for Flau’jae Johnson. The patrons at the bar erupted into cheers. It was the loudest the bar had been all night. The fans were thrilled with the acquisition.

“Flau’jae is one of the most dynamic, creative, and explosive players in this draft, and we’re excited to get another first-round pick to select her,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea. “Her playmaking, ability to score in multiple ways, and energy on both ends of the court will impact our team immediately. We can’t wait for Flau’jae to get to Seattle.”

Even though Seattle entered Monday’s WNBA Draft with three picks in the first 16 selections, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that they’d end up with Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson. At least not without trading away a player like Ezi Magbegor to get back into the Top 8. The fact that they were able to pull the trade off without giving up a premier piece or a future first-round pick is a major credit to Storm General Manager, Talisa Rhea.

Johnson averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.3 SPG during her senior season. Flau’jae is a dynamic athlete who can score at all three levels. My initial reaction is that she may have a better chance than Fam to get into the starting lineup early on. I could see something like Natisha Hiedeman (PG), Flau’jae Johnson (SG), Jordan Horston (SF), Ezi Magbegor (PF), and Dominique Malonga (C). But I’m sure I’ll learn a lot more after I get to watch the team in action during training camp.

In the meantime, you can watch some of Flau’jae’s highlights below.

Additional Picks

The Storm selected Duke point guard Taina Mair 14th overall and Michigan State power forward Grace VanSlooten with the 39th pick in the 3rd round.

Mair averaged 11.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 2.5 SPG. I believe they said on the ESPN draft broadcast that Mair was the first Duke Blue Devil guard to average 10, 5, and 5 since Chelsea Gray.

I have to believe that Mair was the Storm’s top remaining point guard prospect on their draft board when they selected 14th. Several playmakers had already been drafted at that point. Olivia Miles went #2, Kiki Rice #6, Iyana Martín #7, and Raven Johnson at #10.

You can watch some of her 2025-26 season highlights here. I think Mair will have the opportunity to compete for the backup point guard spot with Jade Melbourne, depending on whether the team sees Jade more as a PG or SG.

Grace VanSlooten averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.9 SPG during her senior season at Michigan State. Coach Raman talked about liking her hustle and high energy, and how that would be good to have in training camp. You can watch some of her season highlights below. VanSlooten will probably compete for one of the development spots, but it’s too early to say with certainty.

Storm Post-Draft Press Conference

You can watch Seattle’s post-draft press conference media call below. Unfortunately, I had tickets to the Kraken game at the same time, so I was unable to ask any questions, but I think those who did participate covered most of the questions I would have asked.

Let me know in the comments section how you’re feeling after the moves the Storm made in Monday’s WNBA Draft.

Notes:
IMPORTANT: Subscription prices will be increasing on May 1st. The good news is that if you are currently a paid subscriber, you’ll be grandfathered in to your current price unless you cancel. Patrons will have a few weeks to sign up at the current monthly or annual rate.

Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.
Photography Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography, ESPN, NCAA
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Below, I’ve highlighted eight players that the Storm should consider drafting. Four players are targeted for the #3 overall pick, and four more for their next two picks at #14 and #16.

For Pick #3

Olivia Miles - Point Guard - TCU

2025-2026 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.6 APG, 48.1% FG
Career Stats: 15.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, 47.2% FG

If the Storm had the #1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, I am pretty certain they would draft Olivia Miles. While it might get a little murky with the coaching change in Seattle, I know the franchise has been very high on the former Notre Dame turned TCU product. Miles is an elite playmaker and one of the best passing prospects the WNBA has ever seen. Simply put, she is a wizard with the ball in her hands.

Not only is Miles one of the top prospects of this draft, but she feels like a natural fit in Seattle, after they selected 6’6” Center Dominique Malonga one year ago. With the Storm and Skylar Diggins moving in different directions, Seattle needs to address their future at the point guard position. Natisha Hiedeman is a solid addition to help with that, but I believe the Storm will still look to address this in the draft.

Miles has improved her shooting, where she shot 35% and 41% from beyond the arc over her final two years in college. She can get downhill and attack the rim. I’ve seen other reports question her athleticism, but I don’t really see that being a major issue for her. Olivia is a strong rebounder, and that does make her a triple-double threat in any game.

Her biggest weakness is on the defensive end. She is a sub-par defender at best. However, some of the offensive skills, especially the passing, are so high that it is worth the downside on the other end. Joining a team like Seattle that has Jordan Horston, Ezi Magbegor, and Dominique Malonga, who could make up for her deficiencies on the defensive end, would help her.

Azzi Fudd - Shooting Guard - UConn

2025-2026 Stats: 17.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 48.1% FG
Career Stats: 14.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 46.9% FG

Dubbed “The People’s Princess”, Azzi Fudd is likely to go within the Top 3 selections. After the Dallas Wings were extra aggressive in Free Agency, landing Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, and bringing back Awak Kuier after she had skipped the past two WNBA seasons, there is a high probability that the Wings will select Azzi Fudd with the first overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Fudd is one of the most elite shooters we’ve seen from college basketball in quite some time. Fudd has shot 43% or better from beyond the arc in three of her five seasons in college. And one of the two that she didn’t, she only played in two games due to injury, so it’s hard to count that year. Azzi’s deadly outside shooting was a huge reason UConn finally won another National Championship in 2025 (2024-25 season).

Azzi is a fascinating prospect because I don’t believe she has true #1 overall value. And yet, I think she’d be an excellent pick for the Storm with the third pick. Fudd would be a great fit in Seattle because she’ll help stretch the floor. Seattle’s two best players are post players Dominique Malonga and Ezi Magbegor. Fudd would keep defenses honest. She would help prevent opposing defenses from double or triple-teaming Malonga down in the low post.

The concern with Azzi is that she is not a strong ball handler or dynamic creator with the ball in her hand. She doesn’t beat her defender off the dribble. She draws fouls at a near-historically low rate. She is a strong defender, however.

This may sound like sacrilege, but I see Fudd as being a traditional 3 and D type player. She can play defense, and she can knock down three-pointers, but I’m not positive she’s going to give her team a lot more than that. She could end up with a career similar to players like Lexie Hull, Sami Whitcomb, Sophie Cunningham, or Alysha Clark. All quality WNBA players, but not exactly who you would expect to go #1 overall.

Fudd could end up in Seattle if the Wings and the Lynx both opt for post players (Fam, Betts), or Dallas selects one and Minnesota takes Olivia Miles.

Kiki Rice - Point Guard - UCLA

2025-2026 Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.3 APG, 49% FG
Career Stats: 13.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 45.8% FG

Sometimes you just have a gut feeling, and Kiki Rice is someone I have been zeroing in on lately. I consider the Storm’s “worst-case scenario” to be if the Dallas Wings take Azzi Fudd and the Minnesota Lynx draft Olivia Miles. That would leave the Storm with either of the top post prospects (Awa Fam or Lauren Betts) or one of the top remaining guards/wings (Kiki Rice or Flau’jae Johnson).

Fortunately for Seattle, if that is the “worst-case scenario,” then they’re still going to have a very successful draft night. While opinions seem to differ, I feel there are legitimately six quality players in this draft that should be at a minimum WNBA starters, with most of them having at least possible All-Star potential. Even if Fudd and Miles are off the board when the Storm select third, there will still be both quality guards and posts to choose from.

Rice is an interesting prospect to me because I think she does a lot of things really well, even if she isn’t elite at any of them. She may not dazzle with her passes like Miles or knock down three-pointer after three-pointer like Fudd, but she is a very good basketball player. She’s a better defender than Miles by a wide margin, and she attacks the rim significantly more than Fudd. She might just be a more complete player than either of them.

Kiki reminds me a lot of Veronica Burton. She might not be the flashiest player out there, but there is a lot of good you can see. After her impressive season in Golden State, I look at Burton as one of the league’s best young point guards. I think Kiki has that potential too.

She played well paired with 6’7” Lauren Betts at UCLA, and I’m sure it would be a natural fit to pair her with 6’6” Dominique Malonga in Seattle.

Awa Fam - PF/C - Spain

2025-2026 Stats (Spain-LF Endesa): 9.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 55% FG
2025-2026 Stats (Euroleague): 7.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 53% FG

Outside of possibly Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam is the only other player I could see the Storm drafting with the third overall pick. Of course, Lauren Betts could be an option, but I have a more difficult time seeing that since the team already has Malonga, and there will be several other options on the board.

Now that the Storm’s front office has re-signed Ezi Magbegor to a three-year deal (per Her Hoop Stats), I feel it’s less likely than Seattle would draft Fam. But there is a scenario where Fam is on the board when the Storm are on the clock, and they truly believe she is too talented and has too much upside to pass up. Even if they already have both Magbegor and Dominique Malonga.

I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Storm could run a lineup of Awa Fam, Ezi Magbegor, and Dominique Malonga as the 3, 4, 5, and paired with Natisha Hiedeman and Jordan Horston in the backcourt. The New York Liberty just signed Satou Sabally (6’4”) to play with Breanna Stewart (6’4”) and Jonquel Jones (6’6”).

Most draft analysts believe that Awa Fam has the highest upside in this draft class because she has the size, skill, and speed of the best modern bigs. Players like Candace Parker and those who came after her, like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Ezi Magbegor, Dominique Malonga, etc.

If they draft Fam, it means either she was always their #1 choice or that her delta compared to the next best available player was so wide that positional need wouldn’t play a factor.

I also wouldn’t rule out a trade scenario that I had suggested previously. If Miles and Fudd are gone, Talisa could call up the Washington Mystics and see if they’d be willing to trade for Fam and pick #14 or 16 for the 4th overall pick and either pick #9 or #11.

For Picks #14 and #16

This draft is interesting in that it doesn’t have the major superstars like Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Aliyah Boston, etc. But I do feel the depth is pretty solid. I honestly do believe the Storm should be able to get at least one, if not two, solid contributors with Picks 14 and 16. There are two players at the top of my mind. Two players that I would consider Top 10 talent, but for one reason or another have often been projected as late first-round or even early second-round picks in most of the mock drafts I’ve seen over the past couple of months. Those two players are Janiah Barker and Cotie McMahon.

Those two players may have had some struggles in college. And there may be reasons, basketball or otherwise, why they could fall during Monday’s draft. But if one or both of them are available for Seattle at the end of the first round, the Storm should absolutely draft them. Both Barker and McMahon have WNBA size and athleticism.

I don’t know why several teams passed on Jordan Horston during the 2023 WNBA Draft. There is zero reason why she should have fallen to Seattle, which wasn’t drafting until the 9th pick in the draft, and yet she did. In retrospect, one could argue that Horston should have been selected 2nd overall, only behind Aliyah Boston.

If the same thing happens on Monday, the Storm need to capitalize on others’ mistakes.

With the way Free Agency has played out this week and the Storm’s veteran core of Nneka, Skylar, and Gabby all leaving, the team really needs to hit on the draft. Ideally, Seattle will end up with either two starters or one starter with All-Star potential and another quality role player/reserve.

Janiah Barker - Power Forward - Tennessee

2025-2026 Stats: 14.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46.5% FG
Career Stats: 11.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46.8% FG

Janiah Barker might arguably be the most talented player that realistically could be on the board for the Storm at the end of the first round. She’s 6’4”, can handle the ball well, attack the rim, and shot 37% from beyond the arc on nearly four attempts per game. When we talk about Awa Fam being the new prototype for elite bigs in the WNBA, Barker also falls into that category because of her size, athleticism, and skillset.

Like all prospects, there are concerns. During her college career, she transferred twice and played at three separate schools. She was also temporarily suspended during this season due to conduct detrimental to the team. Her stats are also not as impressive as her skillset. For one reason or another, she’s never fully put it together over four years in college to truly reach her potential. But Barker is definitely a player that I could see becoming a better pro than she was a player in college.

The Storm should swing big if they have the opportunity to do so. If they believe in their new head coach and the team’s culture, they shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to draft a player with Top 10, maybe even Top 8 potential if she is still there at Pick 14.

Barker could play a big role off the bench for the Storm in Year 1.

Cotie McMahon - Shooting Guard - Ole Miss

2025-2026 Stats: 19.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.1% FG
Career Stats: 16.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5% FG

From the first time I watched Cotie McMahon play basketball in person, I was enthralled. I was even more impressed when I learned that she was just a freshman at the time. At 19 years old, Cotie McMahon already had WNBA size, strength, and athleticism. She stood out significantly compared to other collegiate athletes. I would have thought for certain that she would eventually end up a lottery pick during her draft year. And while that is still possible, McMahon has consistently been projected to drop to the end of the first round, or possibly even into the second round.

I have serious doubts that this will actually happen. I think the physical tools might be too good to keep her out of the Top 10. But if, for whatever reason, she does drop to the Storm at 14, I would hope Seattle would snatch her up in a heartbeat.

McMahon can muscle her way past smaller/weaker defenders. She’s good at the midrange, but still needs to improve her three-point shooting. Cotie is sub-30% for her career, and only shot above that in one of her four seasons in college.

If the Storm managed to come out of the 2026 WNBA Draft with Olivia Miles or Azzi Fudd and Cotie McMahon, I would consider it a Home Run for the organization.

Madina Okot - Center - South Carolina

2025-2026 Stats: 12.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 57.5% FG
Career Stats: 12.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 60.6% FG

I think it’s going to be very interesting to see where Madina Okot lands on draft night. Coach Dawn Staley was hoping to get her one more year of college eligibility because Okot had only played two years of American college basketball despite being classified as a senior. Before that, she had played two seasons with Zetech University in Kenya.

Okot was a Kenyan volleyball star turned basketball player. She only started playing basketball around five years ago. She still has a tremendous amount of room to grow. If she had been granted another season of college eligibility, I would not have been surprised if she ended up being a lottery selection in 2027. With that said, I could still see her being selected in the Top 8 this year.

At 6’6”, Okot can provide a big body down low. But she’s shown that she is capable of knocking down the three-point shot as well. That’s still on a small sample size, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her continue to develop that part of her game over the next few years.

Okot is definitely a project. That’s why I believe it’s possible she could still be available at the end of the first round. There are going to be certain teams that are looking for a player who can come in and contribute right away in Year 1. If she falls to Seattle at 14, I think it might be tough to pass on her. And they’d be foolish to if she’s still around at Pick 16.

Angela Dugalić - Power Forward - UCLA

2025-2026 Stats: 9.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 50.2% FG
Career Stats: 7.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 43% FG

I was always so confused when I’d see certain mock drafts have Angela Dugalić projected to go in the late 2nd round (around picks 25-30). Whenever I watched her with UCLA, she was always making a positive impact. She’s 6’4”, she can post up, drive to the rim, and knock down the three-pointer.

One key test I wanted to see was how she’d perform against South Carolina, a team with several players who have WNBA size and athleticism, and one day will play in the league. She didn’t dominate, but she could hang with them. She scored nine points on 50% FG shooting, pulled down five rebounds, and had four assists in the National Championship game against the Gamecocks. I thought she looked significantly better against tougher competition than Marta Suarez.

I felt justified in my own priors when I saw that the WNBA selected her as one of 15 players who officially get invited to attend the WNBA Draft. That means that the league has heard from multiple General Managers that they believe she will be a first-round pick.

I’m not positive she will be selected in the first round. But if she’s not, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Storm select her with their 16th overall pick, especially if the other three players I’ve listed above are all gone at that point.

Notes:
IMPORTANT: Subscription prices will be increasing on May 1st. The good news is that if you are currently a paid subscriber, you’ll be grandfathered in to your current price unless you cancel. Patrons will have a few weeks to sign up at the current monthly or annual rate.

Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.
Photography Credits: WNBA Photography, ESPN, NCAA
Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources!

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I’m not including any unrealistic or impossible names either. There will be no A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, and similar players in this list. If a player has been cored by their current team or has clearly indicated they’re returning, they won’t make this list.

Jackie Young

2025 WNBA Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.3 SPG

If the Seattle Storm want to speed up their rebuild, I don’t think there is a better player they could recruit than Jackie Young. Young had a slow start to her WNBA career, but has truly blossomed into one of the WNBA’s best players over the past few years. During that time, she’s been a critical piece of the Las Vegas Aces Championship Dynasty. She’s played a major role in helping the Aces eliminate the Storm in 3 out of the last four seasons. How does that saying go? If you can’t beat them, join them. Or in this case, if you can’t beat them, steal their players!

I’ll be honest, I was stunned that the Las Vegas Aces didn’t bother to place the Core franchise tag on Young. They must be extremely confident that she will re-sign with the Aces, because if she does leave in Free Agency, that will look like a horrible blunder by Las Vegas’s front office.

I’ve seen people already say, “Why would Jackie leave A’ja and the Aces instead of just sticking around and winning more championships?” It’s a reasonable question to ask. But I’ll just say this. Star players leave championship teams all the time in every sport. Sometimes it’s because they get more money elsewhere, sometimes it’s because they get a longer contract (e.g., 4 years instead of 2), it can be to move to a larger market, closer to home, or maybe the player wants to receive more recognition instead of just being a part of “A’ja Wilson and crew”.

If I recall correctly, ESPN or another big media outlet put out a graphic that said “Who’s stopping this Big 3 in Vegas?” and I believe it showed A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd, completely leaving Jackie Young off the graphic entirely when Jackie is the Aces second-best player. If I were the Storm’s front office, I would be aggressively pursuing Young with money, multiple years, and the chance to take on a larger role if she wants it. While I think Dominique Malonga has MVP-potential down the road, I’m not positive that she is ready to be the Storm’s #1 option in 2026. Young could certainly take that on if she’s ready.

Veronica Burton

2025 WNBA Stats: 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.1 SPG

If the Seattle Storm are moving on from Skylar Diggins, then they’re going to need a new starting point guard on the roster. I’m sure many of us believe that could be Olivia Miles with the #3 overall draft pick. But what happens if Dallas or Minnesota drafts Miles first? The team could select UCLA Point Guard, Kiki Rice. A player I feel can be projected to be a lot like Burton. But for this argument, let’s say that Awa Fam goes #1 to Dallas and Olivia Miles goes #2 to the Lynx. The Storm may be tempted to draft Azzi Fudd in that situation, filling another major hole on the team (three-point shooting), but then they’d still need a lead ball handler.

Similar to Jackie Young, I was a little surprised that the Valkyries didn’t place the Core tag on Burton. However, unlike Young, Burton is a restricted free agent and Golden State will be able to match any offer she receives from other teams. That makes signing a deal with the Storm much more difficult, but this is a wish list after all.

Burton had by far her best season in the WNBA this past year. In fact, she won the Most Improved Player Award. She nearly quadrupled her scoring average from the previous season. Veronica is an excellent two-way guard, earning All-Defensive 2nd Team honors. She also was 3rd in the WNBA in assists a 6.0 APG. Burton is only 25 years old and still has plenty of room to grow her game. I don’t believe that this past season with the Valkyries was a one-hit wonder.

Natasha Cloud

2025 WNBA Stats: 10.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.2 SPG

If Skylar Diggins isn’t coming back, the Storm aren’t able to draft Olivia Miles, and the Golden State Valkyries match the offer on Veronica Burton, then maybe Seattle turns to Natasha Cloud. The reports around New York seem to indicate that Cloud might not be back with the Liberty this season. New York also has to pay big money to Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones to keep their 2024 Championship Core together. Plus, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is returning from injury and they have to factor her back into the lineup.

Cloud is only one year younger than Diggins, and she isn’t as dynamic of a scorer as Skylar, but she’s still one of the better point guards in the league. She is a strong defender and a good leader. She helped lead the Washington Mystics to their 2019 championship. Cloud ranked in the Top 10 in assists at 5.1 APG.

I also recall there being interest in Cloud from the Storm’s front office before they signed Skylar Diggins. If Skylar doesn’t return, maybe they circle back with Natasha.

Jordin Canada

2025 WNBA Stats: 11.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 SPG

Another option at point guard would be the player I thought was going to be Sue Bird’s heir apparent. Jordin Canada did an admirable job running the show for Seattle as their backup PG during the Storm’s 2018 and 2020 Championship runs. She also took over as a starter in 2019, when Bird was out due to knee surgery.

Bird was around for five more seasons after Seattle selected Canada 5th overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft. Ultimately, Sue outlasted Jordin and her rookie contract and Canada went home to Los Angeles. Since then, Jordin has been the starting point guard with the LA Sparks and the Atlanta Dream over the past four seasons.

The Dream have to invest big money into Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray (who they cored). They also likely plan to re-sign Brionna Jones. Brittney Griner could also return. And Atlanta just traded for Angel Reese. Canada could be the odd woman out again this offseason. That could give Seattle an opportunity for a reunion.

Canada has always been an aggressive driver to the rim and a pesky defender. Her three-point shooting is likely why Seattle let her go after the 2021 season, but it has improved significantly. It’s still not anything to write home about, but over the past three seasons Jordin averaged between 28%-33% from beyond the arc. That’s compared to her rough sub-20% 3-PT shooting in three of her four seasons in Seattle.

Satou Sabally

2025 WNBA Stats: 16.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG

Satou Sabally will likely be one of the bigger-named free agents that is expected to move this offseason. Whether it was a bad fit next to Alyssa Thomas, an issue with the coach, or the fact that the Mercury staff did not handle her major concussion in the playoffs properly, the word going around is that Sabally won’t be returning to Phoenix.

They call her the Unicorn because she has a very unique combination of skills, size, and speed that allows her to do several things on a basketball court and become a nightmare to defend against. Sabally is 6’4” with the strength to score in the paint, but has the speed to get past defenders off the dribble. She’s also a talented outside shooter. She shot 45% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game in 2024. Throughout her career, she has knocked down 32% or better on her 3-PT shots in four of her six seasons.

The biggest concern with Sabally is that she’s likely going to command a max salary, and she has been plagued by injuries throughout her career. Satou has only played the majority of her games in two out of her six seasons in the league. She missed 15 games in 2021, 25 games in 2022, and 25 games in 2024. She also missed the entire 2026 Unrivaled season as she hasn’t been cleared to return to basketball after her serious concussion last year.

This signing only makes sense if the Storm are planning to trade Ezi Magbegor, unless Coach Sonia Raman thinks she could play Sabally, Magbegor, and Malonga all on the court together.

Alanna Smith

2025 WNBA Stats: 9.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG

Alanna Smith has resurrected her WNBA career after it was a major disappointment during her first four years in the league. However, she has put together back-to-back-to-back strong seasons in Chicago and now Minnesota over the past three years. She won Co-Defensive Player of the Year with 4-time MVP A’ja Wilson in 2025. Smith has earned WNBA All-Defensive Team honors over the past two seasons.

Smith has been a natural fit next to Napheesa Collier with the Lynx, but she recently said in an interview that she loved her time in Minnesota but that she needed to explore her options. There are already reports that the New York Liberty are interested in her.

She may not be the biggest star, but she’s an important glue piece that helps a team win games in a variety of ways. Smith has had monster rebounding games against the Storm in the past. She ranked third in the WNBA with 1.9 blocks per game. Smith knocked down 40% of her three-pointers in 2024 and 33% in 2025. She would help stretch the floor for Dominique Malonga because defenses have to respect her three-point shooting.

Similar to Sabally, I feel this signing would only make sense if the Storm are trading Ezi away. Although if paired together, they would have natural chemistry as they both play for the Australian Opals.

Jewell Loyd

2025 WNBA Stats: 11.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG

Oh, if only I could see the look on your faces. I honestly thought about making this one its own unique article, but I think this will be sufficient.

It’s no secret that Jewell Loyd did not leave the Seattle Storm organization on the best of terms. There was a lot of animosity toward Coach Quinn and her staff. And possibly some with Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, as well. However, Coach Quinn has been replaced by Coach Raman. And in this scenario, Diggins and Ogwumike are signing elsewhere this offseason. Can we 100% rule out a Jewell Loyd return?

Jewell has familiarity playing alongside both Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston. Magbegor had the best year of her career when she was the primary post player next to Loyd.

It’s certainly possible she will just return to Las Vegas to try to win her 4th WNBA Championship, but there could be a scenario where the Aces are too invested in their other players, like A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray, and there is not enough left over for Loyd.

If the Storm draft Olivia Miles or Kiki Rice to play the point guard position, they could still be on the hunt for a starting shooting guard. They could play Jordan Horston in that spot, but she may also play the small forward if Gabby Williams doesn’t re-sign.

There are obviously multiple concerns. Did Loyd or people inside the Storm organization (that are still there) burn the bridge to the point of no return? Was Loyd’s overall disappointing season the new normal, or can she return to her former glory? Is her inefficient shooting too much of a problem, or can it be reined in like it was during the Storm’s championship seasons?

This is a fun one to discuss and comment below!

Update as of 04/11/26 10:00 PM

Jackie Young - signed a 1-year deal to return to the Las Vegas Aces
Veronica Burton - re-signed with the Valkyries on a 3-year deal
Natasha Cloud - unsigned
Jordin Canada - re-signed with the Atlanta Dream on a 2-year deal
Satou Sabally - signed a multi-year deal with the New York Liberty
Alanna Smith - signed a 3-year deal with the Dallas Wings
Jewell Loyd - signed a 3-year deal to return to the Las Vegas Aces

Storm-specific news:

In:
Natisha Hiedeman signed with Seattle on a two-year deal
Stefanie Dolson has reportedly signed a deal with Seattle

Out:
Nneka Ogwumike left Seattle and is re-signing with the LA Sparks
Brittney Sykes left Seattle and is signing a two-year deal with the Toronto Tempo
Skylar Diggins has signed a 2-year deal with the Chicago Sky
Erica Wheeler has signed a 2-year deal with the LA Sparks
Gabby Williams is leaving Seattle and will sign with Las Vegas, Minnesota, or Golden State

Notes:
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Photography Credits: WNBA Photography, ESPN
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On the eve of WNBA Free Agency, today (April 7th) was the last day that teams could place the Core (franchise) tag on eligible players. 10 of the 15 WNBA teams used their Core tag. The Seattle Storm had a decision to make. The main choices were between Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and Brittney Sykes. For a while now, I’ve said it made the most sense to put the tag on Magbegor. The Storm’s front office agreed, and so they did.

Below is the list of all 10 players who received the Core tag and with which teams.

Core Designations:

Allisha Gray - Atlanta Dream
Ariel Atkins - Chicago Sky
Arike Ogunbowale - Dallas Wings
Bridget Carleton - Portland Fire
Ezi Magbegor - Seattle Storm
Kelsey Mitchell - Indiana Fever
Kelsey Plum - Los Angeles Sparks
Marina Mabrey - Toronto Tempo
Napheesas Collier - Minnesota Lynx
Sabrina Ionescu - New York Liberty

The Core tag prevents the tagged player from negotiating with other teams. It also guarantees the player will make the supermax salary ($1.4 million) unless the player and team choose to come to a different agreement. If Seattle and Ezi agree to a new multi-year contract, the Storm will not be able to use the Core tag again until that contract ends. We saw that with Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart, because the Storm cored Loyd in 2022 and signed her to a two-year deal. Seattle was then unable to put the Core tag on Stewart in 2023.

I should make it clear that this doesn’t guarantee that Magbegor will play for the Storm in 2026. I hope that she will. I have written multiple times before that it makes more sense to build the Storm’s front court around both Dominique Malonga and Ezi Magbegor, even if it comes at the cost of Nneka Ogwumike. Ogwumike turns 36 in July. Magbegor doesn’t turn 27 until August, and Dominique Malonga will play the entire 2026 WNBA season at 20 years old.

Magbegor has been one of the best defensive players in the entire league. She’s been named to the All-WNBA 1st or 2nd Defensive Team in four consecutive seasons. In 2023, she was named to the All-Star team after putting up around 14 PPG, 8 RPG, and 2 BPG. Ezi still has so much untapped potential. There are not a lot of players that have the size, speed, and skill that she does.

It’s why Dominique Malonga was drafted #2 overall last year, and why Awa Fam could go #1 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Players with that combination of size and speed don’t come around too often. If you have one, you'd better not let them go. And if you’re the Storm, you better not let another one go.

Even if the Storm don’t bring back Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, the franchise seems to be in a great position if they can keep Magbegor. With Dom and Ezi, the Storm would have two front-court players who both can be WNBA All-Stars. If they re-sign Gabby Williams, that’s an All-Star wing. Then they have Jordan Horston, whom I’m a big believer in. Plus, Seattle has the 3rd overall pick in the draft, which should turn into an impact player or at least a starting-quality player.

By placing the Core tag on Magbegor, the Storm have protected the franchise. There is a chance that she is tagged and traded. We saw that back in 2021 when the Storm placed the tag on Natasha Howard and then traded her to the New York Liberty. That eventually resulted in Seattle acquiring Katie Lou Samuelson, which turned into Gabby Williams a year later.

The other day, I proposed a potential sign-and-trade that would send Ezi Magbegor to the Toronto Tempo and her Australian Opals Head Coach, Sandy Brondello, in exchange for the Tempo’s 6th overall draft pick. That would give Seattle picks 3, 6, 14, 16, and 39 in the upcoming WNBA Draft. A similar deal could work with the Expansion Portland Fire and the 7th overall pick.

Alternatively, if the Tempo or Fire were willing to part with their 2027 first-round pick, that might even be the better option, as there is more top-tier talent projected to go in that draft. I don’t think either expansion franchise would be willing to part with their future first-round picks because those could easily be Top 5 lottery picks, but it’s worth the debate.

I wouldn’t recommend this, but another possible option could be a swap of two Core players in Seattle and Dallas, with the Storm sending Magbegor to the Wings, and Dallas sending Arike Ogunbowale to the Storm. I guess since I’ve already mentioned Toronto as a potential trade partner, a Core for Core in Magbegor for Marina Mabrey could also be an option. I value Magbegor above both of those players, but if Ezi was demanding a trade, or if the Storm did bring back Nneka Ogwumike, I could see one of those trades happening. Not ideal, but still better than having Ezi leave in Free Agency for absolutely nothing in return.

General Manager Talisa Rhea made the right decision to core Ezi Magbegor. I hope the move keeps Ezi in Seattle for years to come, but if not, we’ll likely see a trade happen within the next few days.

Notes:
IMPORTANT: Subscription prices will be increasing on May 1st. The good news is that if you are currently a paid subscriber, you’ll be grandfathered in to your current price unless you cancel. Patrons will have a few weeks to sign up at the current monthly or annual rate.

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As the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was agreed upon, WNBA players will receive a significant increase in their pay. This also means the Salary Cap is going way, way up. In the previous CBA, minimum salaries were around $66,000, and the Supermax salary was roughly $250,000 with a total team salary cap set at $1,507,100. This year, that increases to $270,000/$1,400,000/$7,000,000. That means teams will have a lot more money to spend, but with the higher salaries, they’re going to have to be smart with where they put their money.

With Free Agency upon us, it’s time for the Storm to decide what type of team they want to put together for the 2026 WNBA season. Last season’s Seattle Storm team was a frustrating watch because they had so much talent, and yet, the results weren’t there. They should have been title contenders, but they nearly missed the playoffs entirely. They gave the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, their toughest matchup in the playoffs, but they weren’t able to get the job done and were eliminated in the first round.

Months ago, I wrote this.

“I could be wrong, but I think there is a good chance that Diggins and Ogwumike play the rest of their career together. But will that be in Seattle? If it’s going to be in Seattle with the Storm, they are going to have to find a way to transition into more complementary pieces. If they’re struggling to lead the team to the playoffs now, I’m not confident that they will have more success as they turn 36, 37, 38, etc. Especially with the league likely expanding to 48-60 games soon…

A partial rebuild would be Seattle moving on from its oldest veterans (Diggins, Ogwumike, Wheeler), but trying to retain Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and possibly Brittney Sykes. Plus, Dominique Malonga, Jordan Horston, the future first-round picks, etc.

A complete rebuild would likely go with just a full youth movement of Dominique Malonga, Jordan Horston, Ezi Magbegor, and the 2026 first-round pick(s). This would ask Horston to step into a starting role. It would also require Magbegor to have a larger role on the offensive end. Similar to 2023, they would likely lose a lot of games. But ideally, LA misses the playoffs this year, and you combine a 2026 lottery pick with Dominique Malonga, plus maybe another lottery pick in 2027, and build around that core with Horston and Magbegor as well.”

Depending on the path they choose to take, we’ll know where the team’s money will be allotted. Below, I wrote down the percentages of the salary cap each player made last season and what the rough equivalent would be this season.

Gabby Williams made around 15% of the salary cap. That would now be $1,050,000.
Skylar Diggins made around 14% of the salary cap. In 2026 = $980,000.
Nneka Ogwumike made around 13% of the salary cap. In 2026 = $910,000.
Brittney Sykes made around 13% of the salary cap. In 2026 = $910,000.
Ezi Magbegor made around 12% of the salary cap. In 2026 = $840,000.
Dominique Malonga made 5% of the salary cap. In 2026 = $350,000.
Erica Wheeler made 5% of the salary cap (now $350,000).
Lexie Brown made 6% of the salary cap (now $420,000).
Katie Lou Samuelson made 6% of the salary cap ($420,000).
Mackenzie Holmes made 3% of the cap ($224,000).
Tiffany Mitchell made 3% of the cap ($224,000).

That total would equal $6,678,000. But that’s only good for 11 players, and the Storm will be required to have 12 in the new CBA. Plus, that includes some partial-season salaries of Mackenzie Holmes and Tiffany Mitchell.

Per the incredible Her Hoop Stats team, the Storm will need $436,016 for the 3rd overall pick. They’ll need around $289,000 for their late first-round pick (14th overall), and another $270,000 each for their 2nd and 3rd round picks. Of course, not all draft picks will likely make the team. Some might end up as part of the Development Squad. This just gives us a general idea of what salaries could look like.

One big adjustment I had to make with the latest contract details for 2026 from Her Hoop Stats is that I thought the older contracts that still had years remaining would still be based on the old CBA valuations. For instance, I thought Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston would still only be making around $70,000-$80,000 this year. And that Lexie Brown’s guaranteed contract would still be under $100,000 total. That would have made things significantly easier to build a loaded roster, but I wouldn’t feel good about it.

Fortunately for the players, those contracts are all being adjusted. Per HHS, Dominique Malonga will make around $467,000 this season after making less than $80,000 in 2025. Jordan Horston gets a nice bump to around $332,000. Brown’s deal increases to $277,500. Because the Portland Fire took Nika Mühl in the expansion draft, these three players are the only players currently signed to the Storm’s roster. Their salaries come to a total of $1,076,691, leaving the Storm with $5,923,309 with nine players left to sign.

If we divided that up by the nine remaining players, those players would need to average out to $658,145. Of course, we already know that the team will be adding at least one rookie to the team, and possibly two to four in total. Let’s say the Storm’s two first-round picks make the team, and the 3rd and 4th picks (from the 2nd and 3rd rounds) are put onto the Development Squad. I mentioned the prices above for these 2026 first-round draft picks; combined, they equal $725,016. Now Seattle’s salary spent is $1,801,707, and their remaining cap space would be $5,198,293. Divide that total by seven (5 players under contract, 7 more to sign), and that averages out to $742,613.

This is all hypothetical, but let’s use my estimates from above to see if that could work. If we combined the Storm’s starting five (Skylar, Brittney, Gabby, Nneka, and Ezi) with their new projections, that would total $4,690,000. Subtract that from our projected salary cap after signing five players, and that leaves Seattle with $508,293 for two more players ($254,147 each), while the average minimum player salary will be $285,000, and the absolute cheapest it can be is $270,000. We obviously have a problem here. In this scenario, we are already over the salary cap limit of $7,000,000. Not to mention the fact that we didn’t pay even one player the Supermax ($1.4 million) or the fact that teams will want to save some salary cap space (probably between $200,000-$500,000) to potentially work a mid-season trade or sign additional players in the case of an unexpected injury.

So what happens if the Storm want to (or need to) pay two players the Supermax contract? That could be Nneka and Skylar or Gabby and Ezi. The Supermax is roughly 20% of the salary cap. For two players, it would be 40% of the cap. That’s $1.4 million times two = $2.8 million + the $1,076,691 for the three current rostered players (Dominique, Jordan, Lexie), and now we have five players taking up $3,876,691, leaving the team with $3,123,309 for seven players. That would average the remaining seven players out to $446,187. With the new CBA, there is no longer an option to only roster 11 players. Teams must roster 12 players.

There is more granular math here. If we have the three currently signed players + two supermax contracts + two rookie contracts for the 3rd and 14th overall picks, we’d be looking at $4,601,707 of the salary cap used up, leaving the team with $2,398,293 in cap space. That would mean the final five players’ salaries would average around $479,658. Once again, this isn’t factoring in that the team needs to save probably somewhere between $200,000-$500,000 in case of future trades or signings throughout the season.

Could the Storm offer two players a Supermax deal ($1.4 million) and still build the team? Due to their younger players (Malonga and Horston) plus their future draft picks, they should be able to make it work. Things definitely get a lot more complicated if they’re trying to pay a third player the regular max of around $1.1 million, however.

What if the Storm were to offer four players the regular max (around $1 million)? The five existing players of Dom, Jordan, and Lexie, plus the two first-round draft picks (#3, 14), equal $1,801,707. Adding four players at $1 million each gets us to $5,801,707 for 9 roster spots, which leaves $1,198,293 for three more players ($399,431). If the team saves $200,000 for additional emergency cap space, that would leave the three remaining players with an average of $332,764.

It seems that either option could work, but the team definitely has to be careful. Paying two players the Supermax can work if they’re going to have multiple rookies or minimum contracts to fill out the roster. Paying four players around $1 million each can also work, but the rest of the players will need to be similar to lower-end contracts.

We’ve talked a lot about the two timelines. Trying to compete now with multiple star players on higher-paying contracts or rebuilding through the draft. I think the biggest thing is that Seattle doesn’t want to sign older veterans to multi-year max or supermax deals. That is probably the worst thing they can do. If players like Nneka and Skylar were interested in one-year deals, that makes it more palpable compared to if they’re looking for multi-year deals at or near the max salary.

By comparison, signing Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor to longer-term deals makes more sense, as Gabby is in the prime of her career (29 years old) and Ezi is just entering hers (26 years old).

I think it’s highly doubtful that the Storm will retain all five starters from last year’s playoff team. There are too many variables, and too much money would go into the starters, where it’d be difficult to build the rest of the team around them, even on minimum deals. Frankly, I’m not sure I see even three starters re-signing with the Storm. Both Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston can move into starting roles in 2026. It’s also certainly possible that the #3 overall pick could as well, whether that’s Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd, Kiki Rice, Flau’jae Johnson, etc.

We could see something like this: Olivia Miles, Jordan Horston, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and Dominique Malonga. Or maybe it’s Skylar Diggins, Azzi Fudd, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Dominique Malonga.

If the Storm are going to pay any of their players the Supermax or max salary, they should pay their younger players entering their prime. Or try to attract outside free agents who fit that bill. Since it appears that the Las Vegas Aces didn’t place the Core franchise tag on Jackie Young, I’d try to offer her the max to get her to sign in Seattle.

Within the next few days, we should know if the Storm are looking to bring back their veteran core of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, or if they’re ready to build around more youth (Dom, Jordan, Ezi, and probably Gabby).

After writing this article, I have received confirmation that the Seattle Storm placed the Core franchise tag on Ezi Magbegor. I’ll put out a separate article for that. I’ll just note that there will be multiple options there. Magbegor might sign a one-year guaranteed contract at the supermax value of $1.4 million, but that’s not the only option the Storm and Ezi have.

Notes:
IMPORTANT: Subscription prices will be increasing on May 1st. The good news is that if you are currently a paid subscriber, you’ll be grandfathered in to your current price unless you cancel. Patrons will have a few weeks to sign up at the current monthly or annual rate.

Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.
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The WNBA Expansion Draft came and went quickly on Friday afternoon. The two expansion franchises took 22 players total, with each team skipping a selection. Nika Mühl was the only Seattle Storm player selected, and was selected with the last pick of the draft by the Portland Fire. The fact that Ezi Magbegor was not selected leaves me to believe that the Storm protect Magbegor, which is what I predicted in my previous article.

I have wonder if the team also protected Brittney Sykes, as I thought she might be a prime candidate to be selected as a team’s priority UFA. They may have left both Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike unprotected believing that those two would not want to sign with an expansion franchise this late into their careers. If so, I applaud the Storm’s front office for making that decision and not having it backfire.

Below is the full list of players selected in today’s WNBA Expansion draft.

Portland Fire

Bridget Carleton - Minnesota Lynx
Carla Leite - Golden State Valkyries
Chloe Bibby - Indiana Fever
Emily Engstler - Washington Mystics
Haley Jones - Dallas Wings
Luisa Geiselsöder - Dallas Wings
Maya Caldwell - Atlanta Dream
Nika Mühl - Seattle Storm
Nyadiew Puoch - Atlanta Dream
Sarah Ashlee Barker - Los Angeles Sparks
Sug Sutton - Washington Mystics

Bridget Carleton of the Minnesota Lynx was the #1 overall pick for Portland and the Fire’s top priority.

Toronto Tempo

Aaliyah Nye - Las Vegas Aces
Adja Kane - New York Liberty
Julie Allemand - Los Angeles Sparks
Kitija Laksa - Phoenix Mercury
Kristy Wallace - Indiana Fever
Lexi Held - Phoenix Mercury
María Conde - Golden State Valkyries
Maria Kliundikova - Minnesota Lynx
Marina Mabrey - Connecticut Sun
Nyara Sabally - New York Liberty
Nikolina Milić - Connecticut Sun

Julie Allemand was the Toronto Tempo’s top pick in the expansion draft.

Next Up

Key dates ahead:
April 7th - 8th: Teams can place Core franchise tag on players

April 9th - 11th: Free Agency negotiations period

April 12th - 18: Free Agency signing period

April 13th: WNBA Draft

April 19th: Training Camp opens

May 8th: Opening Night

Let me know in the comments section if there were any surprises for you. Who do you think had the better Expansion Draft between Toronto and Portland? Are you sad to see Nika Mühl be drafted away?

Notes:
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With the CBA ratified, the WNBA moves forward with its off-season plans. Next up is the WNBA Expansion Draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, which takes place on Friday, April 3rd. However, the deadline to submit the existing teams’ protected players list is today (March 29th).

WNBA Expansion Draft Rules

Per the league’s PR, they sent out the following.

“The WNBA’s 14th and 15th franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, set to begin play in May, will begin assembling their respective rosters when the league conducts the WNBA Expansion Draft 2026 presented by State Street Investment Management SPY on Friday, April 3. Coverage and analysis will be provided by ESPN, which will air the WNBA Expansion Draft Special 2026 Presented by State Street Investment Management SPY at 3:30 p.m. ET.

A coin toss will be conducted between Portland and Toronto on Friday, March 27, with the winner having the right to choose between either receiving the first selection in the Expansion Draft or the sixth pick – rather than the seventh pick – in the first round of the annual draft set for Monday, April 13, 2026.

The Expansion Draft will consist of two rounds, with Portland and Toronto having the ability to select from a designated pool of available players as determined by each of the current 13 teams. The Fire and the Tempo will “snake” picks such that the team that holds the first pick in the first round via the coin toss selection will have the second pick in the second round. In each round, Portland and Toronto will alternate selections and shall have the right to acquire the player contract of, or the negotiating rights to, one player listed on the Unprotected List of each of the existing 13 teams.

In the college draft, Portland and Toronto will alternate picks such that whichever team holds the sixth pick in the first round will then have the seventh pick in the second round and the sixth pick in the third round. The other team will have the seventh pick in the first round, the sixth pick in the second round, and the seventh pick in the third round.

In preparation for the Expansion Draft, each of the existing 13 teams will be required to submit to the league office by Sunday, March 29, a Roster List that includes every player to whom the team has rights – players on the team’s active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, or retired lists – as of the final day of the 2025 regular season. The 13 teams will be required to designate a maximum of five “Protected Players” who will not be available for selection in the Expansion Draft. All other players on each team’s Roster List will be eligible for selection by the Fire and Tempo (“Unprotected players”).

If a player who is not signed to a contract for the 2026 season is selected by Portland or Toronto in the Expansion Draft, the selecting team will receive whatever rights to such player that the existing team would have had if that player was not selected in the Expansion Draft.

Any player who has completed the playing services called for by her [previous] player contract and has five or more years of service as of the end of the 2025 season must be designated on the Roster List as a “Potential Unrestricted Free Agent.” All such players must be further designated as either “Protected Players” or included on the Unprotected List.

Only one of the players selected by Portland and only one of the players selected by Toronto in the Expansion Draft may be a “Potential Unrestricted Free Agent.” Such a Potential Unrestricted Free Agent may be selected even if they can no longer be designated as a Core Player, permitting the selecting team to be the only team that can negotiate a supermax contract with such player.

Between the time that the Roster Lists are submitted and a designated time on the day before the Expansion Draft, Portland and Toronto will be permitted to make the following trades with existing teams: (i) an agreement to select a particular player from an Unprotected List and trade that player to a team other than her existing team; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a particular player from such trading team’s Unprotected List.”

Since the WNBA released this information, we have had the drawing in which Toronto won the coin toss. They selected to have the earlier draft pick, #6 overall in the WNBA Draft. That means the Portland Fire will get the first pick in the Expansion Draft. Today, the 13 current WNBA teams will need to send the league their list of five players they plan to protect. All other WNBA players will be available to be selected by Portland and Toronto.

Seattle Storm’s 2025/2026 Roster

Under Contract

Lexie Brown
Jordan Horston
Dominique Malonga
Nika Mühl

Unrestricted Free Agents

Skylar Diggins
Ezi Magbegor
Tiffany Mitchell
Nneka Ogwumike
Katie Lou Samuelson
Brittney Sykes
Erica Wheeler
Gabby Williams

Reserved Players

Zia Cooke
Mackenzie Holmes

Unfortunately for the Storm, the rules have changed a little more. Last year, they were able to protect six players, and this year, they’re only able to protect five. Moreover, previously they didn’t need to protect players who had received the Core (franchise) tag multiple times in previous seasons, but this time they will. That means they will have to protect Nneka Ogwumike where they didn’t need to in 2025.

With two expansion franchises coming in during the same season, I do believe these changes to the rules were necessary. It should give both the Tempo and Fire a chance to be decent in their first season. No one expected the Golden State Valkyries to be a playoff team last year, but they made it happen. We’ll see if either Portland or Toronto can match that.

Who Will the Storm Protect?

I think we have a general idea of the players that should be protected, but there is some uncertainty due to the change in expansion rules, plus the fact that we don’t know what the plan is with a new Head Coach (Sonia Raman). It’s unclear if the team plans to continue to build around veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins or rebuild around a younger core with Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston.

I feel very confident that, whether they do the former or the latter, either way, they will be protecting Malonga and Horston. Both players are already under contract for next season, or in Dom’s case, several more seasons. That takes up two of Seattle’s five protected spots.

Seattle’s starting five at the end of last season was Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Ezi Magbegor. Erica Wheeler deserves an honorable mention as she started the majority of games at Shooting Guard before the Sykes trade. Because we’ve already protected two players who weren’t starters in the above scenario, we know that the Storm won’t be able to protect all five starters ahead of the expansion draft.

I think we can safely rule out Mackenzie Holmes, Zia Cooke, Lexie Brown, Tiffany Mitchell, and Nika Mühl. I don’t really see a scenario where the Storm would protect those players over the potential starters from last season’s playoff team. That isn’t to say that I don’t think any of them will be on the Storm’s roster in 2026.

Players like Mühl, Holmes, or Cooke could all be on Seattle’s roster in some form or another if they aren’t selected in the Expansion Draft. Lexie Brown has a guaranteed contract with the Storm for 2026. Assuming she isn’t selected in the expansion draft, they could keep her, look to trade her, or try to buyout her contract.

Before we knew the rules for this year’s expansion draft, I thought the Storm might have to debate between protecting Katie Lou Samuelson or Erica Wheeler. Wheeler obviously played a much larger role on the team, but Katie Lou is younger, and we don’t know what the new coaches will be looking for. However, this thought process was under the initial impression that Seattle could protect six players and wouldn’t need to protect Nneka. Now we know that neither of those things is accurate. Because the rules have changed, I don’t expect the Storm to protect either Katie Lou Samuelson or Erica Wheeler.

That leaves us three spots for five players: Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and Brittney Sykes.

Sykes seems like the most expendable, even though Seattle gave up their 2026 first-round pick (9th overall) to acquire her at the trade deadline. With the Storm being eliminated again in the first round, losing their first-round pick, and then immediately losing the player they traded their first-round pick away for, is an unfortunate double-whammy. But Sykes shares a similar style to both Gabby Williams and Jordan Horston. With Horston returning from injury, there is some redundancy there.

Nneka Ogwumike was the Seattle Storm’s best player in 2025. Arguably, she was also their best player in 2024 as well. Even in a scenario where the Storm’s front office decided they probably want to go into a full youth rebuild, I can’t see a situation where they wouldn’t protect Ogwumike. She is far too talented. Seattle’s Front Office wouldn’t protect players like Katie Lou Samuelson or Nika Mühl over Ogwumike. That’s not happening. Nneka will take up one of the remaining three spots.

Gabby Williams is next on the list. For the reason I wrote about why I don’t think Brittney Sykes will be protected, Gabby will be. Both share a lot of similarities. Both players are incredible, dynamic athletes. Both are great at getting downhill and driving to the rim. They’re both good rebounders and excellent defenders. However, both struggle with their outside shooting; both are around 30% or below from 3-PT throughout their career. The difference? Williams is nearly five years younger than Sykes. She has built a strong following in Seattle, she is a huge fan favorite, and has a great relationship with the franchise. Gabby is also more likely to re-sign with the team because she has already done so multiple times.

Williams can also be looked at as a cornerstone franchise piece, no matter what direction the Front Office wants to head. Does the team want to try and swing for the fences and push for a Championship in 2026? Then Gabby Williams is going to be an important piece, likely as the team’s third or fourth option. What if they want to go into a full rebuild around the younger players like Dominique Malonga? Gabby can be her veteran and still be the 2nd or 3rd option on the team. Similar to what Jewell Loyd was for Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston, or Sue Bird was with Jewell and Stewie. With all that in mind, I think Gabby is in. That would be four protected slots taken up.

Two players are left to decide one spot. And boy, is this not easy. Skylar Diggins and Ezi Magbegor. The team has to make this decision before WNBA Free Agency or the WNBA Draft. General Manager Talisa Rhea will have to decide between the team’s defensive anchor and their primary ballhandler and point guard.

Making the Case to Protect Skylar

Storm fans know better than anyone how important the point guard position is. They’ve watched Sue Bird lead the franchise to four incredible WNBA Championships as the lead guard. The team also saw how poorly it operated in 2023 after Bird retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season, especially because they let Jordin Canada leave after 2021. In 2023, Yvonne Turner, Ivana Dojkić, and Sami Whitcomb all took turns trying to run the point, and none of them were successful to the level Seattle needed.

Despite some concerns, Diggins is still one of the league’s best point guards. She’s averaged over 15.0 PPG and 6.0 APG during her two-year stint in Seattle. While I believe Nneka might have a little more left in the tank than Skylar, I still believe Diggins can perform at or near an All-Star level in 2026.

When making the argument to protect Skylar over Ezi, I would talk about the importance of the point guard position. I would reference that Diggins is coming off her 7th All-Star appearance, while Magbegor had her worst season since 2021 (her 2nd year in the WNBA). I would also argue that if the team is building around Nneka Ogwumike in the near-future for the next couple of years and Dominique Malonga over the long-term, then I don’t know where that leaves Magbegor. I wrote an entire article about this topic late last year.

Diggins has expressed interest in finishing her career in Seattle. I don’t know if that has changed with the coaching/regime change (Quinn out and Raman in). But if that still holds true, Skylar can potentially give the Storm another season or two of high-quality point guard play, and that is very valuable when building a basketball team.

Making the Case to Protect Ezi

Around the time Jewell Loyd requested a trade, but before it happened, I wrote an article questioning whether the Storm should build around Ezi Magbegor. This was obviously well before they drafted Dominique Malonga. Nowadays, the consensus is that the Storm will build around Dom. But it wasn’t that long ago that I was writing the same thing about Ezi.

We have to remember that despite Ezi having already played six seasons in the WNBA, she is only 26 years old. Realistically, she should be entering her prime right now and should stay there for at least five years. During the only season in which she was the primary post player on the Storm, she was named to the WNBA All-Star team while averaging nearly 14 PPG on over 50% FG shooting and 39% 3-PT FG shooting, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 2.0 BPG while she was 23 years old. In the best league in the world. Those numbers are pretty comparable to Napheesa Collier’s age-23 season in 2020.

Now I’m not here to say Magbegor is going to start putting up MVP numbers as Collier did. But I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe that her best basketball is still ahead of her, and that she has the talent to put up impressive numbers. Protecting Ezi is protecting an investment in the Storm’s future. She is nearly 10 years younger than Skylar.

Ezi is the team’s defensive anchor and rim protector. Gabby Williams has talked about how much Magbegor does to clean up everyone else’s mistakes. Magbegor has earned All-WNBA 1st or 2nd Team honors in four of her six seasons. She is one of the league’s best defensive players.

If the Storm are looking to build around youth, Magbegor is an important piece to keep around. Even though I expect Seattle to try to retain Nneka Ogwumike, we don’t know if that will be for just one more season, two, or could it be more than two? If Nneka decided to go elsewhere, the Storm could build around Magbegor and Dominique Malonga as the team’s frontcourt. Being able to replace Nneka, whether that’s this season or in a couple of years, with another player with All-Star potential (Magbegor) is important.

Decisions

I have a couple of thoughts on this. I believe Ezi Magbegor will be a hot commodity in Free Agency. I see other fan bases from places like Dallas and Minnesota that are hoping they sign Magbegor this offseason. There is also the obvious connection with Toronto Head Coach Sandy Brondello and Magbegor due to their time together on the Australian National team.

I do wonder if the Tempo and the Storm could agree to some type of trade that would leave Ezi exposed in the expansion draft, but then Toronto trades the Storm a draft pick. I’m not sure they’d be willing to part with the 6th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but that could be something GM Talisa Rhea explores.

That might be a bit complicated, as Portland has the first choice in the expansion draft because Toronto opted to take the earlier pick (6th instead of 7th). I’m not sure how either Seattle or Toronto could guarantee that Magbegor would still be available for the Tempo. And the problem is that the protected list is due today (Sunday, March 29th).

Ultimately, I think the Storm should protect Magbegor unless they work out some type of trade, as I wrote above. There are a couple of reasons why I would protect Ezi over Skylar. She is the team’s best defensive player. She is nearly 10 years younger than Diggins. Ezi is insurance in case, for some reason, the team doesn’t re-sign Ogwumike.

Lastly, I think leaving Skylar unprotected is the “safer” move. The players who are Unrestricted Free Agents that are selected in this year’s expansion draft are not obligated to sign with the new expansion team. Toronto and Portland may not want to “waste” their pick on Diggins if they aren’t confident that she’ll want to sign with them. While it’s true that the Tempo or Fire would then be the only team that could offer her a Supermax salary, I feel that contract would be more important to Ezi than Skylar, knowing all of Diggins’ sponsorship deals.

We don’t know exactly what direction the Seattle Storm want to go in this year with a fresh slate and a new coaching staff, but my prediction is that they protect Dominique Malonga, Jordan Horston, Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Ezi Magbegor.

The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire Expansion Draft on Friday, April 3rd at 12:30 PM PT.

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Earlier this week, I reached out to several WNBA Media members from across the country to gather their unfiltered input on the 2026 WNBA Draft. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 here.

I received such a positive response from the participants and the readers that I was able to put together enough feedback to warrant more than one article.

Ahead of the college/amateur WNBA Draft, read what the media thinks about these prospects and what might happen on April 13th.

WNBA Media Draft Questions

1. Who should the Dallas Wings draft #1 overall and why?

“Azzi Fudd. While Awa Fam’s potential is off the charts, Azzi is more pro-ready right now, and you need to maximize being competitive through the length of Paige’s rookie contract, and bringing in another no. 1 pick that she’s already incredibly familiar with (and a shooter that complements her game so well) goes a long way there. On top of that, the timing of having everyone as a free agent also allows you to build up that front court right away and jump start that growth window. I don’t think Azzi’s popularity in terms of marketing/ticket sales would factor in if there was a sizable gap in terms of talent here, but in tipping the scales if you’re already leaning? I could see it.”

“I would be a little shocked if Dallas didn’t draft Azzi Fudd with the top pick. Provide some extra scoring punch, there’s the obvious familiarity with Bueckers, and you never know if Paige could have some impact on that.”

“Don’t overthink this one - it’s Azzi Fudd. She has elite scoring potential & is the perfect complimentary piece to her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers on that side of the ball thanks to her ability to stretch the floor and create her own shot. I understand Fudd’s injury history is a factor, but her ceiling is too high to pass up. Don’t sleep on her defense, either.”

“Awa Fam. The highest upside prospect in the class who profiles as a perfect PnR partner with Paige Bueckers.”

“Other than point guard, it would be fair to say that the Dallas Wings need substantial upgrades at every other position. So the question becomes: What set of skills can help establish or solidify the team’s foundation while also elevating the ceiling of this rebuilding club? As tempting as it would be to select a wing or center, the Dallas Wings should look to draft UConn SG Azzi Fudd with the #1 overall pick. The elevator pitch for Fudd is fairly straightforward: the UConn sharpshooter is the best movement shooter the game has seen in the last two decades (and to be honest, that’s a conservative timeframe). As of this writing, Fudd has started in all 36 of UConn’s games this season. In that time, she has separated herself as the most explosive and efficient long-range volume shooter in the nation. For the season, Fudd is shooting 47.5% from 3P in transition, 46.9% from 3P when spotting up, 46.0% from 3P when coming off screens, and 48.1% from 3P when receiving a handoff. Fudd’s shooting splits combined with her 3P rate (50.3%) is enough to pique the interest of any GM, but those that question her candidacy for being selected with the #1 overall pick will point to her low rim frequency and her modest on-ball shot creation as potentially limiting factors with regards to being a foundational piece. But several coaches would take exception to that line of thinking; in an era that strives for pace and space on offense while emphasizing “possession-maxing” execution, off-ball shot creation is a necessary (and game-changing) component for any multi-layered offense that seeks to create constant countermoves upon countermoves. Fans are fixated on the made or missed shots (the result), but the manner in which Fudd gets these looks (the off-ball shot creation) is what is special. V-cuts, backdoor cuts, ghost screens, flare screens - there isn’t a single off-ball action that Fudd hasn’t already mastered. And because of her proficiency in off-ball shot creation, Fudd offers the Wings high portability; in other words, there isn’t a lineup or overall system that Fudd can’t immediately fit into. It might be presumptuous to assume that Wings Head Coach Jose Fernandez will run the same type of offense he ran at the University of South Florida, but if he incorporates some of his go-to sets in Dallas, fans should expect to see a low to moderate amount of pick and rolls, and a heavy dose of 4-High stack sets. And if he’s implementing those types of sets, then he would need an elite movement shooter who can create the staggered lifts that create separation above the break and below the nail. That’s the type of space created that a pull-up maestro like Paige Bueckers would both capitalize and thrive in. And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Fudd is a high-level defender who is capable of defending at the point of attack as well as off the ball. Given her defensive efficiency while consistently demonstrating the ability to switch onto bigger players in the post, deny entry passes into the lane, cut off dribble penetration from ball handlers, and contest perimeter shooters, Azzi Fudd could very well become the defensive linchpin of the Dallas Wings. There is no one way to build a roster, but Fudd gives the Wings multiple ways to win games.”

2. What is the Minnesota Lynx’s biggest need? Which player do they draft?

“Centers Awa Fam or Lauren Betts to complement the Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman backcourt / Napheesa Collier combo.”

“One can make the argument that the Lynx could use upgrades at both the point guard and center positions. However, because of Minnesota’s fast-paced, five-out motion offense, the Lynx have rarely had to rely on a single ball-handler to create dribble penetration or isolate on the perimeter. In contrast, a series of drag screens, re-screens, and swing-passes have allowed the Lynx’s primary scorers (Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride) to get downhill and/or attack a mismatch against a shifting defense. But even if Minnesota wanted to add a “pure point guard” who can create off the dribble and manage the game in the half court, I’m skeptical that Cheryl Reeve would trust a rookie point guard to lead her veteran-laden team. Having said that, I think Minnesota would be wise to target a traditional rim-protecting center who can allow the Lynx veterans to slide down to their natural positions (McBride to SG, Collier to SF, Alanna Smith to PF). And if this is Minnesota’s prerogative, they should select UCLA C Lauren Betts. Betts’ discipline as a rim protector would amplify Collier’s and Smith’s defensive versatility as front court roamers and “ free safeties” outside of the paint. Minnesota could immediately take advantage of Betts’ mastery of drop coverage (low or high drop) which would essentially force opponents into one-dimensional scoring profiles. In addition, Betts has become increasingly more proficient at switching and containing smaller and/or faster guards and wings. If Betts were to find herself switched out onto the perimeter and defending in space, she can continue to be aggressive given that Collier and Smith would be behind her as the second level and backline defenders. As for the offensive side, Betts’ comfortability passing out of the high post would fit the Lynx’s motion offense. And with her ability to crash the offensive glass, Betts could have a consistent offensive impact even if she isn’t initially given a high usage rate.”

“They were pretty elite at everything, but one area is rebounding. Olivia Miles is an elite guard rebounder with all-time playmaking chops and some shot creation.”

“It’s a good question, especially considering they only have bench players under contract and that’s it. The pick that seems to be popular here is Awa Fam, and I wouldn’t doubt that. If they can bring back Collier, that would be a fun pairing regardless of who else is around them. And if Phee doesn’t come back, Fam could be a tantalizing restart point.”

“Building around Phee gives you the optionality to truly go in whatever direction. But I think they try and re-sign Lan first, and then go Olivia Miles.”

3. What player is the best fit for the Seattle Storm?

“Olivia Miles. Adding a young, playmaking floor general to a veteran Storm backcourt is just what Seattle needs. She’ll learn from greats like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins as she helps lead the Storm into the future.”

“In order to answer this question, we have to make an educated guess with regards to what the Seattle Storm want do with their roster moving forward. Over the last few seasons, the Storm have structured the contracts of their veteran players to create the ability to move off of their veterans in the event that they wanted to hit the reset button on their roster at any inflection point (Offseason Free Agency, WNBA Draft, the Trade Deadline). In my opinion, we’ve reached the point where it may be in the franchise’s best interest to hit the reset button and engage in a “soft rebuild.” The team should aim to rebuild around Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga, but beyond that, the Storm should be looking to find young players who can potentially be long-term starters for the team. If that’s the case, the team should look to draft UCLA PG Kiki Rice. Rice arguably has the highest floor of any PG prospect in this draft class. Her ability to facilitate and game manage a team’s offense provides the stability that Head Coach Sonia Raman would be looking for in her floor general. However, Rice has considerable upside as a scorer and playmaker because of her ability to be effective on and off the ball without the use of ball screens. Her ability to create off the dribble and get downhill without a ball screen completely changes the way defenses have to play her. When she’s consistently beating defenders off the bounce, defenses will inevitably have to help on her drives. And when that happens...her teammates will get the opportunity to cash in on some of the most open catch-and-shoot looks they could ever hope for. On the defensive end, Rice has the ability to pick up ball-handlers at the point of attack and defend off-ball wings. She isn’t just a part of her team’s perimeter defense; she has the ability to be her team’s defensive catalyst - someone who prevents gaps from opening and ensures that opposing ball-handlers can’t generate any consistent and/or direct dribble penetration. Rice is the embodiment of fundamentals over flash. But her consistency in executing the fundamentals results in her team’s ceiling elevating further and further up.”

“Azzi Fudd would be the best fit, for a Storm team that was ninth in both three-point makes and attempts, the lowest of any of the playoff teams. Olivia Miles makes sense as well, as a PG of the future, but the (lack of) shooting and spacing would still be a major concern in 2026.”

“Currently, I’d say Azzi Fudd. As has been well documented, the Storm lacked a true producer at the two this past season and really the last few seasons since Jewell Loyd’s MVP-bid season. If Skylar Diggins returns, which I have to think she will be giving my impressions, that’s a fun backcourt. If there’s no Skylar, you restart at the PG position with Olivia Miles.”

“Azzi Fudd or Olivia Miles, either would fit perfectly.”

4. If Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles are drafted in the Top 2 picks, who should the Storm select?

“If Fudd and Miles are gone by the time that the Storm are on the clock, I have to think that Seattle would go with Flau’jae Johnson. I don’t think that the Storm want to use that pick on another big (Betts or Fam) to pair alongside Malonga, and especially not if they bring Ezi Magbegor back.”

“You just take Awa Fam. Fam has the athleticism to play the 4, shooting upside & we’ve never seen a frontcourt as young as that duo — it’d be scary.”

“That’s where it gets messy (trade).”

“In this scenario, the Storm select Awa Fam and they don’t think twice about it. Some fans will question whether this creates a logjam in the front court or if it’s a redundant move given that the Storm just drafted Dominique Malonga last year. But if you really look at Fam’s offensive and defensive profile, she’s the complete opposite of Malonga. All of Fam’s shooting indicators (FT% and year-to-year midrange and 3PT improvement) suggest she can continue to develop into an average or above-average 3PT shooter. If you believe in Fam’s potential to become a consistent stretch-4/5, then she would be the perfect complement to Malonga’s interior scoring and post presence. On the defensive end, Fam is already one of the best bigs at defending in space and switching onto smaller and quicker guards. In contrast, Malonga (who definitely has a ways to go with regards to being a consistent defender) is more comfortable patrolling the paint and serving as a last-line-of-defense rim protector. When you add Gabby Williams into the equation, the Storm could field one of the most versatile and suffocating defensive front courts in the WNBA . The combination of length, size, agility, and lateral quickness would immediately pose a problem for any opposing offense.”

“Even though the Storm have talented young bigs with high ceiling potential already on the roster, Lauren Betts or Awa Fam are too good to pass up. Best available over position decision.”

5. In what order will UCLA’s starting 5 be drafted?

“Betts, Rice, Kneepkens, Jaquez, Leger-Walker”

“Rice-Betts-Kneepkens-Jaquez-CLW”

“Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker”

“Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Charlisse Leger-Walker”

“Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker, BONUS: Angela Dugalic”

6. Predict the biggest shock of the draft.

“I have spent far too much time trying to concoct a situation where the Storm move the third pick, if Fam and Betts are atop the consensus draft boards and the best players available. A year removed from selecting Dom Malonga, and if they decide to try and run it back with Nneka Ogwumike and/or Ezi Magbegor, neither of those players makes much sense in the short-term. So I started thinking about trade opportunities, but those aren’t really good either, with the lack of players under contract. Came up with three possibilities, from worst to first:

3. Some sort of creative pick swap and sign-and-trade with the Toronto Tempo. Seattle sends out Ezi Magbegor (a Sandy Brondello/Opals reunion) and no. 3 in exchange for pick no. 6 and a 2027 first rounder (likely in the lottery). I don’t love this for Toronto, because they might run into the same size/skill set redundancies with whomever they take.

2. The New York Liberty trade Betnjiah Laney-Hamilton and their 2027 first for the no. 3 pick. Laney-Hamilton’s under a reserved contract after last year’s injury kept her out all year, so a potentially tradable asset. She fits in with the current window, if Seattle wants to run back some/all of the Ogwumike/Diggins/Williams/Sykes core, while providing hard-nosed defense and perimeter scoring ability. The pick next year will likely be back third of the first round, but if you’re confident in Betnijah’s health, this could be a contender move for 2026. For New York, this frees up some cap space for re-signing their big three, while also getting a high-ceiling frontcourt talent that can develop behind several MVPs. To me, Seattle says no here.

1. In exchange for no. 3, the Golden State Valkyries trade no. 8 and Janelle Salaün. Here’s another rangy athletic wing that can help with the current title window, if they want to run it back, but she’s also just 24 years old and can develop alongside her French countrywoman in Malonga (and Williams). Plus, this would be *fun*. Salaün’s definitely a player the Valkyries will be looking to protect, so this is not someone they’ll want to part with easily. Still, just a year into existence, could a potential star big like Betts or Fam be a ceiling-raiser that you can build around going forward? With trade potential limited severely by this strange free agency, this could be a win-win.”

“Connecticut trades up to draft in the top 10.”

“The Chicago Sky move up into the top three to select Fudd/Miles. The Sky cannot buy any positive PR the last few years despite having some of the brighter young stars in the game, and they attempt to change that by going in and getting one of those two.”

“I don’t think Cheryl Reeve would immediately trust a rookie point guard to lead her team’s offense. And given the cap hit for the second overall pick ($466,913), I doubt Cheryl is keen on committing that large of a portion of the 2026 salary cap to a player who may top out as a middle rotation or situational player in their rookie year. So if the Lynx do not draft a potential defensive anchor in Lauren Betts, I think there is a good chance that Minnesota will entertain the idea of trading OUT of the 2nd overall pick and would target a veteran player who can potentially step into a starting role with the Lynx. I could see Minnesota engaging in a trade that would send the 2nd overall pick to the Golden State Valkyries in exchange for PG Veronica Burton. The Lynx would add a true game-managing point guard who can also defend at the point of attack at an elite level. Given that Burton’s natural mindset is to playmake and create for others, she would have a massive and immediate impact for the Lynx without having to command a high usage rate. For the Valkyries, they would get to move up high enough in the draft where they would have the opportunity to draft one of Awa Fam or Azzi Fudd. Although the Valkyries overachieved in their inaugural season, they have never wavered in their stated goal of building a sustainable contender that can compete for championships for years to come. But as it stands right now, the Valkyries would be selecting outside of the lottery in their first two years of their franchise’s existence. This trade would allow them to make a move for a young prospect who can serve as a potential franchise building-block.”

7. Who is your favorite International prospect after Awa Fam, and why?

“The most common answer to this question will be France’s Nell Angloma, and for good reason. A 5-11 versatile wing who’s averaging 16 points per game in the top French league at just 19 years old. Pair that along with her defensive prowess, and you have quite the prospect. Also a fan of Iyana Martín-Carrión - could see Toronto or Portland reaching & taking her at the 6th or 7th slot. Any new franchise can use a strong point guard to get all the new faces on the same page in year one.”

“Nell Angloma. Strength, explosiveness combination with elite foul-drawing and production at just 19 years old. Shot is a long ways away but if you tap into that, you have a serious player.”

“Iyana Martín isn’t just one of the most exciting international prospects in this draft class; she’s one of this year’s most electric prospects regardless of age or domestic/international status. Despite just having turned 20 years old, Martín has proven she can lead a professional club. In this past season while playing for Perfumerías Avenida, Martín established herself as one of the best pick-and-roll (PNR) point guards in LF Endesa, EuroCup, and Euroleague play. Time and again, Martín has exhibited the type of mindset and execution that front offices and coaches would want from their floor general - constantly shifting the defense and ensuring that a possession never dies or goes stagnant after the initial pass is made. At 5’9”, Martín utilizes her low center of gravity and notable core strength to literally put defenders on her hip and/or her back, and takes defenders out of the play as she breaks the paint on her drives. If Martín passes early in the shot clock, it’s almost certain that she will look to execute a flare screen, cross screen, backdoor cut, pick play - or a combination of any of those actions - in order to ensure that the defense can’t key in on any one of her teammates. The scary part is that Martín’s jump shot is still a work in progress. If (when?) she becomes a more consistent outside shooter, the extent of her PNR geometry will seemingly grow exponentially as well. But as we recently saw at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers when Martín competed for the Spanish National Team, Martín is quickly becoming more confident in her pull-up jumper, especially in transition. If a pull-up 3-pointer is something Martín can tap into with regularity, she will become one of the best PNR maestros who is capable of cracking most zone defenses...”

“Nell Angloma. She’ll be a few months shy of her 20th birthday at the time of the draft (if she decides to come over), and has been impressive in her time with EuroCup. Quick first step, decisive driver, good fluid footwork in traffic – potential is there, even if a little undersized for the 3/4.”

“Iyana Martín Carrión seems may be the obvious choice for many after Fam, but she’s certainly very intriguing so I believe that’s fair. There’s a unique range in where mock drafts have her going in this draft, so there is some disagreement in her potential. It does feel like there’s the occasional surprise from the international prospects, and I think Carrión can be that.”

8. What player could you see being a steal in the 2nd round?

“Janiah Barker, if she falls, there’s always a chance. Highest upside non-top 10 prospect by a wide margin.”

“Yarden Garzon”

“Given the number of high-profile players who are in this draft class, it seems more than likely that Vanderbilt F Justine Pissott will be selected in the 2nd round. While a deep tournament run can boost her stock a little, I think her draft ceiling is early to middle of the 2nd round. With that said, I think Justine Pissott has a shot at exceeding the expectations of her draft slot and playing her way into a team’s main rotation sooner than later. It’s not an exaggeration or hyperbole to say that Justine Pissott is one of the best high-volume shooting big (stretch-4/5) prospects that we’ve seen in the last 10 years. At 6’4”, Pissott can move off the ball like a guard/wing and make herself available for catch-and-shoot 3P opportunities. In her Senior season at Vanderbilt, Pissott is shooting 43.2% on C&S 3s (89/206). What’s even more impressive is that she is shooting 42.5% on contested 3s (defender within 5 ft of Pissott) and 43.7% on open 3s. Her quick and high-arching release and compact shooting mechanics - combined with her long frame - allow her to get shots off accurately despite defenders aggressively closing out on her. If you break down her shooting profile a bit further, you’ll find out that Pissott is shooting 50% on transition 3s (19/38). Her ability to step into her shots and fire away makes her one of the most deadly trail shooters in this draft class. If she’s playing minutes at the 4 or 5, she’ll have the opportunity to pitch the ball ahead after securing a defensive rebound, and walk into open 3P shots as she trails the play. Her lack of rim protection may limit her to a 6th-player role, but she could become one of the best change-of-pace bigs in the W.”

“South Carolina’s Raven Johnson has “second round steal” written all over her. A National Champion point guard & 2026 SEC Defensive Player of the Year - her defensive ability is ready to be showcased against the world’s best and her offensive game has steadily improved. Always helps to have been coached by the legendary Dawn Staley. If Iyana Martín-Carrión slides to the second round, whoever ends up with her will likely have a steal on their hands.”

“If she declares, Madina Okot from South Carolina (she could try and get another year of college eligibility). There’s a possibility she climbs into the first, but her rebounding is stellar, especially for an SC team that is strangely not as dominant on the glass as we’re used to. That skill will translate in the W very quickly, and she’s got the size and motor to back it up.”

9. List the Top 3 players from this draft in order based on highest upside/potential.

“1. Azzi Fudd, 2. Olivia Miles, 3. Awa Fam”

“1. Azzi Fudd, 2. Olivia Miles, 3. Flau’Jae Johnson”

“Awa Fam, Azzi Fudd, Iyana Martín”

“Fam, Miles, Betts”

“Miles, Fam, Fudd”

Notes:
Once again, thanks to all the other WNBA Media members that participated.

Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.

Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources.

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With the 2026 WNBA Draft roughly three weeks away (April 13th), I thought it would be fun to reach out to several other WNBA media members to get their opinions on several topics surrounding the draft. I wanted them to be able to express their thoughts as openly as possible so I told them all the responses would be anonymous. I gave them all the same nine questions that you will read below. I have also randomized the responses for each question.

I am grateful to all of those who participated and took the time out of their schedules to be a part of this. The turn out was so strong that I feel that there were enough answers to make this a two-part series. Part 2 should be coming out in another day or two.

Without further ado, here is WNBA Media answering my questions on the WNBA Draft.

WNBA Media Draft Questions

1. Who should the Dallas Wings draft #1 overall and why?

“Awa Fam. It may be tempting to take a "sure thing" in Azzi Fudd, but let's be honest: The Wings are a long way from playoff contention, and until proven otherwise, they aren't a popular destination for star free agents. They have to build around Paige Bueckers, and who better to pair her with than a high-upside center who is an elite pick-and-roll operator?”

“Awa Fam. One of the most dominant performers of all-time at the U19 level. One of the best center passing prospects of all-time, with tremendous court awareness. Really good interior scorer for her age, has a very nice bag already. Can put the ball on the floor or work off-ball, rim runs, and transition. Potential defensive versatility, but she still has a ways to go (and again, she's only 19). Mid-range shooting isn't there yet, but her mechanics look fine. I won't say she's a can't-miss All-Star, but if everything clicks for her, she'll be a transformative player for a franchise, and Dallas can't risk passing that up. No team can.”

“Awa Fam; She fills a more important need for the Wings with the post being the biggest issue last season. There might be a more familiar player for Paige to play with, but Fam fits the mold that pairs best with Paige’s game.”

“Awa Fam, getting a 19-year-old 6’4ish center to pair in the pick and roll/fade game with Paige is just too good to pass up. Her inside and outside scoring, coupled with just naturally good instincts of where to be on the floor. Dallas isn’t likely contending next year, so it gives them time for Fam to grow into the WNBA’s physicality while likely staying in the lottery for 2027.”

“Awa Fam. I think she's the best player available in terms of overall future potential, and compared to the other top names, it's harder to find an elite center than elite off-ball shooter (Azzi Fudd), and the Wings already have an elite point guard (Paige).”

“Awa Fam. Already very talented; not quite the freak athlete of Malonga but more polished at the same age; already experienced at a high level but also 4 years younger than Miles/Fudd, so still room and potential to improve significantly.”

2. What is the Minnesota Lynx’s biggest need? Which player do they draft?

“Hard to say, given most players in the league are free agents, but if we figure Minnesota returns at least most of its recent lineup, then it needs young talent with high upside the most. That's probably Fam and Miles more than anyone, but I could see arguments for Flau'jae Johnson or Lauren Betts.”

“#2 is still too high to draft for need, so should take Best Player Available, whoever that is in their eyes. 'Need' is very hard to judge for most teams this year, given free agency hasn't happened and we have no idea who's going where yet. Miles/Fudd/Fam all work and could likely find minutes. I don't expect Reeve to want Betts, having had so much recent success with a fluid, mobile team. Don't expect her to want the return of an interior big who forces you to play a certain way a lot of the time.”

“The ‘biggest need’ for any team in 2026 is reliant on what the team looks like with everyone a free agent, but if they return a semblance of last year's team, an upgrade over Bridget at the three seems like the most likely spot that could be potentially filled, and that lines up nicely with Azzi Fudd.”

“I'm not sure if they have a glaring need -- first-world basketball problems! Assuming they bring back most of their championship-caliber core from the past two seasons, I think they could find a role for any of Fam, Fudd, and Olivia Miles. A lot will depend upon who they lose in the expansion draft, though.”

“The Lynx needs more depth in the frontcourt. Assuming they retain all of their main pieces during free agency, a front-court player like Betts or Fam would provide size for a defensive-minded team. Collier is well in her prime, and Smith is a great defender, but they aren’t big enough to go against multiple players like Stewart or A’ja.”

3. What player is the best fit for the Seattle Storm?

“The Storm then naturally get the choice between Olivia Miles, Kiki Rice, or Flau’jae Johnson. For similar reasons to the Wings drafting Fam, the Storm should go Miles, pairing a promising guard with Dominique Malonga has the possibility to set them up for a decade, especially given Miles’ ability to work in the pick and roll at TCU.”

“That's a hard question to answer without knowing what rosters will look like. Nneka Ogwumike isn't going to play forever, but they do have Dominique Malonga as their center of the future, so they may be less inclined to take a swing on Fam than other lottery teams. I think a backcourt of Miles and Skylar Diggins (if she returns) would be a lot of fun right away, and long-term it would give them a young point guard to pair with their young center.”

“Again, heavily impacted by who comes back, or who comes in. With Malonga and her development to work on, it might be one place where Fam isn't a great fit. Fudd or Miles could both work and add needed creativity and shooting.”

“Olivia Miles is the best fit for the Storm. The direction Seattle goes in is up in the air with a new coach at the helm, so if the team doesn’t bring back Skylar or Nneka, Olivia is the best option if available. Even if those vets are back, Miles is still the best for the team’s future because of her scoring and play-making, but her ability to be pushed to perform at her best. Olivia’s decision to stay in college might’ve cost the Storm the chance to take her last season, but patience might pay off for both Miles and Seattle this April.”

“I think the Storm looking like they did in 2025 is less than a sure thing than the Lynx, so it really depends on who they have back. Rolling the dice on a high-ceiling guard seems like a pretty good idea, and Olivia Miles fits the bill. Gosh, this is all shaping up pretty well so far, isn't it?”

“With Seattle's long-term core being Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston, I think any of Miles, Fudd, or Kiki Rice would fit perfectly.”

4. If Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles are drafted in the Top 2 picks, who should the Storm select?

“I think they'd have to go with Fam. She may not make as immediate of an impact as Fudd or Miles (especially if the Storm can retain Ogwumike and/or Magbegor), but her ceiling is just too high to pass on.”

“I think the Storm go with Fam in that case and figure it out later. She and Malonga are both perfectly capable of playing next to another big, and if the fit isn't perfect, you keep developing them and trade one of them for better fits later.”

“If Fudd and Miles are both gone, I think KiKi Rice from UCLA fits in well, she’s dangerous in the midrange, great off the Lauren Betts pick and roll, and would fit in well with Malonga.”

“I would either pick Fam or look for a trading partner that can get me the best combination of two firsts I can get. But if you can't find that, just take Awa. You can make a deal later. The fall-off after number three is significant.”

“I would probably take Fam because the value is still so high, and try to develop her and Malonga together (especially if Magbegor is gone, as definitely seems possible), but you could believe any of the perimeter athletes if they don't want to develop two young foreign bigs at the same time.”

“Awa Fam is the player to go with here. Yeah, she’d play in a crowded frontcourt with Dominique Malonga and possibly Ezi Magbegor, but this front office typically takes the best player available, and does quite well in that scenario. So I think the Storm will and should go with Awa Fam and develop one of the best future front courts in the WNBA.”

5. In what order will UCLA’s starting 5 be drafted?

“Betts, Kneepkens, Rice, Jaquez, Leger-Walker”

“Betts, Rice, Jaquez, Kneepkens, Leger-Walker”

“1)Rice, 2)Betts, 3) Jaquez, 4)Kneepkens, 5) Leger-Walker”

“Let's do the top six, because all of them are getting drafted. My guess is Betts, Rice, Jaquez, Kneepkens, Dugalic, Leger-Walker. Hey, how many times have six players from a team been drafted? That's crazy. I personally would draft Kiki ahead of Lauren.”

“Rice, Betts, Jaquez, Kneepkens, Leger-Walker”

“Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker.”

6. Predict the biggest shock of the draft.

“Betts falls out of the lottery.”

“Either the Portland Fire or Toronto Tempo trade for Angel Reese.”

“I think Betts falls out of the top 5 and Portland trades the pick for a vet star.”

“Janiah Barker falls to the end of the second round. It feels like we've been waiting for her to break out, and she just never has. She's incredibly talented and has all the physical tools to be a valuable WNBA player, but at some point, the production needs to match the hype. The fact that she hasn't been able to make it work at three different power conference schools worries me, and I don't think I'm the only one.”

“I would not be surprised to see a pick past the number three traded or some first-rounders not make it out of camp. I'm not super high on this draft. It's not 2021 all over again, but I think there will be a lot of competition from an increased interest from overseas players given the new salary structure, and it wouldn't surprise me to see this particular group of draftees face some intense competition for spots.”

“One of those many wings/scoring guards (the UCLA ones, Flau'jae, Angloma, McMahon, Latson, etc.) tumbles down for no obvious reason, and ends up in a better spot to actually get to play by going early second-round than mid-to-late first.”

7. Who is your favorite International prospect after Awa Fam, and why?

“Nell Angloma. She's just so strong and dynamic in transition. The jumpshot still needs work but seeing someone physically dominate one of the stronger European leagues at 19 years old is a big green flag for me.”

“Iyana Martin, 2023 U19 World Cup MVP, former young player of the year in Euro. 3-1 assist to turnover ratio, good enough shooter, plays hard and has the individual hardwear to at least suggest she will excel at any level.”

“Sort of cheating, but Marta Suarez from Spain who plays for TCU because of who she’s become for the Horned Frogs. Coming from Cal and Tennessee, she’s grown into an X-Factor for TCU. She’s converted on more attempts from the field, especially from downtown. Her scoring has been big for the Horned Frogs, but defense has been elite. After averaging no more than 1 steal per game her first three seasons of college, but now she’s averaging 1.4 per game this year.”

“Iyana Martin. Just a smart, strong, solid guard who can do a bit of everything and every time she steps up a level she proves she's good enough to be there. And she's barely 20. Honorable mention for both Frieda Buhner and Kokoro Tanaka, who might both be tweeners for now at WNBA level (Buhner at 3/4, Tanaka at 1/2), but are fun talents.”

“Nell Angloma or Iyana Martin. Both still very raw, but there's a lot to like.”

“Nell Angloma, BLMA wing. She's an excellent athlete with great finishing touch, a decent spot-up three and real defensive potential on the ball. I do have major concerns with her game, but there's no other international prospect past Fam who has starting upside in the W.”

8. What player could you see being a steal in the 2nd round?

“I could see Charlisse Leger-Walker or Shay Ciezki going in the second round but ending up as top-15 players from the class.”

“I think someone is going to take a chance on Amaya Battle, and I think she will capitalize on it, she might not get minutes this year, or next year, but she’s the type of person I could see three years from now playing rotation minutes on a playoff team. Incredible rebounding guard that plays well on defense and can hit down open shots. There’s a path for her as long as she gets a chance.”

“Angela Dugalic is probably going in the second round, and I like her a bit more than that. 6'4", glue game, good passer, can shoot threes.”

“Charlisse Leger-Walker. Her scoring is what she’s known for, but her playmaking is what separates her. She has shown that she can overcome anything the way she’s come back from an ACL tear, and if she stayed at WSU, she’d be a first round pick. But I think because of the team around her at UCLA, it’s somehow lowering her draft stock. She’d be a steal in the upcoming draft no matter where she played.”

“Lani White (Utah). She's definitely a late bloomer in terms of year-by-year production but I don't think you can get very far down the list of the best shooters in this class before her name pops up. A 6-foot-0 guard who shoots better than 40% from long range, yes please!”

9. List the Top 3 players from this draft in order based on highest upside/potential.

“1. Awa Fam, 2. Azzi Fudd, 3. Olivia Miles”

“Fam, Miles, Flau'jae Johnson”

“1-Fam, 2-Miles, 3-Fudd”

“Miles, Fam, Fudd.”

“Awa Fam, Olivia Miles, Flau'jae Johnson”

“Fam, Miles, Betts. Whether I would bet on Lauren to be an efficient offensive scorer is another question, but if she is, she'll be very good.”

Notes:
Once again, thanks to all the other WNBA Media members that participated.

Thanks to my readers for the great support! Please tell other WNBA fans about my coverage. Please share, retweet, repost, etc., if you enjoy my articles.

Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources.

Social Media:
Follow me on Bluesky (@wnbastormchasers.bsky.social)
Follow me on Threads (@WNBAStormChasers)
Follow me on X/Twitter (@WNBAStormChaser)

Nneka Ogwumike was on Good Morning America to talk with Robin Roberts about the new WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. It’s a short video (under 5 minutes), but I wanted to share it for those who haven’t seen it yet. You can watch the full video at the link above.

The WNBA and WNBAPA have come to a new verbal agreement on the next CBA. The league will play its 30th season in 2026.

Per Annie Costabile, the WNBA and WNBAPA have reached a tentative verbal agreement on a new CBA.

After 8 consecutive days and over 100 hours of negotiations, it appears that both sides have found a solution and we will have a WNBA season to look forward to in 2026.

More details to come, but I wanted to send this out tonight.

UPDATE:

ESPN’s Shams Charania provided further details from his sources.

• Salary Cap increases from $1.5 million (2025) to $7 million in 2026

• Supermax contract increases from $250K (2025) to $1.4 million in 2026

• Minimum salary increasing from $66K (2025) to $300K in 2026.

• Gross Revenue share is around 20% over the life of the deal.

Sports Business Journal’s Tom Friend has reported that the WNBA Core (Franchise) tag will still exist in some capacity with the new CBA. Per reports, the updated rules for the Core Franchise tag are that teams can use it only on players with six years of service or fewer. Last season, the Storm used it on Gabby Williams. However, she has played in the WNBA for seven years. That means they couldn’t use the Core tag on Gabby again in 2026. But they could use it on Ezi Magbegor for the 2026 season, as Magbegor has six years of WNBA experience.

Per Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the season will run on time despite the negotiations lasting past the March 10th deadline. There will be no negative impact as far as the start of the season or the number of games played.

Nneka Ogwumike posted this message to social media.

Ogwumike emphasized that the CBA delivered on the commitment to the players and that players salaries will be tied to a meaningful share of the league revenue. It has created an expontential growth in the salray cap, increased player salaries to an average of over $500,000, and raised the professional standard of facilities, staffing, and support.

Important Dates Coming Up:

April 6th: Two Expansion Drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo

April 7th - 11th: Free Agency negotiations period

April 12th - 18: Free Agency signing period

April 13th: WNBA Draft

April 19th: Training Camp opens

May 8th: Opening Night

Lastly…

I just wanted to take a moment to give credit to Annie Costabile (Front Office Sports), Alexa Philippou (ESPN), Doug Feinberg (AP), and Jackie Powell (The IX Sports). The four of them spent several days outside a New York hotel where the CBA negotiations were taking place to provide any and all coverage on this new deal. They definitely deserve the support and recognition for their dedication.

On Monday morning, Seattle Sports fans woke up to the news that the NBA may finally be seriously considering a return to Seattle. The SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago, back in 2008. A move that would have also cost the region the Storm, if Force 10 Hoops didn’t save the team.

For nearly two decades, the league has shown little interest in bringing a team back to the Pacific Northwest. At one point, they even blocked the sale and relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle. They didn’t want to hurt the people of Sacramento. Of course, they didn’t care about the fans at all when they ripped the Sonics out of our city.

Seattle continued to have arena problems throughout the 2010’s. In 2016, the Seattle City Council voted 5-4 in a split decision to reject a new arena being built in SoDo near the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums. No further action would happen until 2018, when Oak View Group and Tim Leiweke arranged a deal to demolish most of KeyArena and rebuild it into Climate Pledge Arena.

Even years after Climate Pledge Arena opened in 2021, the region didn’t have much positive news about a Sonics return. The message was consistent in that they weren’t looking to expand at this time. Even when it felt that expansion could be on the horizon, it was always shot down.

Today’s announcement seems pretty substantial. The fact that they are letting this get out to the public and the fact that they are only spotlighting two cities, Seattle and Las Vegas, leads me to believe things are further along than initially thought. There has been some smoke around this topic in recent months, but not that long ago, it felt like it was shot down again.

710 AM ESPN (Seattle Sports Radio) had ESPN’s NBA expert Shams Charania on to talk about the breaking news. You can listen to that interview at the link below.

The NBA Board of Governors will meet on March 25th and 26th. They need to have 23 of the 30 team owners approve this process to move forward. If approved, they will then begin the process of rounding up ownership groups with bid proposals for the two new expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. Shams’ report suggested the Expansion fees could be in the range of $7-10 billion. Howard Schultz sure is a smart businessman for selling the Sonics off for $350 million.

We’ll know more about this story at the end of next week. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the NBA and the SuperSonics returning to Seattle? Are you excited about the news? Are you worried it could negatively impact the Storm? Could you see any benefits it could have on the Storm? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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There are still so many questions up in the air. Will the WNBA and the WNBAPA (Players Association) come to an agreement on the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement)? The league’s deadline of March 10th has come and gone. They stated that in order for the WNBA to start the season on time, an agreement needed to be made no later than that date. The latest reports from Annie Costabile discussed that members of both parties met in New York for more than 10 hours. They didn’t leave until well after midnight on the east coast. The meetings have continued for multiple days as I wrote this.

If they are able to work out a deal sometime this weekend, I think it’s possible the WNBA season still starts on time despite the league saying the 10th was the final cutoff day. Or we see just a very small delay, let’s say the regular season starts around May 20th instead of May 8th.

Once they get that new CBA completed they will need to have two expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland, WNBA Free Agency, and the College/Amateur draft. They need to get all of those done before the start of training camp and the preseason. For Seattle, it’s important to start on time because they’re going to have a brand new head coach and the team will need to learn new offensive and defensive systems.

Below I’ve written about several of the prospects, including options the Storm will have with picks #3, 14, and 16.

The Guards

Without the benefit of going through Free Agency yet, it’s difficult to say what the Seattle Storm’s biggest needs will be come draft time, but we do know some things. Seattle’s starting backcourt from last season (Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler) are both in their mid-30’s. Diggins will turn 36 in August, and Wheeler turns 35 in May. While they both had strong seasons, most professional athletes are at the tail-end of their careers once they reach their mid-to-late 30’s. As is the case with most WNBA players, they are also both Unrestricted Free Agents and can sign with any WNBA team. Wheeler could also be exposed in the expansion drafts (depending on what Seattle prioritizes).

Right now, the Storm have just four players under contract for next season. Dominique Malonga, Jordan Horston, Nika Mühl, and Lexie Brown. I think only Malonga and Horston are guaranteed to be on the roster in 2026.

Fortunately for the Storm, there are multiple guard prospects who could fit in with the team the Storm are building.

Azzi Fudd

2025-2026 Stats: 17.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, 48.9% FG
Career Stats: 14.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 47.1% FG

After helping lead her team to a National Championship in 2025, Azzi Fudd could have easily declared for the WNBA Draft. She would have been a guaranteed first-round selection and almost-certainly a Top 10 pick. But she wasn’t guaranteed to be taken in the Lottery. Instead, she opted to return to UConn to play one more season to continue to develop her game to the next level and to do it without Paige Bueckers.

She took that challenge head-on, and it appears to have paid off. Azzi Fudd is probably projected to go higher than any other player, even if she isn’t the consensus number one overall pick like we’ve had in years past (Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, etc). I’m not sure if Fudd will go first, second, or third overall, but I have a very hard time seeing her fall any further than to Seattle at #3.

There is the obvious connection to Dallas, which owns the #1 overall pick, since they drafted Paige Bueckers last year. Not only do they have a very close personal relationship, but they have great on-court chemistry as well from their time together at UConn. Dallas really needs a talented big to pair with Paige (Bird and LJ, Stewie and Jewell, Chelsea Gray and A’ja, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, etc.), but they could also use outside shooting, especially if Arike Ogunbowale signs elsewhere as an Unrestricted Free Agent.

Fudd could be an obvious future Kayla McBride replacement in Minnesota and might be drafted by the Lynx with the 2nd overall pick. When thinking of a good WNBA comparison for Azzi Fudd, McBride is the player that most often comes to mind. Fudd could also help space the floor for Napheesa Collier. Minnesota was a deadly three-point shooter last year, and the rich could get even richer in that regard if they take Fudd with their pick.

One of the Storm’s biggest weaknesses in recent seasons is their lack of three-point shooting. That makes Fudd an excellent fit in Seattle. Especially if they re-sign Gabby Williams and also have Jordan Horston. Both of those players’ strengths are elite athleticism and attacking the rim. Having Fudd spot up for three-pointers in the corners or curling off screens would help create a stronger offensive flow for Seattle’s other playmakers. Dominique Malonga will also draw a lot of attention inside, and Fudd would be a great player to pair with Dom, giving Seattle an excellent inside/outside attack.

Olivia Miles

2025-2026 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.4 APG, 48.7% FG
Career Stats: 15.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, 47.4% FG

Olivia Miles would have been a lottery selection had she entered the WNBA Draft in 2025. Some even believe the Storm would have taken her over Dominique Malonga if they had that choice. I’m not certain I believe that, but I do think it’s safe to say there were people within the Storm organization who were very high on Miles.

Instead of entering the draft, Miles opted to stay in college one more season and transferred from Notre Dame to TCU. Throughout this season, she has continued to display the skills that have made her a presumptive lottery pick over the past two years. She is an elite passer of the ball who is often compared to Chelsea Gray in that regard. Miles is averaging a career-best 19.6 PPG, continues to be an excellent rebounder for a guard, and is averaging over six assists per game. While not as strong as last season’s impressive performance from beyond the arc (nearly 41% in 2024-25), Olivia is averaging 35.2% from three-point range. That should give scouts and GMs confidence that her improved shooting is legit. In her first three seasons in college, she averaged just 20% from beyond the arc.

I’ve written plenty of times before that the Point Guard position is one of the most valuable in the WNBA. Seattle knows that all too well, as all four of the Storm’s WNBA Championships were helmed by Sue Bird. Even if Bird wasn’t always the team’s best player, she was the leader and floor general. Skylar Diggins has done an admirable job over the past two seasons, but as I wrote above, she will turn 36 this season. Whether the Storm re-sign Diggins or not, they need to be focused on drafting and developing the next successor soon. Olivia Miles is an obvious choice as a player who could be paired with Dominique Malonga for the next five to ten seasons in Seattle.

Similar to Fudd, the biggest question will be whether she is even available once the Storm are on the clock with the third overall pick.

Flau’jae Johnson

2025-2026 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 45.8% FG
Career Stats: 14.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5% FG

Flau’jae Johnson remains one of the top guard/wing prospects in the upcoming draft despite having a little bit of a down year. She’s averaging 13.8 PPG this season compared to 18.6 PPG a year ago. Her rebounding numbers are also down. It should be noted that Flau’jae is playing nearly seven minutes less per game this season, likely due to the addition of Milaysia Fulwiley, who transferred from South Carolina before this season.

Of the top guard/wing prospects, Flau’jae Johnson is the most likely to be available when the Storm select with the third overall pick. I don’t believe I have seen any mock drafts that put her in the top two spots. She is projected to go between the 3rd and 6th picks of the first round.

Johnson certainly could be the selection for Seattle at three, especially if Fudd and Miles are both off the board. But I do believe she could be selected ahead of one of those players as well. Flau’jae is the most athletic of the top wing prospects in the draft. I think one can make the argument that she’s the most well-rounded player in the group. She’s a better defender than Olivia Miles. She’s a better slasher and attacks the rim more than Azzi Fudd. Flau’jae is also a better shooter than some may give her credit for. She’s shooting 40% from beyond the arc this season. She’s shot 38% or better from three-point range in three of her four college seasons, and has never been below 33%.

She may not have the elite traits of Miles (passing) or Fudd (shooting), but she will still be considered a top prospect. I think Kahleah Copper or Jewell Loyd are solid comparisons to Flau’jae’s game.

UCLA’s Fab 5

The Michigan Wolverines men’s Fab 5 made a huge impact in college basketball back in the early 90’s. They led Michigan to back-to-back National Championship games, the first when all five of them were freshmen. The UCLA Bruins now have a Fab 5 of their own. The Bruins’ starting lineup is arguably the most talented in the country, and they’ve led UCLA to a 31-1 record this season. They are the #2 overall-ranked team just behind undefeated UConn (34-0). UCLA will be a #1 seed in one of the brackets and is a heavy favorite to reach the Final Four. All five of their starters will be drafted in the WNBA Draft, and I would expect at least three of them to be first-round picks. There is even an outside chance that all five could be taken in the first 15 picks.

Lauren Betts

2025-2026 Stats: 16.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 56.2% FG
Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 61.5% FG

Lauren Betts entered this season as one of college’s most dominant players, and that hasn’t changed. She leads an elite UCLA team in points (16.4 PPG), rebounds (8.6 RPG), and blocks (1.9 BPG). You can teach players a lot of things in basketball, but the one thing you can’t teach is height. At 6’7”, Betts is a dominant low-post player.

Betts is probably the most interesting draft prospect in the upcoming draft because it’ll be fascinating to see how the league views her. Without a clear-cut number one overall pick this year, Lauren Betts entered the season as maybe the placeholder top pick in the draft. But the way the league is going, she doesn’t quite fit the mold of the new era post player. Betts has taken fewer than a handful of three-point attempts in her college career and has never made a shot from beyond the arc. Offensively, she is an old-school big, doing just about all of her scoring from inside the paint.

Lauren is the best defensive player of the post prospects. She’s an excellent shot blocker and strong rebounder. I think there are some fair questions about her athleticism and how that could translate to the next level, but I wouldn’t classify her as a stiff who can’t move.

She has excellent footwork in the low post and a soft shooting touch near the rim. She is an impact player on both ends of the court.

She doesn’t stretch the floor like a new modern big, e.g., Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, etc. But I think it’s fair to point out that neither A’ja Wilson nor Aliyah Boston did as they entered the league. A’ja took only two three-point attempts in her first four seasons in the WNBA. Over her last four seasons, she’s attempted 83, 28, 60, and 59 attempts from beyond the arc. In all four of those years, she’s connected on at least 31% each season, including 42% from the arc in 2025. You can’t completely rule out Betts extending her range later on.

I think there is a fair chance that Lauren Betts could still be the #1 overall pick to Dallas, especially because of their need to pair Paige with a strong post player. She easily could end up being the best post player in the draft. But I also think Betts could fall out of the lottery entirely. Especially, if teams are concerned that her game won’t adapt to where the league is headed in regard to style of play, bigger/faster athletes, etc.

While I wouldn’t consider it the most likely scenario, I could see the Storm drafting Lauren Betts simply because they could have her listed as the top prospect on their draft board. When you’re drafting that high in the draft, it’s always best to draft based on overall talent and skill versus need. Betts could be the pick, especially if Seattle’s other top choices are already gone.

Kiki Rice

2025-2026 Stats: 15.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, 50.4% FG
Career Stats: 13.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 46.1% FG

Kiki Rice might be the most fascinating player on this list, specific to the Storm. She is projected to be the second-best point guard prospect in the draft behind Olivia Miles. She’s been getting more efficient every season. She’s improved her three-point shooting from 22% as a freshman to 38% as a senior on nearly double the attempts. She is a strong physical guard who does well finishing at the rim.

If the Storm had kept their original 2026 draft pick (9th overall), there was a chance Rice would be available for them at that spot. I don’t think it would have been very likely, but at least within a reasonable outcome. It wasn’t likely that Jordan Horston would fall to them with the 9th pick in the 2023 draft, and yet she did. With the 14th pick, I don’t see any chance.

I don’t think Kiki Rice would be the Storm’s first choice with the third overall pick. She might not even be their second. But there is a scenario I am very curious about. What happens if Azzi Fudd goes #1 overall to the Dallas Wings and Minnesota follows that up by selecting Olivia Miles with the second pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft?

There are still several other options that will be available to Seattle. In that scenario, they could draft either of the top two post-player prospects in Awa Fam or Lauren Betts. They could also draft shooting guard Flau’jae Johnson. But if the team has re-signed Nneka Ogwumike, Ezi Magbegor, or both, I wouldn’t see the real need to draft Betts or Fam with their pick. That could lead to a decision between Flau’jae Johnson and Kiki Rice.

If Fudd and Miles are off the board and the Storm don’t want to draft a big. I’m not sure there would be any other players to consider at three beyond Johnson and Rice. In that type of scenario, Seattle could also call up the Washington Mystics and see if they’d be willing to do a pick swap. Let’s say the Mystics really wanted to draft Awa Fam, the Storm could trade them the 3rd overall pick and their 14th overall pick to the Mystics in exchange for the 4th overall pick and either 9th or 11th from Washington.

In the scenario that Fudd and Miles are both gone, I could see the Storm decide to draft Kiki Rice. Maybe they believe in her long-term growth over Flau’jae Johnson. Maybe they really value the point guard position and that puts Rice above Flau’jae. Maybe there is some concern about Johnson’s other activities outside of basketball (rap career, etc.). It could be a variety of things that lead the Storm to Rice.

Gianna Kneepkens

2025-2026 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 51.8% FG
Career Stats: 15.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 50.0% FG

Gianna Kneepkens would be high on the list of prospects for Seattle’s second first-round pick (14th overall). While she’s generally projected to go somewhere between 7-10, there is an outside chance she could fall to Seattle at the end of the first. Alternatively, if the Storm were feeling extra aggressive, they could also consider trading both the 14th and 16th picks to move up a few spots in the first round to land a player they desperately wanted.

Kneepkens is an excellent three-point shooter, maybe the second-best in this draft class beyond Azzi Fudd. The Storm have needed more outside shooters. Over her career, she’s averaged better than 43% from long range. That’s at relatively high volume, too (5.5 threes per game).

Gabriela Jaquez

2025-2026 Stats: 13.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 54.3% FG
Career Stats: 9.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 50.3% FG

Gabriela Jaquez’s excellent senior season has lifted her draft stock. She is now more often than not projected to go in the first round of the WNBA Draft. She is having a career-high in points (13.6 PPG), field goal percentage (54.3%), 3-PT FG (41.1%), and Free Throw shooting percentage (86.7%).

Jaquez can play either wing position and has good height at 6’ 0”. She also has rangy length and is a good athlete. I can definitely see her being an option for Seattle if she is still available with the 14th overall selection.

She is also the younger sister of Jaime Jaquez Jr., who currently plays for the Miami Heat and also starred at UCLA.

Charlisse Leger-Walker

2025-2026 Stats: 8.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.6 APG, 46.8% FG
Career Stats: 14.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 39.3% FG

If the Storm don’t draft Olivia Miles or Kiki Rice, I could certainly see them considering Charisse Leger-Walker with either the 14th or 16th overall picks. Leger-Walker could come in and compete for a backup point guard position.

It may depend on how they view her compared to the other prospects around the 14-16 range. Do they think she is athletic enough to play at the WNBA level? Do they like her more than potential other point guards they could take around that portion of the draft? Players like Raven Johnson, Rori Harmon, or Iyana Martín could be options there as well.

The Bigs

If the Storm don’t select Awa Fam or Lauren Betts with their first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, they might have some other options with their next set of picks.

Serah Williams

2025-2026 Stats: 7.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 60.4% FG
Career Stats: 13.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 52.6% FG

Serah Williams’ season stats aren’t going to wow anyone, but they probably should have an asterisk by them. Williams opted to transfer to UConn from Wisconsin in the hopes of winning a National Championship. She’s gone from her team’s number one option to maybe not even UConn’s 5th option on the Huskies.

During her junior season, she led Wisconsin in points (19.2 PPG), rebounds (9.8 RPG), and blocks (2.3 BPG). She led her team in those categories as a sophomore as well.

At 6’4”, she has good size and has the strength to battle down low. She has also shown solid footwork to get to the rim. Williams won the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024 while leading the league in blocks and rebounds.

I’m not sure what Serah’s ceiling will be at the WNBA level, but I do think she at least has the potential to be a solid role player off the bench. Teams often need a good backup PF/C to give them solid minutes if a starter gets into early foul trouble. I think she could fit that role at the next level, and the Storm could consider her at 14 or 16.

Janiah Barker

2025-2026 Stats: 14.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46.5% FG
Career Stats: 11.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46.8% FG

Janiah Barker is a very interesting prospect because she’s 6’4”, has great athleticism, and can shoot the three-ball (37% on nearly 4 attempts/game). The issue is that she’s never fully put it all together and lived up to her full potential. Barker should be a sure-thing first-round pick on talent, athleticism, and size alone, but many mock drafts have her either at the end of the first round or in the second round.

She has moved around a lot in college. She spent her first two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to UCLA for the 2024-2025 season. She then had the worst season of her college career as a junior down in LA. Barker transferred again, this time to Tennessee for her senior year. She’s having a better season overall, averaging a career-high 14.3 PPG, but it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. She was recently suspended (temporarily) by the team for failing to meet “team standards”. The Tennessee Lady Vols are also having a very disappointing season. The team is 16-13 this season and has lost seven games in a row as things have started to unravel.

For the Storm specifically, I’m not sure they’d find a more talented player at Pick 14 or 16 if Janiah Barker is still on the board. However, would there be concerns that she would never live up to her full potential or, worse yet, flame out entirely? It’s a high-risk, high-reward scenario.

Madina Okot

2025-2026 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, 57.8% FG
Career Stats: 12.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 60.9% FG

Madina Okot is an interesting draft prospect. The 6’6” Center from Kenya is playing her first season at South Carolina and just her 2nd season of college basketball in America. She is still a raw prospect as she’s only been playing basketball for a handful of years, but she’s shown flashes of greatness.

The last thing I read was that Coach Dawn Staley is trying to get Okot another year of college eligibility. If denied, I would expect Okot to likely be drafted somewhere between the 2nd half of the first round or the very early portion of the 2nd round. Maybe as early as one of the expansion franchises that pick just outside of the lottery.

If she returns to college, she’ll be able to develop even further, potentially into a lottery pick in 2027.

Across the Pond

Awa Fam

2025-2026 Stats (Spain-LF Endesa): 9.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 55% FG
2025-2026 Stats (Euroleague): 7.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 53% FG

Awa Fam may be the most controversial prospect in the 2026 WNBA Draft. There is a certain section of people who are extremely high on Fam’s upside. They look at her as an elite post-prospect. She also fits the mold of the more modern big. Her archetype is that of the Breanna Stewart, Ezi Magbegor, Jonquel Jones, Dominique Malonga, etc. A 6’4” Center who is faster than traditional bigs, can run the floor with pace, can dribble well enough to attack the rim, can pass, and can space the floor by hitting the outside shot.

But then you have another subset of the Internet that questions her game and her impact. They might look at a box score and see that she doesn’t average even 10 PPG right now and dismiss her as a top prospect because of that. I think some of that is disingenuous, with maybe some ulterior motives. However, I also believe there is some fair criticism. Similar to Dominique Malonga, there are going to be growing pains with Awa Fam. She will enter the draft at just 19 years old. Realistically, she is probably 4-7 years away from entering her prime. The team that drafts her will need to be patient.

There are also other major concerns when dealing with International talent. I went back and read some of my work leading up to the 2025 WNBA Draft, when we knew Dominique Malonga would be a strong consideration for the Storm. You can go back and read that if you like. A quick summary of the above, I discussed issues with International players leaving for the Olympics during the WNBA season (Gabby missed most of the 2024 season). And how we’ve also seen players like Liz Cambage and Awak Kuier skip WNBA seasons altogether in favor of staying overseas. Emma Meesseman is another example of that.

Speaking of Awak Kuier, her name is particularly interesting when it comes to the Dallas Wings and Awa Fam. You can look at it from a couple of different perspectives. Some people believe the Wings don’t need to draft Awa Fam because they plan to bring Awak Kuier back (she’s skipped the 2024 and 2025 WNBA seasons). They could also be scared off from drafting Fam because drafting Kuier 2nd overall in the 2021 draft hasn’t worked out for them. In her three seasons in the WNBA, Kuier has averaged just 2.6 PPG and 2.5 RPG.

On the other side of the argument, the Dallas Wings desperately need to upgrade their front court. Awa Fam is projected as the player with the highest upside of the 2026 WNBA Draft. The Wings would be best served to pair Paige Bueckers with a talented post player that they could build the team around for the next 5-10 years. Fam or UCLA’s Lauren Betts make the most sense from a roster-building standpoint.

But what happens if Dallas doesn’t go that route? Let’s say that they opt to take UConn’s Azzi Fudd instead. If that happens, it significantly increases the odds that Awa Fam would be available when Seattle selects at third overall. Would the Storm take her if she’s still on the board? That’s very difficult to say.

As we still wait on the CBA, WNBA Free Agency, etc., we really don’t know what the Storm’s 2026 roster will look like. We know they drafted 6’6” Center Dominique Malonga with the #2 pick just one year ago. She is potentially the franchise cornerstone moving forward. Could the Storm pair Malonga with Fam in the front court? Potentially, yes. I think Fam and Malonga’s skills are varied enough that they could play off one another. Where things get difficult is based on what the Storm do in Free Agency. Do they plan to bring Nneka Ogwumike back? What about Ezi Magbegor? If they bring both back, I’m not sure it makes sense to draft Fam unless they are immediately trading the player/pick.

I’m sure the Storm’s front office could justify it, but if Seattle re-signs Magbegor, it makes a lot more sense to draft a guard/wing with that early pick. They could pair Fudd, Miles, or Johnson with both Ezi, Dom, Jordan, and potentially Gabby.

If Seattle wants to go into a full youth movement rebuild, then drafting Fam and not re-signing Nneka or Ezi could make more sense.

Nell Angloma

2025-2026 Stats (France-BWL): 15.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 47% FG
2025-2026 Stats (Eurocup): 13.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 46% FG

Nell Angloma is another International prospect projected to go in the first round of the upcoming WNBA Draft. She is just 19 years old and is one of France’s most promising young stars. She helped lead the U18 French team to a Gold medal in the EuroBasket 2024 tournament and was named the MVP.

Angloma has good height at around 6’0” and a versatile offensive skillset. She can bring the ball up, attack the rim, hit the midrange, and the deep ball. She looks to be a well-rounded player who will only continue to get better as she develops her game. She has the range, but her three-point shooting needs improvement (around 28% this season).

I don’t think she will be a candidate for the Storm’s top draft pick. Realistically, she’ll probably fall into the 7-10 range and won’t still be on the board when Seattle picks again at 14. However, WNBA teams and General Managers have been very hit and miss when it comes to International prospects. Ezi Magbegor fell to the Storm at Pick #12 when she should have been a Top 5 pick in the 2019 draft. Even a player like Jade Melbourne, who, even if she amounts to just a role player in the WNBA, wasn’t selected until Pick 33.

If Angloma is still available at 14, I’m sure she would be in strong consideration for the Storm based on talent and potential alone.

Iyana Martín

2025-2026 Stats (Spain-LF Endesa): 14.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 41% FG
2025-2026 Stats (Eurocup): 12.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, 46% FG

Iyana Martín was put on my radar after I had a discussion with Rachel Galligan (Winsidr/Bleacher Report) around eight months ago. Martín is an International Point Guard from Spain. She was the U19 World Cup MVP when she was 16 years old. She has continued to develop her game since then and plays in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe. She will enter the WNBA Draft at 20 years old.

Martín is an interesting prospect for the Storm, especially if they do not draft Olivia Miles or Kiki Rice with the third overall pick. Whether Skylar Diggins re-signs with the Storm or not, the team will need to address the Point Guard position. If Diggins returns, they still need to find her eventual successor. And Seattle needs a player to play the backup lead guard. Nika Mühl recently suffered another injury, and we don’t know if they’ll protect her in the expansion draft.

Iyana could fall to Seattle at 14 or 16. If the Storm select Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, or Awa Fam early on, they may look to take Martín or another PG prospect like Raven Johnson with their next selection.

Notes:
Let me know which players you are most interested in! Are there any you really hope to see with the 14th or 16th draft picks?
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Recently, I was invited to discuss the Seattle Storm and the WNBA on KVRU 105.7 FM. Maggie Mertens hosts The Forecast, a Weekly show covering Women’s Sports in Seattle. I was the special guest a couple of weeks ago, and we talked about everything going on with the WNBA, the CBA negotiations, the Storm’s new Head Coach, the potential roster makeup, and more. The interview goes for nearly 40 minutes, and I wanted to share it with my audience as well. Enjoy!

The WNBA and the WNBAPA (Players Association) have yet to agree on the next CBA. They have extended past multiple deadlines, and time is starting to run out. There have been multiple reports out over the past week, and I wanted to share them with my audience just in case you haven’t seen them yet.

The two sides have yet to reach an agreement because they are far apart on how much revenue the players should receive. The WNBA (league, owners, investors) wants to give the players roughly 70% of the net income, which has been reported to be equivalent to around 15% (or less) of the gross income. The players are seeking around 30% of the gross income.

Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports recently wrote.

“The WNBA is still proposing a salary cap of $5.65 million and based on the league’s revenue projections, players would still not receive more than 15% of total revenue during the agreement… On Feb. 17, the WNBPA submitted a proposal seeking a salary cap below $9.5 million and a 25% share of the league’s total revenue in year one of the deal. That revenue share would average out to 27.5% over the life of their proposed CBA. The WNBA issued a statement late Tuesday calling the union’s proposal “unrealistic” and alleging it would result in “hundreds of millions of dollars” in losses for the league.”

Without a deal in sight, ESPN’s Alex Philippou wrote about the league’s latest ultimatum.

“The WNBA told the WNBPA and its teams on Monday that a new collective bargaining agreement should be agreed to by March 10 for the 2026 schedule not to be impacted, sources told ESPN… Even once a deal is agreed upon, it could take weeks to formally ratify. The WNBA still needs to conduct a two-team expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire and hold free agency for 80% of the league.

Training camp is currently slated to begin April 19, with the college draft scheduled for April 13. The regular season is supposed to tip on May 8…”

To add an interesting nugget to all of this back and forth, ESPN’s Katie Barnes reported that the Players’ Union announced that the league made enough money for revenue sharing to be paid out.

“For the first time in history, the WNBA generated enough revenue in 2025 to trigger revenue sharing with its players, union leadership told ESPN on Sunday. Union leaders said the league notified player leadership earlier this month that they hit the benchmark. The 13 teams will receive a total of $8 million from the league to disperse among players, the union said.

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association declined to provide bank statements, the amount of revenue generated by the league or the number required to trigger the revenue sharing. The WNBA declined to comment on the payments on Monday.

The revenue targets in the 2020 CBA were based on 2019 revenue numbers and compounded by 20% across subsequent years. The COVID-19 pandemic depressed revenue in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, seemingly making the cumulative targets out of reach…

Under the 2020 CBA, players would receive 50% of shared revenue -- defined in the CBA as the amount of revenue over a predetermined threshold minus 30% for expenses. In 2025, the players' portion of shared revenue amounted to about $16 million, according to the union. Of that, $8 million will be paid to players who were active in 2025, the union said. As mandated by the CBA, the other half ($8 million) will be allocated to league marketing agreements, which are offseason initiatives offered to some players to promote the league and its partners.”

This is particularly interesting because the 2020 and 2021 seasons were drastically altered negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic. That means the 2024 and 2025 WNBA seasons boosted revenue by an incredible amount.

It’s not a coincidence that this happened after star college players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the league in 2024. Paige Bueckers followed in 2025. The growth of the women’s college game in the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) era has been significant. And that has helped boost the popularity of the WNBA once those players graduate and enter the professional league.

The fact that league revenue grew so much over the past two years is a large reason why the WNBAPA is pushing for a higher percentage of the revenue share. They are looking ahead to the future, and they strongly believe the WNBA will continue to grow by leaps and bounds over the next several years.

The WNBA wants to keep the players at around 15% or less of gross income. The players are pushing for around 30%, but have recently dropped that number a little bit. If you split the difference from 15 to 30%, that would put things around 22.5% of the gross revenue to the players. Would the players ultimately accept that? Should they?

If neither party is willing to budge on their demands, I have a hard time believing they will reach an agreement within the next two weeks. If they don’t, we are looking at a shortened 2026 WNBA season. Or worse yet, no season at all.

Even if it goes past the March 10th deadline, it’s not impossible to still have a season. In 2020, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, the players and league were able to salvage a season and worked out a deal where the teams played 22 games that year (instead of 34, which was the norm at the time).

The WNBAPA is still working in good faith to get a deal done with the league, but they have suggested they could go on strike as an option if nothing is resolved. The league doesn’t work without the players, so hopefully both parties will come to an agreement soon.

Notes:
Thanks for all the great support!
Linked articles:
https://frontofficesports.com/wnba-cba-no-financial-concessions/

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/48017494/sources-wnba-sets-cba-deadline-keep-2026-schedule-intact

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/48014819/union-wnba-made-enough-money-revenue-sharing

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While the WNBA and WNBAPA have yet to agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and we’re still not sure if there will be WNBA basketball in 2026, that hasn’t stopped teams from moving ahead with plans for the upcoming season. In Seattle, the Storm made a head coaching change this offseason after relieving Coach Noelle Quinn and her staff and hiring New York Liberty Assistant Coach, Sonia Raman.

Back in early November, during her introductory press conference, I asked Coach Raman what type of characteristics she was looking for when hiring the rest of her coaching staff.

“First and foremost, people who are very high character and who are going to work really hard. People who are going to fill my gaps. I want to be able to collaborate. I’m really excited. Part of what drew me here is this collaboration I get to have with Talisa and everyone in this organization. I want to bring in a staff that will collaborate with me. We will work together to put into place all of the things I have just laid out in my vision.” Raman told me.

On Wednesday, February 18th, the Storm officially announced three new assistant coaches for her staff. They’ve added former WNBA player Natalie Achonwa, Michael Joiner, and Jarrell Christian.

Per the press release:

Achonwa joins the Storm after two seasons at the University of Michigan, where she most recently served as general manager and assistant coach following an initial year as assistant coach of player development. A four-time Canadian Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), she also represented Canada as an assistant coach for the U19 World Cup team in 2025. Drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in 2014, Achonwa went on to play nine seasons in the WNBA, earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2014 along with the 2019 WNBA Community Assist Award and the 2020 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. Achonwa will complete the 2025–26 college basketball season with the Wolverines before transitioning to her role with the Storm.

Christian most recently served as the general manager of the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League, where he led the team to three consecutive 30+ win seasons for the first time in franchise history. In 2023, he served as the director of player development for the Maine Celtics, while also working with the Boston Celtics’ player development staff, becoming the first person in NBA history to hold roles with both staffs simultaneously. From 2023-2025, Christian worked as a scout for the Celtics, evaluating the Atlantic, Central, Pacific and Southeast divisions. He previously served as the Maine Celtics’ head coach during the 2021-2022 season. Prior to his time in Boston, Christian served as assistant coach with the Washington Wizards from 2019-2021 and as head coach of the Capital City Go-Go during the 2018-2019 season.

Joiner comes to the Storm after two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where he served as an assistant coach specializing in player development and defensive strategy. In 2025, the Mercury consistently ranked among the league’s top five teams in defensive rating, a testament to Joiner’s expertise in coverage tracking and data-informed adjustments. Before joining Phoenix, Joiner served as an assistant coach with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate, and as a player development coach for the Grizzlies. While with the Grizzlies, he worked closely with Coach Raman, collaborating on scouting preparation and the team’s defensive system.

Coach Raman had this to say about her new assistants.

“Natalie is a highly respected former player and leader in the WNBA. A four-time Olympian with extensive International experience, she brings an elite competitive standard shaped by winning at the highest levels and further informed by her work as a college assistant coach and General Manager. Process-oriented in her approach, she is known for building trust, investing in people, and maintaining a daily commitment to excellence.”

“A veteran coach across the WNBA and G League, Michael has a strong foundation shaped by both his playing and coaching career. He is known for his strategic insight and elevating organizations with a strong, player-first approach to development. Michael’s experience and skillset will be a valuable addition to the Storm.”

“Jarell brings proven leadership, a sharp basketball mind, and a championship pedigree shaped by his time as a G League Head Coach and General Manager. He consistently invests in players, builds strong relationships, and contributes to a winning culture.”

How Coach Sonia Raman and her staff perform is one of the many interesting storylines heading into this WNBA season, if and when we get there. Hiring these coaches, including ones that had active jobs, may be a positive sign that a deal with the CBA will get done before April.

Another interesting story will be whether the Storm look to run it back with veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins or if they embrace a youth movement with Dominique Malonga, Jordan Horston, and the third overall pick in the WNBA Draft.

Notes:
Thanks for all the great support!
Photo Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA photography

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If you are a Seattle sports fan, you know that championship opportunities can be few and far between. I was born after the Seattle Supersonics 1978-79 Championship season, the one and only NBA Championship the Sonics won in 41 years before being relocated stolen by Oklahoma City in 2008. The Seattle Mariners have played 49 years of Major League Baseball, and they are the only franchise that has never even made it to the World Series. The Seattle Seahawks are currently playing their 50th season in franchise history. They’ve won just one Super Bowl (2013-14) and have been to two others (2005-06, 2014-15) in which they lost the title game. Needless to say, championship teams are a rare and unique moment in time for any given city.

Looking outside of Seattle, if you’re a fan of the Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers, and you were born after January 1996, you’ve never seen your football team win the Super Bowl. If you think that’s bad, it’s been nearly 80 years since the Arizona Cardinals franchise has won a championship (back in 1947 as the Chicago Cardinals). The Cleveland Indians/Guardians have gone 77 years without winning the World Series. The Sacramento Kings last won an NBA Championship in 1951 as the Rochester Royals. The Detroit Lions haven’t won a championship since 1957.

The worst part about these championship droughts is that there are years when your favorite team is good enough to win the whole thing, and for one reason or another, they don’t. Two years ago, the Detroit Lions looked like they were well on their way to the Super Bowl as they led 24-7 over the San Francisco in the NFC Championship game. Multiple mistakes, turnovers, and bad decisions led to a second-half collapse, which resulted in the 49ers winning the game 34-31. Last year, the Lions had the #1 overall seed with a 15-2 regular-season record. They had the first round bye, but shockingly lost to the Washington Commanders 45-31 in the Divisional round. This current season, the Lions didn’t even reach the playoffs despite Super Bowl expectations.

The Seattle Mariners won an MLB record 116 games in 2001. They lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS 4-1. It took the Mariners 21 years to get back to the playoffs after that disappointing loss. What once looked like a promising team that could compete for championships for several more years never did. They couldn’t even sniff the post-season.

The 1993-94 Seattle SuperSonics sadly made history to become the first number one overall seed to lose to an 8th seed (Denver Nuggets) in the first round of the playoffs. That year, they had the best record in the NBA and a legitimate chance to win the title with Michael Jordan temporarily retired to focus on baseball. Instead, the Houston Rockets claimed the NBA championship that season.

Even the LOB Seahawks, who went to two Super Bowls in a row, never got back to the big game after their heartbreaking loss in SB49. Being a championship team in professional sports is so difficult that, frankly, it feels like a miracle when it actually does happen.

The lesson to be learned is that you can never take these opportunities for granted because there might not ever be a second chance.

One of the things I appreciate the most about the Seattle Storm is that they have capitalized on their best opportunities. The Storm are 4-0 in WNBA Finals appearances. If they have made the championship series, they have won every single time. I remember at one point, Sue Bird joked that every time she had made it out of the first round, she had won a WNBA Championship. For the Storm, that streak technically ended in 2019 when they beat the Minnesota Lynx in the opening round before losing to the LA Sparks in the second round of the playoffs. But Sue Bird did not play that season. Up until the final season of Bird’s legendary career, she had won the championship every time she had advanced past the first round. In 2022, Seattle fell short in the semi-finals against the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Storm fans are still haunted by that playoff series several years later, but ultimately, whenever Seattle has been good enough to make the WNBA Finals, they’ve walked away with the trophy.

It’s rare to win multiple championships as a franchise. It’s even rarer to be perfect in the championship series.

Sometimes you watch a team and get the feeling that it’s their year. In 2020, going into the Bubble season and knowing which teams were having players opt out, it felt like the Storm should win the championship, and thankfully, they did. In 2013-2014, the Seahawks were dominating opposing teams, and it felt like they should be the ones to win the Super Bowl. They did. But as we know, it doesn’t always work out that way for most teams.

The 2025-26 Seattle Seahawks have played like the best team in the NFL this entire season. They went 14-3 in the regular season, which is a franchise-best record. The Hawks beat the New Orleans Saints 44-13, the Washington Commanders 38-14, the Arizona Cardinals 44-22, the Minnesota Vikings 26-0, the Atlanta Falcons 37-9, and the Carolina Panthers 27-10. In total, eight of their victories were by 10 points or more. They had an NFL-best +191 points in point differential (also a franchise record). Their three losses were by a combined total of nine points. Seattle has won nine games in a row heading into the Super Bowl and 13 of their last 14 games. It feels like the Seahawks should end their season as champions.

The analytics back up the fact that the Seahawks are the best team in the NFL. They have an elite defense, elite special teams, and a very good offense. Put all three of those together, and they are the league’s top team.

Their opponent, the New England Patriots, is also a very good team. Like Seattle, they finished the regular season with a 14-3 record. They’ve actually won three playoff games because they were the #2 seed in the AFC and didn’t get a first-round bye, as the Seahawks did. New England finished with a +170 point differential, the best in the AFC. They also blew out several teams this season. The Patriots have an elite offense (#2 overall) and a very good defense, slightly the opposite of the Seahawks. But in reality, both teams are great on both sides of the ball.

The Patriots had a significantly easier schedule, which might boost some of their stats. But every team can only play whoever is put in front of them. And they will be a challenge for our Seahawks. New England’s double-digit playoff win against the Houston Texans was incredibly impressive, considering the Texans had the best defense in the AFC and were arguably just as good as Seattle’s defense this season.

One of the biggest stories coming into the Super Bowl is about the Seahawks quarterback. Last season didn’t end well for Sam Darnold and his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, despite an incredible regular season where he led them to a 14-3 record. He collapsed under the pressure of the LA Rams in their playoff game. Throughout this entire season, the narrative was that Darnold couldn’t win the big game. The naysayers celebrated when he threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 (the last time the Seahawks lost a game). Darnold didn’t let that deter him. Sam came through huge when he led the game-winning drive in OT against that same Rams team in Week 16 that gave the Hawks the inside edge to the #1 overall seed and the NFC West division title. Then he did it again in Week 18 against the 49ers in San Francisco with everything on the line. And again in Seattle’s impressive 41-6 drubbing of the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs. In the NFC Championship against the Rams, Darnold played the best game of his career. He threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers. He is the reason the Seahawks will play for the Super Bowl title this Sunday. And if he comes through again to help lead the Seahawks to their second Lombardi trophy, it’ll be one of the greatest comeback stories in professional sports.

If I could advise the Seahawks players, I would tell them to be like the Seattle Storm. Don’t take this championship opportunity for granted. For some of their older players, like Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, and DeMarcus Lawrence, this might be their only opportunity to win the Lombardi trophy. Honestly, that could be said to even Seattle’s rookies, the way sports work. Don’t leave anything up to chance. Capitalize on this moment in time. Become legendary. Become Super Bowl Champions!

Notes:
Thanks for all the great support! Here is hoping we get some positive WNBA news soon!

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