This team's has a Jekyll and Hyde to "fun-ness." This team is so brutal to watch sometimes but then Ezi will get a block that leads to a Gabby/Skylar fast break and then WE'RE SO BACK. If a time traveler came to me now and told me that the Storm made it to the Finals or got swept in the first round, neither would surprise me.
This is really well said. When they can't score, can't shoot, and score less than 70 or even 60 points. It's not an entertaining brand of basketball. But when they're getting big steals, getting out in transition and scoring, Ezi with a big block, Gabby with a huge steal, etc. That's when they're at their best.
For me, the Storm are no less fun to watch than any other team. It's great when the shots are falling and they're getting stops, and even more fun when Dom gets rolling. It hurts when they go cold, but that's sports.
I actually enjoy watching the storm bc they're disruptive on defense but these last 5 or 6 games the offense has been lackluster. And I'm over the skylar offball minutes. She played way too much offball this game and in the first half it killed us. Ezi and gabby had 4 horrible turnovers that gave and built the mystics lead. Why aren't we letting our point guard set up the offense. She had 5 assists that weren't assists for wide open threes or a player driving to a clogged paint instead of shooting a wide open easy shot. It's frustrating.
I'm watching the Connecticut game now and thought about your question. Yes, this is definitely fun to watch. The Washington game, not so much. And it's fun, not because of the score, but because of the great play, and the joy of the team all performing together. Skylar's triple double being the most obvious part of that.
Nneka is always great to watch. And watching Gabby take it to another level has been amazing. Ezi is fun to watch now that her game has returned. And Erica Wheeler, great addition and super entertaining.
Losses can also be fun at times, IF the play was still good. But the losses this season have been sooo bad. The roller coaster ride the last month or so makes it hard to have too much fun. Because every time we get optimistic, they crash and burn again. But I'm confident this too will pass.
So, to answer your question, yes this is fun to watch. The WNBA is about the only sports I watch anymore because of all the fun moments. They still easily outweigh the bad.
Love this answer and very well said. The Chicago and Connecticut games made Seattle look like a very fun team. The Storm being unable to score even 60 points made the Washington Mystics game a terrible game to watch. I think you hit the nail on the head, in that some of Seattle's losses have been so bad and so ugly, that it's difficult to enjoy. But what makes the WNBA generally so wonderful is how competitive it is night in and night out.
The common denominator of "fun" teams to me always starts on the defensive end. The Arkansas men of the "40 Minutes of Hell" era was an absolute blast. That doesn't happen at the pro level, but the Storm is fun on the occasions when they bring 20 seconds of hell. "Fun" teams also play with relentless grit and determination, which is more "know it when I see it," rather than something easily quantified. "Fun" teams make sure you know they've given everything they have, regardless of who they're playing. Having said that, I'm not sure that "fun" is really what's most salient for me, in pro basketball.
Yes, Nika Mühl is still under contract with the Storm. But when I wrote that, I had to consider a couple of things. It's possible that Nika Mühl could be taken in the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland before the 2026 season. We don't yet know how they're going to do the rules, since they normally allow teams to protect 5 or 6 players, but for most teams heading into 2026, most of the players will be Unrestricted Free Agents because all the star players didn't sign a contract beyond 2025 because they are entering a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). Right now minimum salary for a rookie is around $65K and for a veteran is around $75K. And the max WNBA salary is around $250K. But starting in 2026, it's possible the maximum salary could be $400-500K or maybe even $1 Million.
We also don't know if, in the new CBA, they will allow for teams to have larger rosters. Currently, the maximum is 12. But I believe in the NBA, it's either 15 or 16. But let's say they don't agree on roster expansion, only new teams. If that happens, the Storm have 3 first-round picks for the 2026 draft, plus an early draft pick in the 2nd round. They also have players like Jordan Horston and Katie Lou Samuelson, who will be coming back from injury, as is Nika Mühl. There is a chance Nika Mühl doesn't make the Storm's 2026 Final roster. Unfortunately, I don't think she showed enough in her rookie season that would guarantee her a roster spot in 2026, especially if rosters remain as limited as they are currently.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Thanks for the great write up Jeff. I love this team with all my heart, but man do they work my last nerve sometimes. 😫
This team's has a Jekyll and Hyde to "fun-ness." This team is so brutal to watch sometimes but then Ezi will get a block that leads to a Gabby/Skylar fast break and then WE'RE SO BACK. If a time traveler came to me now and told me that the Storm made it to the Finals or got swept in the first round, neither would surprise me.
This is really well said. When they can't score, can't shoot, and score less than 70 or even 60 points. It's not an entertaining brand of basketball. But when they're getting big steals, getting out in transition and scoring, Ezi with a big block, Gabby with a huge steal, etc. That's when they're at their best.
For me, the Storm are no less fun to watch than any other team. It's great when the shots are falling and they're getting stops, and even more fun when Dom gets rolling. It hurts when they go cold, but that's sports.
I actually enjoy watching the storm bc they're disruptive on defense but these last 5 or 6 games the offense has been lackluster. And I'm over the skylar offball minutes. She played way too much offball this game and in the first half it killed us. Ezi and gabby had 4 horrible turnovers that gave and built the mystics lead. Why aren't we letting our point guard set up the offense. She had 5 assists that weren't assists for wide open threes or a player driving to a clogged paint instead of shooting a wide open easy shot. It's frustrating.
Unless they are up by 20 in the fourth I feel like they can find a way to lose and that is not particularly fun.
I'm watching the Connecticut game now and thought about your question. Yes, this is definitely fun to watch. The Washington game, not so much. And it's fun, not because of the score, but because of the great play, and the joy of the team all performing together. Skylar's triple double being the most obvious part of that.
Nneka is always great to watch. And watching Gabby take it to another level has been amazing. Ezi is fun to watch now that her game has returned. And Erica Wheeler, great addition and super entertaining.
Losses can also be fun at times, IF the play was still good. But the losses this season have been sooo bad. The roller coaster ride the last month or so makes it hard to have too much fun. Because every time we get optimistic, they crash and burn again. But I'm confident this too will pass.
So, to answer your question, yes this is fun to watch. The WNBA is about the only sports I watch anymore because of all the fun moments. They still easily outweigh the bad.
Love this answer and very well said. The Chicago and Connecticut games made Seattle look like a very fun team. The Storm being unable to score even 60 points made the Washington Mystics game a terrible game to watch. I think you hit the nail on the head, in that some of Seattle's losses have been so bad and so ugly, that it's difficult to enjoy. But what makes the WNBA generally so wonderful is how competitive it is night in and night out.
The common denominator of "fun" teams to me always starts on the defensive end. The Arkansas men of the "40 Minutes of Hell" era was an absolute blast. That doesn't happen at the pro level, but the Storm is fun on the occasions when they bring 20 seconds of hell. "Fun" teams also play with relentless grit and determination, which is more "know it when I see it," rather than something easily quantified. "Fun" teams make sure you know they've given everything they have, regardless of who they're playing. Having said that, I'm not sure that "fun" is really what's most salient for me, in pro basketball.
You write: “look to build around their younger pieces Malonga, Magbegor, Horston, and Williams.”
I don’t understand WNBA roster rules enough to know if this includes Muhl or not. Do the Storm keep her rights beyond this season?
Yes, Nika Mühl is still under contract with the Storm. But when I wrote that, I had to consider a couple of things. It's possible that Nika Mühl could be taken in the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland before the 2026 season. We don't yet know how they're going to do the rules, since they normally allow teams to protect 5 or 6 players, but for most teams heading into 2026, most of the players will be Unrestricted Free Agents because all the star players didn't sign a contract beyond 2025 because they are entering a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). Right now minimum salary for a rookie is around $65K and for a veteran is around $75K. And the max WNBA salary is around $250K. But starting in 2026, it's possible the maximum salary could be $400-500K or maybe even $1 Million.
We also don't know if, in the new CBA, they will allow for teams to have larger rosters. Currently, the maximum is 12. But I believe in the NBA, it's either 15 or 16. But let's say they don't agree on roster expansion, only new teams. If that happens, the Storm have 3 first-round picks for the 2026 draft, plus an early draft pick in the 2nd round. They also have players like Jordan Horston and Katie Lou Samuelson, who will be coming back from injury, as is Nika Mühl. There is a chance Nika Mühl doesn't make the Storm's 2026 Final roster. Unfortunately, I don't think she showed enough in her rookie season that would guarantee her a roster spot in 2026, especially if rosters remain as limited as they are currently.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!
That’s a great answer. I appreciate how thoroughly you explained the situation. I guess we should wait until we have a new CBA.
How did the Storm apparently manage to be the only team in the league that doesn’t have a back-to-back this season?