Hallelujah... And adjust the concrete salary cap so we don't have to have these ridiculous emergency mercenary contracts. They are a disservice to the players who sign them, and they don't really serve teams' continuity particularly well, either.
To play Devil's Advocate, not to be too much of a Storm shill, but I would argue that I don't know if Seattle's FO gets enough credit for how they were able to bounce back after losing Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird (to retirement), and Courtney Vandersloot because Stewie convinced her to change her mind on where she signed.
They managed to sign both Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins. And while I wasn't thrilled that it cost them their 2024 Lottery Pick, which could have been Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards, or Angel Reese (Quinn indicated to me it would have been Jackson), they look like they're going to get that lottery pick back in 2026. So really they traded Kia Nurse and their 4th overall pick for Nneka Ogwumike and (as of now) a Top 3 pick in 2026.
Also, look at the job they did bringing in Erica Wheeler. I know Pokey had a lot to do with that because Wheeler talked about how she was an All-Star under Pokey in Indiana. Erica Wheeler is having a better season than Jewell Loyd right now. And they got her on a minimum deal.
Even though the Li Yueru trade didn't work out, the fact that they turned Jewell Loyd into the #2 overall pick (Dominique Malonga), Li Yueru, and the Aces' 2026 first-round pick (currently a Top 10 pick) is pretty amazing. I didn't think Seattle would even be able to get #2 overall. I thought at best they'd get #3 from Chicago. But the fact that they got #2, Li, and Vegas' 2026 1st is very impressive.
Looking more at this year's current roster. I don't think anyone could predict that Jordan Horston, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Nika Mühl would all tear their ACL's. Well, Mühl's was known, but the other two happened closer to the start of the season. I think so highly of Jordan Horston. I think she has the potential to be another Gabby Williams-type player. And even though Lou never reached her full potential, I do believe she would have played a large, supportive role on this team. Would you rather have Zia Cooke taking those wide-open corner threes or Katie Lou Samuelson? Lou wouldn't have solved their rebounding problems, but she could have helped them space the floor with their other bigs and if she hit a couple of threes a game, that would have been great.
Lastly, tell me which WNBA team's roster you would rather have over Seattle's right now? The New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and the Indiana Fever? Frankly, I'm not even sure I like Minnesota's roster better. I do think they are the better team, they play better team basketball, and Collier is a better player than anyone on Seattle. Despite what the stats say this year, I still believe Ezi Magbegor is a better player than Alanna Smith. Skylar is better than Courtney Williams. Gabby Williams is better than Bridget Carleton. If Seattle had a healthy Horston and Katie Lou, I think Seattle would clearly have the better roster.
“Lastly, tell me which WNBA team's roster you would rather have over Seattle's right now? The New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and the Indiana Fever? Frankly, I'm not even sure I like Minnesota's roster better. I do think they are the better team, they play better team basketball, and Collier is a better player than anyone on Seattle. Despite what the stats say this year, I still believe Ezi Magbegor is a better player than Alanna Smith. Skylar is better than Courtney Williams. Gabby Williams is better than Bridget Carleton. If Seattle had a healthy Horston and Katie Lou, I think Seattle would clearly have the better roster. “
I would like an Alanna Smith over KLS…She’s a lowkey scrappy Natasha Howard type. That’s what I think we’re missing. We have scrappy guards, and amazing bigs, but they get bulldozed by Bri Jones/JJ/Boston…and get out-boarded by “magnets” like Smith & Howard. I feel like we’re missing that more than a 3shooter that KLS would provide…IMO.
I think the question would be more, would you rather have Alanna Smith over Ezi Magbegor, though? Since Smith is the starting Center for the Lynx, and Ezi is the starting Center for the Storm. If we're trying to compare the rosters as evenly as possible.
Fair. I just think we’re missing the “magnet” type or bulldozer type player. Everyone talks about Bird/Stewie/Jewel…but Natasha Howard helped us BIG TIME in those two ‘ship runs…
Oh, I 100% agree with that. I've written multiple times about how Natasha Howard was the key to changing the Storm from a low-end playoff team to a WNBA Champion in 2018. Sue did her podcast with Tash recently, and I've been meaning to check it out. Hopefully, I'll have some time soon for that.
You make a lot of good points, Jeff, and I needed to acknowledge that some of my roster concerns/frustrations connect to some recent past missteps that aren't directly reflected in this roster, but still shape my views about the FO. They absolutely deserve credit for under-the-radar signings, like Wheeler. She's been an absolute godsend. Maneuvering their way to Malonga was an astute move with a healthy dose of good fortune. Credit for that. Likewise, drafting Horston was smart and fortunate. Clearly, her availability was incomprehensible at that draft spot. So, I'd say when fortune has favored them, they've made good use of it. Back to the present. You asked if I'd have preferred Zia Cooke over KLS taking open threes. No, but not being a true shooter (ZC) ends up not looking very different from reputational shooters who don't seem to make a lot of shots, in spite of their reputations and pedigree (KLS). You also asked which roster I'd take over the Storm. It is painful to say it, but New York, for sure. Otherwise, the top of Seattle's roster feels on par with the top ends of Minnesota, Indiana, Las Vegas, Atlanta. So, sure the Storm has a sweet top end, like all of those teams. My issues are really with the depth. Granted, the dumbass roster and cap parameters make it hard to build depth and deal with injuries, but this year (so far), we have basically 6.5 players Quinn trusts. Lexie Brown is one of the great enduring mysteries of the universe. Zia Cooke isn't far behind and Li, probably would be as well, had she not moved on. Maybe they can thrive with a 6.5 player rotation. Maybe not. It's an empirical question.
I wrote a very long comment here, then I got a call and it wiped it out so I have to start over. I was thrilled with the win that we probably didn't deserve due to our pathetic rebounding, but we pulled it out thanks to Nneka, Erica, and Skylar's late heroics. I may comment more later but that's it for now.
Sometimes, it's best to send the comment and write more later, then write a super long comment and risk losing it all. There are other things you can potentially do, like highlighting all the text in your phone and selecting Copy. Ideally, it'll save it so you can paste it if you've lost it all.
The Storm have had rebounding issues for years! They simply don't find a player to boxout. On many occasions its the opposing teams guards crashing the boards. I think clearly its known around the league the Storm have this issue so they risk the leakout to gather offensive boards. The Storm make the same mistake my 6th to 8th graders make. Watching the ball instead of finding a body FIRST to boxout. It is frustrating to watch. I can't imagine this isn't a focus in practice. I think its more a lack of effort from players thinking they can just out jump or not worry about gaining position against the opposing player. Its an effort thing. I think it also could be that they’re tired after playing over 30 to 40 minutes a game. That I bet has something to do with it.
This sadly could be a long-term issue with basketball across the board. Because from peewee, highschool, college and pros you see the same lack of fundamental rebounding effort and technique.So this tells me its also a coaching issue. Somewhere someone is failing these players. Could it be that AAU coaches focus 40 percent on offensive plays and 50 percent of running scrimmages. The other 10 percent for everything else.
From my experience as a coach which is around 10 years total with around 7 of those years being in AAU programs. There is so much to teach the kids, that it's difficult to use up that time on boxing out and rebounding. Although, it also depends on the team and the players. If toughness or boxing out is a clear problem, then as a coach you're more likely to spend some time drilling it. But yeah, you need to do ball-handling drills, set plays, motion offense, defensive drills, shooting drills, pick-and-roll, etc. There is a lot and most AAU programs I've worked with have maybe 2 practices a week for 1-2 hours and that goes by very quickly.
With the Storm, I do have to question how much age is playing a factor, as I wrote above. Obviously, that shouldn't be an issue for players like Gabby, Ezi, and Dom. But it certainly could be for AC, Nneka, Wheeler, and Skylar.
Exactly! No time to teach or practice boxing out. So why are coaches surprised when they're players aren't doing it? Coaches need to make time. Not sure why coaches think its less important than other things. You said you tell your team to lessen 2nd chance shot opportunities. How will they see that as important if they don't practice the skill necessary to eliminate it?
I like the prospects for our future. I hope the CBA passes and they get more player spots to help develop talent.
Hallelujah... And adjust the concrete salary cap so we don't have to have these ridiculous emergency mercenary contracts. They are a disservice to the players who sign them, and they don't really serve teams' continuity particularly well, either.
It would be great if the FO could apply some of that chess-level thinking to current roster construction.
To play Devil's Advocate, not to be too much of a Storm shill, but I would argue that I don't know if Seattle's FO gets enough credit for how they were able to bounce back after losing Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird (to retirement), and Courtney Vandersloot because Stewie convinced her to change her mind on where she signed.
They managed to sign both Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins. And while I wasn't thrilled that it cost them their 2024 Lottery Pick, which could have been Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards, or Angel Reese (Quinn indicated to me it would have been Jackson), they look like they're going to get that lottery pick back in 2026. So really they traded Kia Nurse and their 4th overall pick for Nneka Ogwumike and (as of now) a Top 3 pick in 2026.
Also, look at the job they did bringing in Erica Wheeler. I know Pokey had a lot to do with that because Wheeler talked about how she was an All-Star under Pokey in Indiana. Erica Wheeler is having a better season than Jewell Loyd right now. And they got her on a minimum deal.
Even though the Li Yueru trade didn't work out, the fact that they turned Jewell Loyd into the #2 overall pick (Dominique Malonga), Li Yueru, and the Aces' 2026 first-round pick (currently a Top 10 pick) is pretty amazing. I didn't think Seattle would even be able to get #2 overall. I thought at best they'd get #3 from Chicago. But the fact that they got #2, Li, and Vegas' 2026 1st is very impressive.
Looking more at this year's current roster. I don't think anyone could predict that Jordan Horston, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Nika Mühl would all tear their ACL's. Well, Mühl's was known, but the other two happened closer to the start of the season. I think so highly of Jordan Horston. I think she has the potential to be another Gabby Williams-type player. And even though Lou never reached her full potential, I do believe she would have played a large, supportive role on this team. Would you rather have Zia Cooke taking those wide-open corner threes or Katie Lou Samuelson? Lou wouldn't have solved their rebounding problems, but she could have helped them space the floor with their other bigs and if she hit a couple of threes a game, that would have been great.
Lastly, tell me which WNBA team's roster you would rather have over Seattle's right now? The New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and the Indiana Fever? Frankly, I'm not even sure I like Minnesota's roster better. I do think they are the better team, they play better team basketball, and Collier is a better player than anyone on Seattle. Despite what the stats say this year, I still believe Ezi Magbegor is a better player than Alanna Smith. Skylar is better than Courtney Williams. Gabby Williams is better than Bridget Carleton. If Seattle had a healthy Horston and Katie Lou, I think Seattle would clearly have the better roster.
Let me know what you think!
“Lastly, tell me which WNBA team's roster you would rather have over Seattle's right now? The New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and the Indiana Fever? Frankly, I'm not even sure I like Minnesota's roster better. I do think they are the better team, they play better team basketball, and Collier is a better player than anyone on Seattle. Despite what the stats say this year, I still believe Ezi Magbegor is a better player than Alanna Smith. Skylar is better than Courtney Williams. Gabby Williams is better than Bridget Carleton. If Seattle had a healthy Horston and Katie Lou, I think Seattle would clearly have the better roster. “
I would like an Alanna Smith over KLS…She’s a lowkey scrappy Natasha Howard type. That’s what I think we’re missing. We have scrappy guards, and amazing bigs, but they get bulldozed by Bri Jones/JJ/Boston…and get out-boarded by “magnets” like Smith & Howard. I feel like we’re missing that more than a 3shooter that KLS would provide…IMO.
I think the question would be more, would you rather have Alanna Smith over Ezi Magbegor, though? Since Smith is the starting Center for the Lynx, and Ezi is the starting Center for the Storm. If we're trying to compare the rosters as evenly as possible.
Fair. I just think we’re missing the “magnet” type or bulldozer type player. Everyone talks about Bird/Stewie/Jewel…but Natasha Howard helped us BIG TIME in those two ‘ship runs…
Oh, I 100% agree with that. I've written multiple times about how Natasha Howard was the key to changing the Storm from a low-end playoff team to a WNBA Champion in 2018. Sue did her podcast with Tash recently, and I've been meaning to check it out. Hopefully, I'll have some time soon for that.
It’s a great interview. Sue refers to her as a magnet/glue player and I 💯 agree.
You make a lot of good points, Jeff, and I needed to acknowledge that some of my roster concerns/frustrations connect to some recent past missteps that aren't directly reflected in this roster, but still shape my views about the FO. They absolutely deserve credit for under-the-radar signings, like Wheeler. She's been an absolute godsend. Maneuvering their way to Malonga was an astute move with a healthy dose of good fortune. Credit for that. Likewise, drafting Horston was smart and fortunate. Clearly, her availability was incomprehensible at that draft spot. So, I'd say when fortune has favored them, they've made good use of it. Back to the present. You asked if I'd have preferred Zia Cooke over KLS taking open threes. No, but not being a true shooter (ZC) ends up not looking very different from reputational shooters who don't seem to make a lot of shots, in spite of their reputations and pedigree (KLS). You also asked which roster I'd take over the Storm. It is painful to say it, but New York, for sure. Otherwise, the top of Seattle's roster feels on par with the top ends of Minnesota, Indiana, Las Vegas, Atlanta. So, sure the Storm has a sweet top end, like all of those teams. My issues are really with the depth. Granted, the dumbass roster and cap parameters make it hard to build depth and deal with injuries, but this year (so far), we have basically 6.5 players Quinn trusts. Lexie Brown is one of the great enduring mysteries of the universe. Zia Cooke isn't far behind and Li, probably would be as well, had she not moved on. Maybe they can thrive with a 6.5 player rotation. Maybe not. It's an empirical question.
I wrote a very long comment here, then I got a call and it wiped it out so I have to start over. I was thrilled with the win that we probably didn't deserve due to our pathetic rebounding, but we pulled it out thanks to Nneka, Erica, and Skylar's late heroics. I may comment more later but that's it for now.
Sometimes, it's best to send the comment and write more later, then write a super long comment and risk losing it all. There are other things you can potentially do, like highlighting all the text in your phone and selecting Copy. Ideally, it'll save it so you can paste it if you've lost it all.
Appreciate the breakdown of the GM’s trades - absolutely agree that the Front office has been impressive.
The Storm have had rebounding issues for years! They simply don't find a player to boxout. On many occasions its the opposing teams guards crashing the boards. I think clearly its known around the league the Storm have this issue so they risk the leakout to gather offensive boards. The Storm make the same mistake my 6th to 8th graders make. Watching the ball instead of finding a body FIRST to boxout. It is frustrating to watch. I can't imagine this isn't a focus in practice. I think its more a lack of effort from players thinking they can just out jump or not worry about gaining position against the opposing player. Its an effort thing. I think it also could be that they’re tired after playing over 30 to 40 minutes a game. That I bet has something to do with it.
This sadly could be a long-term issue with basketball across the board. Because from peewee, highschool, college and pros you see the same lack of fundamental rebounding effort and technique.So this tells me its also a coaching issue. Somewhere someone is failing these players. Could it be that AAU coaches focus 40 percent on offensive plays and 50 percent of running scrimmages. The other 10 percent for everything else.
From my experience as a coach which is around 10 years total with around 7 of those years being in AAU programs. There is so much to teach the kids, that it's difficult to use up that time on boxing out and rebounding. Although, it also depends on the team and the players. If toughness or boxing out is a clear problem, then as a coach you're more likely to spend some time drilling it. But yeah, you need to do ball-handling drills, set plays, motion offense, defensive drills, shooting drills, pick-and-roll, etc. There is a lot and most AAU programs I've worked with have maybe 2 practices a week for 1-2 hours and that goes by very quickly.
With the Storm, I do have to question how much age is playing a factor, as I wrote above. Obviously, that shouldn't be an issue for players like Gabby, Ezi, and Dom. But it certainly could be for AC, Nneka, Wheeler, and Skylar.
Exactly! No time to teach or practice boxing out. So why are coaches surprised when they're players aren't doing it? Coaches need to make time. Not sure why coaches think its less important than other things. You said you tell your team to lessen 2nd chance shot opportunities. How will they see that as important if they don't practice the skill necessary to eliminate it?