I think the key to Dom's 4th quarter was that Natasha Howard picked up her 5th foul and had to sit. It was Tash who was forcing Dom into all those fadeaways and keeping her in check for the first 3 quarters. I totally agree with you that Dom is better when she's aggressive, and I like the way her recent shot diet has had more moves to the rim and less fadeaways, but Tash is really good at defense and had her number last night, in my opinion.
I think that's fair because I know Natasha Howard is an excellent defender. She won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. However, I think it was when Howard got her 4th or 5th foul, and Dom got deep position, and Tash could do nothing but foul her because she's only 6'2" and Malonga is 6'6" with a larger wingspan. Dom just needs to build more strength. This should come with age. When she is assertive and when her teammates actually get her the ball inside, there is rarely a time when she isn't able to get a high percentage shot. I just want to see more of that instead of settling for contested midrange jumpers and fadeaways.
I was so high on Olivia Miles, and I don't think I was high enough. It is frustrating to know the Storm were so close to getting her, but just missed out. I have said that as much as I wanted Miles on draft night, for the Storm to come away with Awa Fam and Flau'jae Johnson, I believe that was an even better scenario versus only getting Miles. But the fact that I might even have to reconsider that is a testament to what Miles is doing. I'm serious when I say I think she should win MVP.
Once Minnesota got the #2 pick, it seems Seattle never had a shot at Miles. If Dallas had taken Awa Fam, the Lynx would have still drafted Miles, and then Seattle would have ended up with Azzi Fudd. The Flau'jae trade by Talisa might go down as one of the greatest moves in Storm draft history.
And while it's too bad Seattle didn't draft Miles, just imagine being the Chicago Sky. They might go on a four-year run of giving away Sonia Citron, Olivia Miles, JuJu Watkins, and Sarah Strong.
To your point about Collier and Miles, I still think it's Collier's team, but it'll be interesting to see how Phee gets reimplemented into the system and how the team operates with her.
As always, I appreciate your perspective, Jeff, and Miles will get the MVP vote I don’t have. It will be interesting (assuming Collier eventually makes it back this year) to see Miles being on the other side of a superstar being reintegrated into a team. I have no doubt that part of why she transferred to Texas Christian was that Hidalgo took over Notre Dame in Miles’ absence. Their chemistry always seemed a bit off. Don’t get me wrong: Collier will still be a huge factor, but Miles orchestrates EVERYTHING, and - as we saw last night - has to be accounted for every second she’s on the floor. She’s become a much more reliable perimeter shooter and can no longer be left alone, like she could early on at ND. As much as I wanted Miles here, I’m certain that part of her success is having the best coach in the game, and being surrounded by veteran professionals. I’m not sure the success would have translated here. I agree with your assessment that we ended up with the best backup plan possible.
I don't believe so, but I'll try to dig into that. I think it's probably more Coach Raman balancing defense and offense between Jordy, who gives them more defense and rebounding, versus Katie Lou, who is more likely to knock down three-pointers and be a threat to space the floor. Zia Cooke also played really well yesterday, so she ended up getting starters' minutes. The positive for Seattle is that all 3 players had some great moments in the game, and WNBA teams need to build a strong bench. I'm glad Horston had a very good game. Hopefully, she'll continue to get more minutes, and we'll see more of that.
Tough loss. They played with such heart, would have been nice to win this one. The end of game shot choices by T had me cringing. Got lucky Awa picked up the scraps on the tough 3. Not sure who the offensive coordinator is for end of game scenarios, but they're now 1-12 in clutch games. More shots by Flau and Dom, please.
I didn’t think those were Natisha’s shot “choices.” I think that Coach Raman is making a conscious decision to put the ball in Hiedeman’s hand at the end of these games. I’m not saying I agree with that choice - I’m saying I think that’s what’s going on. And credit to Minnesota for playing a well-scouted defense during those crunch-time minutes. They took away ALL of Hiedeman’s options on those shots you’re talking about. My complaint isn’t about Hiedeman’s shot selection - it’s about the other players standing around too much. They need more off-ball movement!
Do you think this coaching staff is the one to get them through to the other side of growing pains? Are we seeing enough gradual improvement to be confident that this team is on the right track?
Yes, I believe so at this time. I think it's a very difficult situation, but I believe a few things. 1) Entering this season, we knew it was going to be a rebuild. A team doesn't lose multiple All-Stars and their top 5 scorers and replace them with the youngest starting lineup in the league, and be expected to be a competitive playoff team. My expectation entering this year was that the Storm would be a bottom-three team in the WNBA, and right now they are at the very bottom. I am not surprised at all with how this season has gone.
2) While it is tough to lose so many close games, I legitimately believe this is a best-case scenario for the franchise. They are taking this year to learn, to grow, to develop, to make mistakes, with the focus on gaining experience and getting better from it. I am a believer in the long-term potential of Dominique Malonga, Flau'jae Johnson, and Awa Fam. They have been very close to beating some very good teams. But because they keep losing, they are now likely to add a Top 5 and potentially a Top 3 draft pick. That is going to make the roster even more talented with another core piece being added for the foreseeable future.
3) One of the worst things an organization can do is to constantly fire head coaches and GMs over and over again every 1-2 years. That is almost a guarantee for organizational failure. Think about all the worst sports teams around multiple leagues, and they always have the same thing in common. They don't build anything, and they make rash decisions.
If you look at the most successful franchises, they stick with their coaches and give them time to develop players. Does that mean you keep a coach around no matter what? No, sometimes it is better to move on. But if you're going to move on, you need to have a plan in place and be confident in it. The Seahawks kept Pete Carroll around for several years after winning the Super Bowl because he kept them competitive and because he won within the first few years of becoming the head coach. He deserved that. Ultimately, after I believe around 8 years of not getting far in the playoffs, they decided it was time to move on, and they made the correct decision, but they also gave it time. With the Seattle Storm, I thought they handled the Noelle Quinn situation pretty well. She had bad luck in 2021 with Breanna Stewart tearing her Achilles with just a few games left in the 2021 regular season. They won the Commissioner's Cup earlier and could have had a legit chance to repeat as Champions if that hadn't happened. In 2022, they got close again, but Chelsea Gray went nuclear in the WNBA Semifinals. She never had a chance in 2023 with that roster, but they gave her another in 2024 and 2025 with Skylar and Nneka. It didn't work out. They decided it was time to move on, as some of the issues around the team were repeating themselves.
Unless the players are clearly tuning out the coach, and we're not seeing any positive signs, I think it would be far more damaging to switch coaches with so many young players. Because then you are starting over again, and the young players' development is reset in some ways. Now, if it's 2028, the team has added two more lottery picks, and the team is still struggling to win games, then maybe you look to make a change in 2028 or, more likely, 2029. But not after this year.
I thought this was Zia Cooke’s best game EVER as a Seattle Storm. And, personally, I would have kept her in the game instead of bringing in Jade during the last two minutes. I would even consider starting her just to see what happens. I mean… what do we have to lose? As a side note, I also thought this was Jordan Horstan’s best game since her return from injury. I’ve been critical of her play up to this point - but last night she demonstrated that she’s still a factor and deserves minutes on the floor.
Totally agree with you on Zia’s performance. I, too, have wondered about starting her, but she can be kind of a microwave from the bench (a bit like Vinnie Johnson was) and we’d have next to no capacity for instant offense off the bench. I thought last night she did the “best” job on Miles. Many tried to stay in front of her; all failed, but maybe Zia was the least unsuccessful.
Hey Norm - Johnson was a (mostly) 1980s vintage guard (Sonics, Pistons) who brought instant offense off the bench, dubbed “The Microwave.” Never met a shot he wouldn’t take.
Once again, did the coach not think? There was no shot clock left 22ish seconds left, down by one. Run the clock down, take the last shot by attacking the basket with either Zia, Flau, or Nat…. Score or be fouled…. Why a quick shot? Should have taking a full time out there… They deserve better.
I think the key to Dom's 4th quarter was that Natasha Howard picked up her 5th foul and had to sit. It was Tash who was forcing Dom into all those fadeaways and keeping her in check for the first 3 quarters. I totally agree with you that Dom is better when she's aggressive, and I like the way her recent shot diet has had more moves to the rim and less fadeaways, but Tash is really good at defense and had her number last night, in my opinion.
I think that's fair because I know Natasha Howard is an excellent defender. She won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. However, I think it was when Howard got her 4th or 5th foul, and Dom got deep position, and Tash could do nothing but foul her because she's only 6'2" and Malonga is 6'6" with a larger wingspan. Dom just needs to build more strength. This should come with age. When she is assertive and when her teammates actually get her the ball inside, there is rarely a time when she isn't able to get a high percentage shot. I just want to see more of that instead of settling for contested midrange jumpers and fadeaways.
It’ll be very interesting to see how Collier gets reintegrated. Lynx is Miles’ team now.
I was so high on Olivia Miles, and I don't think I was high enough. It is frustrating to know the Storm were so close to getting her, but just missed out. I have said that as much as I wanted Miles on draft night, for the Storm to come away with Awa Fam and Flau'jae Johnson, I believe that was an even better scenario versus only getting Miles. But the fact that I might even have to reconsider that is a testament to what Miles is doing. I'm serious when I say I think she should win MVP.
Once Minnesota got the #2 pick, it seems Seattle never had a shot at Miles. If Dallas had taken Awa Fam, the Lynx would have still drafted Miles, and then Seattle would have ended up with Azzi Fudd. The Flau'jae trade by Talisa might go down as one of the greatest moves in Storm draft history.
And while it's too bad Seattle didn't draft Miles, just imagine being the Chicago Sky. They might go on a four-year run of giving away Sonia Citron, Olivia Miles, JuJu Watkins, and Sarah Strong.
To your point about Collier and Miles, I still think it's Collier's team, but it'll be interesting to see how Phee gets reimplemented into the system and how the team operates with her.
As always, I appreciate your perspective, Jeff, and Miles will get the MVP vote I don’t have. It will be interesting (assuming Collier eventually makes it back this year) to see Miles being on the other side of a superstar being reintegrated into a team. I have no doubt that part of why she transferred to Texas Christian was that Hidalgo took over Notre Dame in Miles’ absence. Their chemistry always seemed a bit off. Don’t get me wrong: Collier will still be a huge factor, but Miles orchestrates EVERYTHING, and - as we saw last night - has to be accounted for every second she’s on the floor. She’s become a much more reliable perimeter shooter and can no longer be left alone, like she could early on at ND. As much as I wanted Miles here, I’m certain that part of her success is having the best coach in the game, and being surrounded by veteran professionals. I’m not sure the success would have translated here. I agree with your assessment that we ended up with the best backup plan possible.
Is Horston still on a minutes restriction? She looks good when she's out there
I don't believe so, but I'll try to dig into that. I think it's probably more Coach Raman balancing defense and offense between Jordy, who gives them more defense and rebounding, versus Katie Lou, who is more likely to knock down three-pointers and be a threat to space the floor. Zia Cooke also played really well yesterday, so she ended up getting starters' minutes. The positive for Seattle is that all 3 players had some great moments in the game, and WNBA teams need to build a strong bench. I'm glad Horston had a very good game. Hopefully, she'll continue to get more minutes, and we'll see more of that.
Tough loss. They played with such heart, would have been nice to win this one. The end of game shot choices by T had me cringing. Got lucky Awa picked up the scraps on the tough 3. Not sure who the offensive coordinator is for end of game scenarios, but they're now 1-12 in clutch games. More shots by Flau and Dom, please.
I didn’t think those were Natisha’s shot “choices.” I think that Coach Raman is making a conscious decision to put the ball in Hiedeman’s hand at the end of these games. I’m not saying I agree with that choice - I’m saying I think that’s what’s going on. And credit to Minnesota for playing a well-scouted defense during those crunch-time minutes. They took away ALL of Hiedeman’s options on those shots you’re talking about. My complaint isn’t about Hiedeman’s shot selection - it’s about the other players standing around too much. They need more off-ball movement!
That's a fair take! Appreciate the perspective
Do you think this coaching staff is the one to get them through to the other side of growing pains? Are we seeing enough gradual improvement to be confident that this team is on the right track?
Yes, I believe so at this time. I think it's a very difficult situation, but I believe a few things. 1) Entering this season, we knew it was going to be a rebuild. A team doesn't lose multiple All-Stars and their top 5 scorers and replace them with the youngest starting lineup in the league, and be expected to be a competitive playoff team. My expectation entering this year was that the Storm would be a bottom-three team in the WNBA, and right now they are at the very bottom. I am not surprised at all with how this season has gone.
2) While it is tough to lose so many close games, I legitimately believe this is a best-case scenario for the franchise. They are taking this year to learn, to grow, to develop, to make mistakes, with the focus on gaining experience and getting better from it. I am a believer in the long-term potential of Dominique Malonga, Flau'jae Johnson, and Awa Fam. They have been very close to beating some very good teams. But because they keep losing, they are now likely to add a Top 5 and potentially a Top 3 draft pick. That is going to make the roster even more talented with another core piece being added for the foreseeable future.
3) One of the worst things an organization can do is to constantly fire head coaches and GMs over and over again every 1-2 years. That is almost a guarantee for organizational failure. Think about all the worst sports teams around multiple leagues, and they always have the same thing in common. They don't build anything, and they make rash decisions.
If you look at the most successful franchises, they stick with their coaches and give them time to develop players. Does that mean you keep a coach around no matter what? No, sometimes it is better to move on. But if you're going to move on, you need to have a plan in place and be confident in it. The Seahawks kept Pete Carroll around for several years after winning the Super Bowl because he kept them competitive and because he won within the first few years of becoming the head coach. He deserved that. Ultimately, after I believe around 8 years of not getting far in the playoffs, they decided it was time to move on, and they made the correct decision, but they also gave it time. With the Seattle Storm, I thought they handled the Noelle Quinn situation pretty well. She had bad luck in 2021 with Breanna Stewart tearing her Achilles with just a few games left in the 2021 regular season. They won the Commissioner's Cup earlier and could have had a legit chance to repeat as Champions if that hadn't happened. In 2022, they got close again, but Chelsea Gray went nuclear in the WNBA Semifinals. She never had a chance in 2023 with that roster, but they gave her another in 2024 and 2025 with Skylar and Nneka. It didn't work out. They decided it was time to move on, as some of the issues around the team were repeating themselves.
Unless the players are clearly tuning out the coach, and we're not seeing any positive signs, I think it would be far more damaging to switch coaches with so many young players. Because then you are starting over again, and the young players' development is reset in some ways. Now, if it's 2028, the team has added two more lottery picks, and the team is still struggling to win games, then maybe you look to make a change in 2028 or, more likely, 2029. But not after this year.
I thought this was Zia Cooke’s best game EVER as a Seattle Storm. And, personally, I would have kept her in the game instead of bringing in Jade during the last two minutes. I would even consider starting her just to see what happens. I mean… what do we have to lose? As a side note, I also thought this was Jordan Horstan’s best game since her return from injury. I’ve been critical of her play up to this point - but last night she demonstrated that she’s still a factor and deserves minutes on the floor.
Totally agree with you on Zia’s performance. I, too, have wondered about starting her, but she can be kind of a microwave from the bench (a bit like Vinnie Johnson was) and we’d have next to no capacity for instant offense off the bench. I thought last night she did the “best” job on Miles. Many tried to stay in front of her; all failed, but maybe Zia was the least unsuccessful.
Hey Norm - Johnson was a (mostly) 1980s vintage guard (Sonics, Pistons) who brought instant offense off the bench, dubbed “The Microwave.” Never met a shot he wouldn’t take.
Sorry Eric… I don’t understand the Vinnie Johnson reference.
Once again, did the coach not think? There was no shot clock left 22ish seconds left, down by one. Run the clock down, take the last shot by attacking the basket with either Zia, Flau, or Nat…. Score or be fouled…. Why a quick shot? Should have taking a full time out there… They deserve better.
Huh? That was the possession where they failed to inbound the ball. We don't know what the coach drew up, but I'm sure it wasn't a turnover ...
And your point? Bad play…?