Jewell Loyd has a chance to turn around the Seattle Storm in 2024. Find out how the Seattle Storm do this season.
Lisa Donovan Posted on 5/8/2024.
The Seattle Storm went 11-29 in 2023, but hope to improve on that in 2024. The Seattle Storm have Jewell Loyd at point guard even though she's got experience at both guard spots, Skylar Diggins, the former teammate of Lloyd on Notre Dame's Championship winning team joins Lloyd at shooting guard, Jordan Horston, Seattle's 2023 first round pick out of Tennessee is the starting small forward, Nneka Ogwumike is the starting power forward, and Ezi Magbegor at center.
The Seattle Storm also have one of the leagues most energetic head coaches in Noelle Quinn a former top five draft pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft who won a championship in her final season as a player with the Seattle Storm before becoming an assistant coach on the Storm before working her way up to head coach in 2021. Quinn had two winning seasons with the Seattle Storm where the Storm made the WNBA Playoffs in her first two seasons at head coach before having her first losing season last year following the departure of last years WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart.
Jewell Loyd had 24.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.4 points per game as the Seattle Storm's point guard in 2023 after beginning her career as a shooting guard to Sue Bird before taking over for at point guard for the Seattle Storm legend after being drafted first overall out of Notre Dame in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Skylar Diggins-Smith took 2023 off after spending 2022 with the Phoenix Mercury, the former Notre Dame guard is re-united with her Notre Dame teammate Loyd and has averaged 14 points per game, 5 assists per game, 4 rebounds per game, and 4 steals per game at shooting guard. Jordan Horston attended a WNBA bootcamp after only scoring 6.9 points per game as a rookie.
Seattle's front court looks a lot more lethal thanks to the addition of Nneka Ogwumike at power forward. Nneka Ogwumike was drafted first overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft out of Stanford and spent years on the Los Angeles Sparks. Neka Ogwumike led the Sparks with 19.1 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game while also posting 2.7 assists per game in 2023. Ezi Magbegor had 13.8 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game with the Seattle Storm taking over for Breanna Stewart in 2023.
Seattle has four good starters and if Jordan Horston takes a leap this season, this can be a team that easily returns to the WNBA Playoffs in 2024. Loyd, Diggins, and Horston are under contract for the next two seasons at point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. The front court combo of Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor enters contract years with the Seattle Storm having $758,409 to spend on extensions for Ogwumike and Magbegor if either player decides to return to the Seattle Storm in 2025.
I ranked the Seattle Storm at 11 in my intial 2024 WNBA Power Rankings. After reviewing the Storm, I am going to move them up in my next WNBA Power Rankings update as this team has the talent to make the 2024 WNBA Playoffs if Horston takes a leap. NBA Draft Room has the Seattle Storm picking ninth in their 2025 WNBA Mock Draft and I believe Seattle can get to the second round if they end up drawing anyone besides the New York Liberty. The Las Vegas Aces will also be problematic for the Seattle Storm even with the recent retirement of power forward Candace Parker.
Las Vegas should be the favorite to win the Western Conference. Challengers to emerge in the Western Conference will emerge since the Las Vegas Aces don't have their starting five that they had last year. The Dallas Wings have a better starting five than the Las Vegas Aces with Parker retiring. Seattle projects as the second best team in the Western Conference by most pundits with Tankathon putting the Storm at 10 in their 2025 WNBA Draft order, but the Storm did lose their preseason opener to the Los Angeles Sparks 84-79. Los Angeles could have a good starting five with Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson if their point guards and shooting guards average over 10 points a game like last year. The Minnesota Lynx lack a point guard, but they have quality starters everywhere else. I feel like the Aces and Wings are in, but there is some uncertainty as to whether the Sparks, Lynx, or Storm gets one of the two playoff spots.
The Seattle Storm made the WNBA Playoffs in 18 out of 24 seasons. I expect the Storm to be back in the playoff mix next season. How far the Storm go this upcoming season remains unknown until I preview more WNBA teams, but I got Seattle in the playoffs for the time being.
1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, it was Seattle rookie Nika Muhl -- taken 13 picks after Clark in last month's draft -- who got Wednesday's biggest ovation when she checked in for her delayed debut. "I was shaking," Muhl said after the Storm's thrilling 85-83 win over the Indiana Fever. "It was unreal. It was surreal.
It's a well-known fact that the player in the NBA logo silhouette is Jerry West. And this iconic symbol has become a unique identity of the NBA brand. Whereas on the WNBA logo, the silhouette did not take after any player in particular. It was added as a symbol to represent every female athlete.
The marketing firm insisted the logo is not based on any one player or an amalgam of specific players. They said they got input from players on what logowoman should look like, then did hundreds of sketches. That didn't stop the WNBA from using a new logo and speculation to its advantage.
The No. 14 overall draft pick has yet to play in a regular-season game for the Storm this season as she waits for her professional visa to be approved. Muhl is a citizen of Croatia, and her student visa status was terminated once she officially graduated from the University of Connecticut (UCONN).
SEATTLE — Paisley Harding's run with the Seattle Storm has come to an end. The former star at Glacier Peak High School and BYU was waived by the Storm on Saturday as the team gets ready to set its opening roster.
Nika Muhl did not make her anticipated WNBA debut in the Seattle Storm regular-season opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. Instead, the former UConn women's basketball point guard is stuck in limbo she awaits approval for a U.S. work visa.
The Storm have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in 18 of their 24 seasons in Seattle. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as former UConn stars Sue Bird, Swin Cash, and Breanna Stewart; 2004 Finals MVP Betty Lennox; and Australian power forward Lauren Jackson, a three-time league MVP.
Muhl was selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft and became the only rookie to make Seattle's 12-player roster for opening day.
Booker, Quinerly, Vann and Verhulst were all named to the All-Big 12 First Team, joined by Lauren Gustin (BYU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Taiyanna Jackson (Kansas), S'Mya Nichols (Kansas), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State) and Serena Sundell (Kansas State). Crooks, Lee, Vann and Booker were all unanimous selections.
Megan Gustafson and Kate Martin overlapped for one year at the University of Iowa. Now they share the court playing for the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. The former Iowa players reflect on their Hawkeye roots and leveling up in the professional league.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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