Seattle Storm reflect on season, look toward uncertain future

Storm players spoke to the media for exit interviews two days after the loss, a day before the team announced they would not renew head coach Noelle Quinn and her staff’s contracts for the 2026 season. The Storm confirmed that players and coaches were not told of the dismissal before the interviews.

“I think that what we felt in the beginning was real, us being able to compete and to perform at a really high level,” veteran forward Nneka Ogwumike said during her exit interview. “Wherever that got lost, though, we were able to kind of find a little bit of it towards the end of the season, maybe not as consistently as we had wanted to, but I’m still grateful for what we were able to accomplish together. …

“I’m still very grateful for the environment that we were able to play in here in Seattle. It is unmatched. The fans are unrelenting, and we were able to have a kind of a bittersweet taste in our mouth with that last home game [Game 2]. Obviously the series didn’t go how we wanted, but that last home game, to me was, it was consummate of exactly what the season was like.”

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Ogwumike also described a message to the team from the ownership group, which addressed them directly after Game 3 in the locker room.

“It was imparted upon us that we were still a part of a legacy considering that we had made playoffs 77% of the time [20 seasons out of 26] since the existence of this team,” Ogwumike relayed. “Especially considering our record after All-Star, we were still able to make playoffs. We were still able to compete down to the wire to advance in the playoffs. And I felt a sense of pride. It’s honorable to be able to wear this jersey and to be able to represent this organization and to be able to play in this city. … So I’m very grateful to them and I feel like my teammates were too, even though the season didn’t end how we wanted. But I wouldn’t have done it with any other group.”

Brittney Sykes, who was acquired in a trade after the All-Star break to bolster the team’s chances at another title, felt she didn’t have enough time in Seattle but was grateful for the games she played and the opportunity to compete in the playoffs.

“It wasn’t enough but it was fun,” Sykes said. “And I think even with the outcome that we had, a lot of people get lost in the translation of where we stopped, instead of looking at what we accomplished. And I think in those 17 games that I was here, we proved a lot of people wrong in the sense of, like, we could figure it out, we could get to the playoffs, and we almost could beat Vegas to get to the next round. And some people might say ‘almost’ don’t count, but a lot of those people sit at home while we’re trying to win the game.”

One of those players who felt ‘almost’ wasn’t enough was point guard Skylar Diggins. Diggins isn’t one for moral victories, largely because she believes in the talent the team had.

“I think after we won Game 2, we were expecting to win Game 3,” Diggins said. “And it wasn’t just us trying to get a participation trophy, or just to go out there and make it respectable. We really felt like, you know, we kind of understood it now. … I’m not a moral victories gal. …  I wanted to win, and I expected us to win, and I think that just speaks to all the talent I’ve talked about us having. Our capabilities to push a team like that to the very last possession, considering [there were] questions surrounding if we’d even be able to be in that position. …”

“We lost to a respectable opponent. You know, for us, it doesn’t take away that feeling. When you don’t win the last game of the season, you always feel the same way.”

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For Erica Wheeler, who joined Seattle in the offseason as a free agent, just the opportunity to play in the playoffs meant the world. It was a significant season for Wheeler individually, having played some of the best basketball of her career. Wheeler had other teams like Dallas and Los Angeles offering her more money, but she said joining Seattle was about reinventing herself.

“It wasn’t about anybody else. It was about me betting on myself being able to be in a position to be in the playoffs. And we did that,” Wheeler said. “That’s credit to my coaches and my teammates, being able to have my back in moments where it could have got ugly, but it didn’t. So I think it was more so just for me to get back to who I am and what I can do. Because I’m not gonna lie, I was about to call it quits last year because I didn’t play. But a very smart person of mine that I know, say, ‘yeah, no, you’re not done.’ And I think that’s what I showed the world.”

Future of the franchise

One undisputed positive of Seattle’s 2025 season is the emergence of No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga. The Storm carefully measured her introduction into the WNBA and it paid off with massive performances and big minutes in big moments down the stretch of the season. 

“And at the end of the day, Dom is on the floor in crucial moments because of how we were very intentional about that process,” Quinn said. “Dom was super committed to the process as well. She didn’t waver from her belief in it, and I think that’s part of why it was so productive as well. The buy in that we received from her, the way that she went about being a professional, not only her film and on court PD, but the way she connected with Ezi, the way she watched Nneka, the questions that she asked.”

One of her biggest performances came in Game 2, when her defense turned into a game-tying layup and an ice-cold foul shot with 31 seconds left, giving Seattle the lead. Being such a significant contributor to that win still feels somewhat surreal, but Malonga says she grateful for it.

“Whatever was the ending for us, I was just so proud to be able to help my team to go through Game 2 and then even Game 3, like we still fight,” Malonga said. “I’m just very happy to have been part of this amazing series, because I think that Game 2 was maybe one of the best games of my life in terms of emotion, in terms of what I felt, and it was really about something special. And I would keep that memory for forever, and I build on that, because that’s the kind of game that just makes you grow two, three years more in one night.”

Malonga also takes becoming a cornerstone of the franchise’s future with pride and excitement:

“I don’t see myself anywhere else now,” she said. “I can’t wait [for] next season and the seasons that’s still ahead of me to keep growing with this organization, because all the people here just welcomed me so well, from the teammates to the coaching staff to all the organization.”

Diggins said it best: “she’ll be the face of this organization for a very long time.”

Roster building in 2026

There are a lot of unknowns circling roster construction for the 2026 season. The league and Player’s Association have yet to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). No one knows how the new CBA will shape free agency decisions or what the rules of the upcoming expansion draft will be. That said, let’s look at the players under contract in Seattle and what potential returners are thinking about free agency.

The Seattle Storm only have four players under contract for the 2026 season. Malonga will enter her second year with the Storm as the undisputed centerpiece, and the roster will likely be built around her for years to come. Jordan Horston and Nika Mühl were both suspended for the entire 2025 season due to ACL injuries, but are still on rookie-scale contracts and expected to return. Guard Lexie Brown is on a protected veteran contract. Zia Cooke and Mackenzie Holmes, who were in and out of the team throughout the season, are reserved free agents.

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Though Brown is under contract, her veteran experience makes her a potential pickup for an expansion team, should she not want to return to Seattle. Brown expressed frustration with her experience this season, saying she didn’t want to answer any questions during her exit interview. Brown was acquired via an offseason trade and said she felt the healthiest she has since her Crohn’s diagnosis in 2023, allowing her to be available for nearly 40 games. She appeared in just 24, averaging 9.4 minutes per game.

Brown opted to read a statement that said, in part, “I just want everyone to know that I’m healthy. I feel great, and the fact that I was able to show up every day as my best self and do everything I could to earn time on this court was a win for me. And I just don’t think I was given the opportunity I deserved. I feel like I have so much basketball left to play, and if that’s here, if that’s somewhere else, I don’t know.”

“I just want to reiterate the fact that I’m healthy, and I hate the fact that so many people think I’m not, and that I’m a liability, and I can’t make it through a season because I worked my ass off to get back to this level, to be able to compete at this level, and to show up every day,” she continued.

Most players have no idea what they will be looking for in free agency, largely because a new CBA has yet to be signed. It also affects Seattle’s planning not knowing what size rosters will be, how many and which players they could lose in the expansion draft, what players will be truly open to a change of franchise, and what the salary cap will look like. 

Even with all that uncertainty, re-signing Ogwumike will likely be a priority. In her second season with the Storm, Ogwumike continued to deliver at an elite level, averaging 18.3 points, 7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2025 campaign. She set a career high 803 total points and became the first player in Storm history to record 40 double-digit scoring games in a single season. She also continued to climb the WNBA record-books. Having already won a championship title and an MVP award in 2016, what drives Ogwumike is continuing to compete:

“I can’t always see the future and know what the next step is. But what keeps me going every day is just to be great, to win, to just be my best,” Ogwumike said of what’s next for her. “I think that that’s kind of always been what I do and with that comes different levels of accomplishment.”

“I still have gas in the tank, so I want to make sure that I can use it in a way that suits my health, that suits how I want to be great. You know, a lot of that is about winning and hopefully just continuing to do what I love. I can’t really say that I have a list of things that I’m trying to get to, but I still feel good, and I’m very grateful.”

Though Quinn is gone and who will replace her remains an unknown, one thing that will remain consistent is the ownership group that drew Ogwumike to Seattle in the first place.

“The engagement from this ownership group is unmatched, quite frankly,” Ogwumike said. “We see them every day. They’re involved every day. They invest. They ask us what we need. They pour into this organization.”

If they can convince Ogwumike to return it would be the first crucial step in maintaining their core that also includes Diggins, Magbegor and Gabby Williams. Though she knows those conversations are above her, Diggins said she hopes they try and keep the core together.

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Williams would not discuss anything about free agency without a CBA in place. Magbegor, who is entering free agency for the first time in her career, also skirted the question but said she would continue to have conversations with the Storm.

“It’s crazy to think that I’ve been here for six years,” Magbegor said. “Getting drafted as a 19 year old, and then coming when I was 20 is something that a lot of people dream of, and I’ve been able to experience that. And just to be able to kind of grow up in Seattle as well, that’s been something that’s been really special to me. … I think just what I need to do a better job of is reflecting on seasons. And so I think that’s what I’m going to do, just postseason reflect and just go from there.”

Returning Ogwumike could be one way to convince Magbegor to stay in Seattle, as she got emotional when talking about the veteran forward:

“When you’re able to play with great players, it’s really special. But when you’re able to play with great people as well, that’s not something that everyone gets to experience,” Magbegor said. “I’ve just been really fortunate to be able to play with Nneka these past couple of seasons, and just to be able to learn from her, see how she goes about the day to day. It’s incredible, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“And just the way that she’s able to uplift players and uplift me, and not in a way that’s like, ‘rah, rah.’ Like she just gets me. And I feel like when you have a player like that, you want to meet them with where they’re at. And so whether I tell her enough or not, I feel like Nneka has had such a huge impact on my career the last couple of years. I just love her as a person, as a player, as a friend, as a sister.”

Over the past two seasons, Diggins has also talked about how great it is to play with Ogwumike and how she hopes to retire in Seattle:

“I think just the support, particularly in this time in my career too where I was coming off maternity leave, and just kind of uncertain of if I could play at a high level again, or just what that would look like for me,” she said. “The city, just really the whole situation being in Seattle, it’s been breathing life into me, into my career, and just gave me a renewed sense of passion for the game, a love for the game.”

“The resources here from this organization is first class. I’ve loved every experience being a part of the city. … I don’t want to retire this year, if that means anything. Obviously, it’s a lot of factors, and every team I’ve been on has been different since I came into this league, and so I understand that will also be the situation next year. But for me, where I’m at at this point in my career I’ve loved my experience.”

Wheeler, who quickly became a fan favorite for her energy and personality and had some massive performances on the court, did not rule out a return to the franchise and city that embraced her this year.

“I will say Seattle have dibs because of how I was embraced,” Wheeler said. “Talisa [Rhea, general manager] was honest from the beginning. Noey [Quinn] was honest from the beginning. And I can appreciate that nothing was hidden. But it’s really just about what the CBA looks like, and then we can kind of go from there. I don’t know what’s gonna be thrown at me. I’m sure it’s gonna be a bunch of curve balls that we all gonna try to learn through, because it’s gonna be everything is new.”

Sykes didn’t have quite enough time in Seattle to fully settle in and make her mark, but she is another player the Storm will have their eye on in free agency. The veteran guard did say she looks forward to talking to Seattle in free agency and provided a broad sense of what she’ll look for.

“A place where they’re allowing me to use all of my talents and what I bring to the court on the defense and the offensive end. Just being able to allow me to just fluidly play that,” Sykes said. “What I look for, what I want, has changed drastically from when I first came into this league. … Going into year 10 it’s so much more that I’m taking into account — family, lifestyle, way of living, where I’m at, it’s not just about basketball anymore. So I think organizations are starting to realize that too. So everybody is going back to the drawing board, and they’re restocking on what it is that they want players to come to the organization for.”

Players crafting their offseason plans

Each player has their own approach to the WNBA offseason. Several players will be taking a purposeful break for the sake of their physical and mental health.

Ogwumike has not played during the WNBA offseason since 2019 and that will again be the case this year. Even though there are options to play in the U.S. during the offseason (Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited), Ogwumike will be diving into her off-court opportunities and responsibilities as the president of the WNBPA.

“Ultimately, I’ve been able to find a [offseason] groove,” Ogwumike said. “And with that, I’m not planning on playing in any leagues in this off season. I am 35, 14 years in, as much as I love and support a lot of these great options for players to be able to not only continue to compete, but to be compensated more towards their value, I think it’s just not for me because of the tread on these tires.”

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For other players, it will be the first time in years that they have taken a break in the offseason. Magbegor will not be going to Europe for the first time in four seasons and is excited for the time off.

“I think just going back-to-back-to-back seasons has been a lot the last few years, and so just taking time to kind of reset, spend time at home with my family, which I’m really excited about,” Magbegor said.

Tiffany Mitchell says she will also be taking time for herself after a whirlwind season that saw her waived by the Aces and join Seattle mid-season. She says any plans to play after that will be figured out later.

Katie Lou Samuelson’s rehab is going well four months removed from ACL surgery, but she said it would be really tight to try and make it back for any offseason leagues. Her stated priority is being at 100% and confident for next WNBA season.

Wheeler and Sykes have already been announced as Unrivaled players for the 2026 season, allowing Wheeler to play in her native Miami after one of the best seasons of her career. Diggins played in Unrivaled last year and presumably will again this year, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Brown has played in Athletes Unlimited since its inaugural season and is the Chairperson of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball’s Player Executive Committee. She said she is very excited for another year with AU. Horston could potentially return to AU where she played last offseason and tore her ACL in a game, but she was not included in exit interviews so it is unclear where her rehab is at or if she wishes to return to AU.

Cooke will presumably play in AU or in Unrivaled, as she said she couldn’t share her offseason plans because they hadn’t been announced yet. Cooke did say she would be playing overseas and then “doing something in the states as well.”

Malonga and Williams will be going to Turkey together to play for Fenerbahçe. Williams will join later as the team agreed to give her “some weeks to take care of everything that I need to take care of physically, so that way I can be fresh and be my best for them this year … I can’t be good for anyone if I’m not healthy.” It’ll be Malonga’s first EuroLeague season and she is very excited.

“I just can’t wait to see what the big European stage looks like,” Malonga said. “Fener, it’s a big organization also in Europe, and it’s still working with very good professional players, a very good organization around me to keep growing, because I still focus on my growth. I know that I still have a lot of things to learn, and so just [excited to] keep working and be dedicated 100% as I would always do.”

Also in Europe, Mühl is playing for Sopron Basket in Hungary. She joined the team earlier than usual because of her suspended contract with Seattle and has already made game appearances, appearing to have recovered well from her injury.

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Holmes is the only player signed in Australia, where she will play for Geelong Venom. Knowing she hasn’t played substantial minutes in a very long time, her focus is simply on getting game reps.

“Just continue to get minutes, get better, feel comfortable playing again,” Holmes said of what she’s excited about. “And just get confidence knowing that I’ve learned so much and put in a lot of great work in Seattle these past few months, and looking forward to seeing that come to fruition.”

Though she is no longer the head coach, Quinn did have advice for players playing in the offseason, particularly the young ones.

“A lot of time my conversation with young players is fill those gaps [between games] with getting better, making sure your routine is set,” Quinn said. “Whether it weight room, PD work, even the film work. It’s easy to go one way or the other. Overseas you can lock in and get better. Sometimes you can get complacent, depending on your situation.”

“Sometimes you do see players come back with confidence knowing that they played well overseas. And sometimes you see players come back and develop bad habits. As so that’s the messaging, is to make sure you’re locking into good habits, good routines and staying locked in and focused to grow.”