Your 2025 Seattle Storm Season Preview!

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WNBA season is upon us! A lot has happened this offseason, so I’ve put together some quick and handy guides for every team to help you start the season off right! Planning to go to a game? My sponsor, Turn The Paige Travel, has got all of your travel needs covered! Let’s talk hoops!

What’s New

Let’s start with who’s here now. They used the #2 overall pick on the freakishly talented Dominique Malonga. They signed Erica Wheeler, Zia Cooke, and Alysha Clark, who spent the first 9 seasons of her WNBA career here. Trades brought them Lexie Brown and the ever-intriguing Li Yueru.

Speaking of that trade, they moved on from Jewell Loyd in that one. Not sure another season with Loyd here was possible. They also lost Sami Whitcomb and Mercedes Russell in free agency. Oh, and it’s just Skylar Diggins now.

What’s Good

Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike have long been two of the most reliable high-level performers in the league. Skylar plays like an absolute crazy person, and I mean that 1000% as a compliment. Her competitiveness forces her teammates to be better when they’re able to withstand the harshness of it.

It remains to be seen how much the 19-year-old Malonga will contribute, but her highlights remind me of what Lisa Leslie would look like if she came up in this era. Noelle Quinn should have a field day figuring out different looks to give opponents between Malonga, the always-underrated Ezi Magbegor, and 6’7” Yueru. Few teams are as equipped to shut down the paint.

Or the perimeter. Clark is one of the smarter wing defenders in the league. What she’s lost in athleticism, she’s able to cover up with intelligence and positioning. And with no Olympics this year, they get a full season of Gabby Williams. Not only will she defend her ass off, but she can also operate as a point forward if they want to slide Skylar off the ball or give her a breather.

What Could Go Wrong

Can anybody shoot it? They finished dead last in 3-point shooting percentage last year, and not much was done to address that issue. The hope is that Lexie Brown can find some spacing, but she’s battled health problems that have affected her consistency and availability. Clark has been at or near the top of the league in 3-point accuracy many seasons, but we saw a much streakier version of her in 2024. Even if those two are at their best, will it be enough to keep opposing defenses from packing the paint and limiting the effectiveness of everyone else?

Also, they have already lost 3 players to ACL tears. It’s unclear on the role newcomer Katie Lou Samuelson and 2024 draftee Nika Muhl were going to play, but Jordan Horston was a key contributor who took a leap last year and seemed poised to take another one. She makes winning basketball plays, and they will miss that dearly.

What To Expect

They are going to win their fair share of regular-season games. The offloading of Loyd will pay dividends both on the court and in the locker room, as it was clear that the chemistry just wasn’t there last season. Malonga will give us some jaw-dropping highlights, Diggins will average 7.4 finger twirls per game, and Nneka will put up 16 and 7. It will be a good season for Storm fans. Ultimately, they have a hard ceiling on how good they can be due to their lack of 3-point shooting. It’s too hard to advance in a series when you only have so many ways to generate points. But only one team can win. Please don’t tell Skylar I said this.

Thank you for checking this guide out! Don’t forget to read up on all the other teams as well. Also, do you need to know which sporting events to watch each week? Subscribe to get my weekly sports watch guide! I hit you with what you need to watch, why you need to watch it, and some interesting stories from the sports world that you may have missed!