We are back for another week of WNBA season previews. Aside from the draft, the rosters are set. So once a week until the season is back, I will be looking at one team. I will discuss their changes and what to expect from them this season.
To build up, I will be going in reverse order from the standings a season ago. This brings us to the Seattle Storm. A fixture among the league elite for nearly two decades. Since 2004, Seattle has won four championships and missed the playoffs just twice.
This, however, is the dawning of a new era. But before we can look ahead, we have to look back.
2022 Recap
Last season was also known to be the last ride. Sue Bird announced it before the season. Briann January, added during the 2022 offseason, did the same. Breanna Stewart signed a one-year deal to be there for Sue’s final season.
Most of the season was fine if not terribly threatening to the top of the league. Stewart led the league in scoring (21.8 points per game) and was a finalist for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Bird, Stewart, and Jewell Loyd were named All-Stars. Ezi Magbegor was close to being a fourth All-Star and took a meaningful step forward.
With the third-best defense and sixth-best offense, Seattle entered the postseason with some optimism. They had the most anticipated series in the first round, pairing off with the Washington Mystics. Bird, Stewart, Loyd, and Gabby Williams had double figures in both games and handed the Mystics a surprising sweep.
Then came the Aces. Game one was a big surprise for Seattle, with Loyd dropping 26 and Tina Charles putting up 13 points and 18 rebounds. That would be the last win of Sue Bird’s career. Las Vegas ended up being too much for anyone last season. Now, Seattle must look forward.
The New Trio
While two of these three players have been here for a while, it is clear now that the three most important players on the roster are Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and Jewell Loyd. Williams is the most unproven but was dynamic last season. She is great in transition and a bully on defense. She adds something to this team that will be needed in earnest to keep them in games this season.
Magbegor was a diamond in the rough in 2022. Defense does not always lure fans in to watch the game. With Ezi, it should. She is so disruptive and is a nightmare for teams coming into Seattle. Whether it be covering up the MVP and making her disappear:
Or keeping up with one of the best point guards in the league in transition:
Magbegor is capable of it all. She is a defensive anchor and will be the building block going forward at just 23 years old. Her offensive game is developing and she will take on a heavier load this season. If that can catch up in a meaningful way to her defense, the rest of the league is in trouble.
Then there is Jewell Loyd. One of the toughest shot makers in the league. The things she does on the court are cold-blooded but also often help benefit her team, whereas others force their way into tough shots just for the highlight reel. Like, look at this:
As an elite 3-point sniper, Loyd will have to improve her 2-point efficiency as the now primary option on her team. While quite capable of that (she has shot greater than 40 percent from the field in six of her eight seasons), this will be the true test of her as a number one option.
Offseason Overview
Out: Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Epiphany Prince, Tina Charles, Reshanda Gray, Briann January, Stephanie Talbot, Kiana Williams, Kaela Davis,
In: Kia Nurse, Sami Whitcomb, Arella Guirantes (training camp), Jade Melbourne, Ivana Dojkic, Jasmine Walker
Re-Signed: Ezi Magbegor
2023 Draft: Jordan Hortson, Madi Williams, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, Jade Loville
Sheesh, that is quite a bit of turnover. Two franchise faces. Two celebrated veterans playing out the string impressively. Rotation pieces. Things are clearly changing in Seattle. However, three offseason moves bring some level of optimism.
Sami Whitcomb has won two titles in Seattle before. As a veteran sniper, she will provide spacing throughout the season. She is just a season removed from canning 42.5 percent of her attempts from distance. While the team is trending younger, having someone who can be a calming presence while creating release valves for the top players is essential.
In that same vein, getting Kia Nurse at the value they did is a potential boon. Coming off a torn ACL in the 2021 WNBA Finals, Nurse did not play at all last season. However, she is a former All-Star who is hitting their prime. She can defend at a high level and score as a complimentary option. If she is able to be anything like the player we specifically saw in New York, this is a steal.
Finally, I am still buying up all the Arella Guirantes stock. Her WNBA career has been entirely forgettable, but internationally she had shown she can be something. She was the Centrobasket MVP last year, representing Puerto Rico. She dropped more than 20 points in all three pool play games, including a 31 points, nine assists, five steals, four rebounds, three blocks masterclass. In the finals, she had 28 points and 14 rebounds. There is something worth investing in with Arella.
Prediction:
Seattle will likely be competitive on most nights. Magbegor, Loyd, Williams, and (hopefully) Guirantes will keep them in games nightly. Magbegor is going to lead the league in rebounds, will be a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, and make her first All-Star Game.
However, this is not a playoff team in my eyes. There is just not enough here. As good of a coach as Noelle Quinn is, there is only so much you can do. This may also be Loyd’s last season in the Northwest. Take cover Storm fans. This could be the start of something you are truly not used to.
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