(Photo : (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)) SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 24: Jewell Loyd #24 of the Seattle Storm reacts through the third quarter towards the Phoenix Mercury at Climate Pledge Arena on June 24, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.
A Storm is coming!
Now a season faraway from the Breanna Stewart period for the Storm, Seattle’s lone skilled basketball staff continues to be acclimating to a life with out the longer term Hall of Famer after a down 12 months of lacking the playoffs with an 11-29 document.
After an offseason of great signings together with Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, there are substantial expectations for the Seattle Storm to have a bounce-back 12 months; presumably including one other WNBA Championship banner within the Climate Pledge Arena this season.
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Seattle Storm Offseason
There’s a number of pleasure for the Storm heading into the 2024 season, and that has to do with a powerful offseason fueled by some main signings and an ideal draft.
Their first order of enterprise was re-signing franchise cornerstone Jewell Loyd, who re-signed final September to a two-year take care of Seattle.
Loyd is the staff’s coronary heart and soul, and it confirmed final season when she led the WNBA in scoring. In the earlier season, Jewell Loyd grew to become an All-Star for the fifth time as she seems to be to take it to a different degree as soon as once more this 12 months.
Nneka Ogwumike, a high participant within the WNBA and previously with the Los Angeles Sparks, signed with the Seattle Storm through the offseason. Ogwumike, a WNBA MVP, has the potential to kind a dynamic duo with Loyd, creating the most effective tandems within the league.
Before signing with the Storm, Nneka Ogwumike performed 11 seasons in Los Angeles.
Seattle can also be including extra gasoline to the hearth by signing level guard Skylar Diggin-Smith.
Diggin-Smith missed final season as a result of maternity depart and can look to bounce again in a brand new setting.
Although her time in Phoenix with the Mercury did not go in addition to the six-time All-Star had hoped, she has an opportunity to remind the world once more how gifted she is.
In her WNBA profession, Skylar Diggin-Smith has averaged 16.7 factors, 5.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per recreation.
In addition to those signings, the Storm took one of many steals on this 12 months’s WNBA draft; Nika Muhl, who was taken with the 14th decide within the second spherical by Seattle.
Muhl, who has expertise taking part in with Connecticut beneath Geno Auriemma, performed a significant function in serving to the Huskies change into so formidable within the earlier NCAA season.
Her defensive expertise made her a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and she or he is a prepared passer, breaking Sue Bird’s collegiate help document at 686.
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Storming the Court
All eyes can be on Strom after some main signings in free company. How their new large three, Loyd, Diggins-Smith, and Ogwumike mesh collectively on the courtroom is pivotal if the staff hopes to cease juggernauts just like the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.
Storm head coach Noelle Quinn appeared optimistic concerning the staff getting issues clicking early throughout coaching camp.
“If we could get that chemistry accelerated, then I feel like the on-court stuff will be accelerated as well,” Quinn stated through The Next.
“Yes, there’s some reality to the fact that we’re new. It’s not going to happen overnight. But … we’re going to be disciplined in everything. We’re going to be competitive in the way in which we approach every single day,” she added.
Other questions on the Seattle roster to contemplate are how All-Star heart Ezi Magbegor, who got here into her personal final season because the beginning heart, will play and whether or not we’ll see extra from Jordan Horston, who will probably be the starter as a small ahead.
Will Jade Melbourne and Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu, who performed minutes for the Storm final season, make the ultimate roster? And what might we anticipate out of veteran Sami Whitcomb, who has made an affect on each staff she has performed for therefore far.
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Seattle Storm vs. the World
There appears to be a stellar optimism surrounding the Storm how they stack up towards different groups across the league, and the gamers know this.
“I think the exciting part obviously, is we have all of the pieces, I think people know that, but I think we’re not jumping ahead too far, either,” Sami Whitcomb defined to the press.
“I think we know how hard it is to win in this league, even if you have a lot of talent. So I think we’re really trying to stay present and make sure we get the most out of every single training every single possession,” she added.
The Seattle Storm’s first actual take a look at can be on May twentieth once they face up towards the New York Liberty, who’re recent off a WNBA Finals look.
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