SEATTLE — After losing last season’s top five scorers in free agency, the Seattle Storm were forced into a rebuild in 2026. As a result, the team has some of the biggest unknowns outside of the expansion teams, with entirely new rosters. With so many new faces, including head coach Sonia Raman, a roster breakdown is in order, starting with the few returning players from last season.
A lot of focus will be on last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Dominique Malonga. While the team could slowly introduce Malonga to the WNBA without pressure as a rookie, finding success this season will require her to make a big leap towards the future MVP level her teammates praised last year. The 6’6 French center will also be thrust into a starting role, which she feels ready to step up for.
“I just want to bring whatever the team needs from me. How many minutes it’s going to be, I don’t know, but I’m just really ready for whatever,” Malonga said during media day. “I think we have a lot of strength in this group. It’s not going to rely only on me. … It’s not just about one player, it’s about this team that we’re building.”
With heightened expectations for her season, Malonga said she is focused on consistency and competency in her role.
“I think I really need to be efficient, so know my strength and then really play on those trends,” Malonga said. “There is nothing crazy that is expected from me. They just expect me to be me. To bring what I know, to bring energy, to run the floor, to be versatile, play defense … and they don’t ask me to be out of character.”
She will eventually be joined in the post by Seattle’s only returning starter, Ezi Magbegor. The Storm utilized the core designation to prevent Magbegor from becoming a true unrestricted free agent. Magbegor opted to sign a three-year contract.
“The organization seeing the value in me and me seeing the value in this organization, and for my career as well, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Magbegor said on media day. “I wanted to be a part of something new in the same city. So I was really fortunate to be able to commit to that.”
The 26-year-old’s season debut will be delayed, though, as she suffered a right foot injury while playing for Australia in the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers in Istanbul and will be re-evaluated in 5-7 weeks. This is Magbegor’s first longer-term injury, so she said she is finding ways to still be part of the team from the sideline and working day by day with the medical team.
While her main focus is on getting healthy, the perennial All-Defensive team candidate, who is known to be on the quieter side, will secondarily be working on being a leader.
“I think [leadership] is something that comes with experience. So, whether I like it or not, I think I definitely have that experience to share with the newer players and the younger players,” Magbegor said. “So I think that’s something that I’m excited to tap into as well … just being able to utilize that [injury] time to get to know my teammates, uplift them, encourage them in any way I can.”
When she returns, Magbegor hopes to contribute more offensively. Last season was a down year offensively for the 6’4 center, as she took fewer shots and her 3-point shooting was generally inefficient. But she says an offseason playing in Unrivaled forced her to be an offensive threat, as did her time with the Australian national team.
“Playing in the national team, I felt good and confident, and just felt like, offensively, I was kind of back to me a little bit,” Magbegor said. “So, although the injury is disappointing, I think that’s something that I can kind of build off. And just remember how I felt at that point prior to getting injured, and then just continuing to be a defensive threat.”
Jordan Horston is set to make her return after missing the entire 2025 season due to an ACL tear suffered while playing in the offseason for Athletes Unlimited. The 6’2 wing guard hopes to be ready to go for the regular season opener. She knows it may sound crazy, but Horston is thankful for the injury because it allowed her to learn about herself and see the game from a different perspective.
“I didn’t know who I was outside of basketball,” Horston said at media day. “I’m so grateful for this injury because I feel like it’s prepared me for the rest of my life. I’ve built great habits, I know so much about my body, and I feel like, without the injury, I would have never discovered these things. So I feel like it’s going to benefit me in the long run.”
On the court, Horston feels like the team system fits her style well and is ready to build on her standout sophomore season. Plus, the departure of so many veteran scorers opens up vast opportunities for the fourth-year player and her teammates.
“This year, we all got to step up. It’s an opportunity for everybody to showcase and do what they do best,” Horston said. “You don’t have to be anybody but yourself.”
Katie Lou Samuelson is similarly returning from an ACL injury, though hers occurred a couple of weeks after Horston’s, in training camp. When Samuelson suffered the injury, she was returning to play after giving birth to her daughter. Though she didn’t appear for the Storm last season, the team believed in the 2019 No. 4 overall pick enough to sign her to a two-year guaranteed contract.
The 6’3 guard/forward is feeling good, but doesn’t know of a specific timeline for her return. At her best, she brings reliable 3-point shooting that can space the floor, but she is still working to get her confidence back.
“I think for me specifically this time around, I will say that this is definitely challenging, but I think coming back from when I had my daughter was a lot more challenging. So it’s kind of put this in a little bit of perspective for me,” Samuelson said on media day. “I’ve come back from being out after a long time. I did what I needed to do to get back to who I was last season. And this year, I’m just continuing to put each day one at a time, and just build up my confidence, both physically and mentally.”
Lexie Brown returns for her second year in a row after expressing disappointment with her lack of playing time at the end of last season. With a new head coach and accompanying coaching staff, the 5’9 shooting guard feels good about this new season with a team she wants to be a part of long term.
“I just, one, want to get on the floor, and then just continue to pour into everybody that’s here,” Brown said on media day. “We have a lot of new people to the organization and to the city of Seattle, so my role has kind of made a complete 180 as far as being one of the few players on this team that is familiar with the organization, with the city. … And then I think my production on the court will come. Wins and losses are what it is. But I think, for me, most importantly, is building a new culture here.”
Availability has often been much of the conversation around Brown since she revealed her Crohn’s disease diagnosis. But right now she says she feels “amazing.” And she clarified: last year, she thought she felt amazing, but now she feels really incredible — as good as she did before her diagnosis.
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Magbegor, Malonga, Horston, Samuelson and Brown lock in five roster spots. The last two returners, Zia Cooke and Mackenzie Holmes, played very limited minutes last year like Brown, but are not on guaranteed contracts and will have to fight for a spot on the final 12-player roster. Both were cut or traded at some point midseason but re-joined the team later on when the Storm had enough funds for rest-of-season contracts.
They took different approaches to the offseason that they feel set them up to play a bigger role this season. Cooke opted to stay stateside and play for Athletes Unlimited, where she averaged 16.4 points, shooting 39.4% from the field and 33.8% from three, three rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Playing with and against players like Tina Charles and Ariel Atkins reminded Cooke that she can perform at a high level. She also focused on the mental side of things.
“Everything works out when you’re just mentally in a good space, and that’s what I’m trying to find,” Cooke said on media day. “That’s the Zia that I want to see, just smiling, being happy, being appreciative of each and every opportunity, just seeing the ball go in.”
Cooke is further boosted by the belief that Raman has shown in her. Though she has played mostly as a two-guard in practice, Raman played her some at the point in the first preseason game, showing her belief in Cooke. The 5’9 guard thinks that belief can get her to the next level.
“I’m just happy I don’t have too much pressure on myself to go out there and not worry about mistakes,” Cooke said after the preseason matchup at Golden State. “She’s allowing me to make mistakes. She’s putting me in uncomfortable positions so I can go back and learn and get ready for what’s next. So I’m overly excited.”
Holmes played in Australia with the WNBL’s Geelong Venom and then spent a month playing in China. Over 23 games in Australia, she averaged an impressive 21.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Holmes hopes to use those experiences, plus one full year professional basketball experience (she sat out for a year after being drafted to undergo knee surgery), to propel her into this season.
The 6’3 forward is aiming to be the person who can do anything for the team. She particularly felt drawn to Raman’s special teams unit that is focused on creating extra possessions.
“I think that’s kind of where I feel like I’ll find my groove is, maybe my job’s not scoring, but I’m gonna try to create extra possessions, get offensive rebounds, be a communicator on both sides of the ball, so just kind of be that person that can do multiple things for the team,” Holmes said on media day. “The little things, the intangible things, are really what I’m trying to hone in on during camp, and just being someone who has great energy and creates extra possessions for the team.”
Free agent additions
Compared to when the Storm brought in and subsequently re-signed players like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins the previous two seasons, Seattle didn’t make a massive splash in free agency in 2026. However, the three who were brought in and signed to guaranteed contracts each fill a specific need.
Natisha Hiedeman, who was a key role player in Minnesota the last two seasons, is expected to step in as the team’s starting point guard following Diggins’ departure. Having those two years under Cheryl Reeve helped Hiedeman understand her game, and she feels prepared for this next step.
“I feel like I’m at that point in my career where I’m ready for that,” Hiedeman said on media day. “I’ve been in a lot of different positions in my career … so I feel like whatever my role is on the team, I really embrace it and take pride in it. So I’m pretty aware of what the coaches want from me and what the team needs from me, and I’m ready to fully immerse in that, to be that one, to lead.”
Stefanie Dolson brings veteran experience to an otherwise very young front court and team overall. The 6’5 center is a reliable 3-point shooter who will help space the floor and shepherd a young team. Her main on-court goal for the season is to show that she can still play.
“Last season in D.C. was tough. We had six post players at the beginning of the season,” Dolson explained on media day. “So I think [my goal is] just to go out, be my vet self, but also still contribute. I don’t mind or care about the minutes, I just want to have contribution to what I’m putting out there. And I think I have that capability.”
While the Storm didn’t specifically tell Dolson they wanted her as a veteran presence, she says she knew she would be, being the oldest on a young team and the most experienced as she enters her 13th season. Dolson is happy to fill that role, though. She enjoys teaching the game and making sure everyone knows what they’re doing.
“I feel a little bit mama bear, a little bit like get your shit together and don’t mess up because I don’t like to lose,” Dolson said on media day. “But I also like to have fun, so I think as long as everyone’s having joy and enjoying what we’re doing and playing together, then I feel like I’m doing my job as a vet.”
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Jade Melbourne similarly joins the Storm from the Washington Mystics, but it is also a return to the team that drafted her for the Australian point guard. She will be the primary backup to Hiedeman, possibly even challenge for that starting spot. Though just 23 years old, she is in her fourth WNBA season and has significant international experience that has helped her grow immensely since she played her rookie season in Seattle.
“I think I’ve just grown up a lot. I came into the Storm as a kid, who was quick, had a basketball IQ, and had a lot of energy for the game. But over three years, I’m still that, but I’ve developed game live reads, a 3-point jump shot that is continuing to be a work in progress. But I’ve also grown in the leadership area as well, and kind of established myself as a player that can play the point guard in this league. And I think that’s the most important thing for me,” Melbourne said on media day. “You can expect different, exciting play from me — still that spark plug, still that person that gets up the floor, but just a smarter version.”
Seattle’s other three free agent signings face an uphill battle to make the final roster. Jaelyn Brown (note the e) played the most minutes in the team’s first preseason game despite joining the team late due to overseas commitments. She graduated from Cal in 2020 and spent the last two seasons in the WNBA, playing for Dallas in 2024 and Connecticut in 2025. The 6’1 guard averaged 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game and shot 46.7% from three.
Rennia Davis played the second-most minutes, but only at the very end of the game, when she made some clutch buckets to help make it a one-possession game. The No. 9 overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2021 WNBA draft missed her rookie season due to a foot injury and struggled to stick on a roster after that. Davis spent this last offseason playing for Nesibe Aydin in Turkey, where she led the team in scoring, averaging 20.5 points on 57.0% shooting from the field, including 40.0% from three, along with 11.8 rebounds per game.
Beatrice Mompremier did not play in the preseason game, indicating she could be one of the first players cut. The 6’4 forward played the 2025-26 season for the Xinjiang Magic Deer in China, where she led her team with 15.8 points per game on 55.9% shooting from the field and 10.0 rebounds per game. She was drafted No. 20 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2020 WNBA draft but in her three seasons in the WNBA, in which she played for Connecticut and Atlanta, she averaged 2.0 points on 45.8% shooting and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Rookies
The Storm drafted four rookies in 2026, two of whom are nearly guaranteed to make the final roster, and invited an additional two undrafted rookies. For a more in-depth analysis of Seattle’s 2026 WNBA Draft, read this earlier breakdown of the picks.
Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson are the two rookies fans will almost certainly see on the final roster. Fam was selected No. 3 overall, and Johnson was selected No. 8 overall by Golden State and then traded to Seattle.
The 19-year-old Fam has not yet joined her new team and is expected to first finish up her overseas commitments with Valencia Basket in the Spanish league. The 6’4 forward-center will come in hoping to make an immediate impact while knowing that her value in the draft was her ceiling and potential for long-term development. She and Malonga will be the youngest frontcourt duo in the league, increasing the value of veterans like Dolson and Magbegor to help them learn.
Johnson, meanwhile, has immediately made herself known in training camp with her energy. The 5’10 guard from LSU could be an immediate starter or an explosive punch off the bench.
Seattle’s other two draft picks, Taina Mair and Grace VanSlooten, could make the final roster, but could also be strong contenders for the two development contract spots now available to teams. The 5’9 Mair would provide more depth at point guard, while the 6’3 VanSlooten is a dynamic forward with good paint footwork and midrange shooting. Both hope that some version of their effort will immediately translate to the pro level.
“I’m hoping my motor [translates immediately],” VanSlooten said on media day. “I just like to run the floor, and I think that’s something that can translate from that level, so just keeping that high motor and never taking a play off.”
“Probably my effort on both ends of the floor,” Mair followed up. “Just being able to pick up defense, picking up full court, going for offensive rebounds, just making all the effort plays.”
The two undrafted players invited in, Elle Ladine and Jalyn Brown (note the lack of e), face an even tougher road but could also be eyeing those development spots.
Ladine played her college basketball just down the road at the University of Washington, where she was known as a 3-point shooter. The 5’11 guard has so far impressed Raman with her tenacity.
“I see a lot of toughness out of her, a lot of grit. She comes in confident, and she’s playing super hard in practice,” Raman said on media day.
Ladine played nearly six minutes in the preseason opener, while Brown did not make an appearance despite being healthy and available. Brown averaged 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game during her senior season at Michigan State University. The 6-foot-1 guard also shot 51.9% from the field, including 41.3% from behind the arc. She played her freshman season at Louisville, then two seasons at Arizona State before making the move to the Spartans.
How Raman wants her team to play
With so many versatile players at her disposal, the first year head coach wants her team to play fast, “positionless” basketball.
“If you can get to the rim, great. But we’re not running to specific spots with specific people. We’re just trying to get down the floor as quickly as we can, and then we’re going to make decisions out of it,” Raman told media on the first day of training camp. “So that’s going to be really good in terms of those combinations, and all the length we have, get up the floor, run, push the ball, and then that’s also going to translate, obviously, on the defensive end, with the ability to pressure the ball, knowing the help that we have behind, knowing the length, the deflection. So you know you can expect that style of play for sure.”
Admittedly, this means that a lot of training camp is focused on training the decision-making and chemistry — training the players to know each other’s tendencies and strengths so that they can take advantage of the versatility. Usually, this is a style employed with more veteran, experienced teams, but Raman is not concerned about trying to implement it with her young team.
“I think that it’s on us to make sure that it’s simple enough for them to grasp. So I think that what we’re trying to do is simplify it as much as possible, and we’re starting off really slow with it,” Raman told media. “It’s more about where they’re going on the court than the actual thing that they’re doing. They absolutely have positions, and so they will be tapping into what they do. … As long as they know what they’re doing, and we keep it really simple. I think there’s a lot of opportunities then to have that optionality, to grow out of it, but we’ll start slow.”
Raman knows it will take time to develop chemistry, for her players to understand who they’re on the floor with and what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are, and then to create advantages with that information. But she was hired because of her focus on development, and that will continue with this Storm team all year long.
“I don’t want to limit this team. I think the sky is the limit in terms of what we can become with such a young team and such a window to grow together,” Raman said on media day. “If we’re playing the way we want to play, you’re going to see a team that’s able to play fast but still play under control, a team that really shares the ball and a team that prides themselves on getting stops.
“And I think if we can do those things, then it just comes down to make or miss,” she continued. “And you know, I’ll take that. But I think that getting them to go step by step with this process is going to be really important and not thinking in terms of where that ceiling is, but just thinking in terms of growth every day.”
Want more team-by-team previews for the 2026 WNBA season? Read them all here!
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