15 Comments

Would have helped if management had hired a new coach. I know you're a fan, Jeff. I'm not.

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I don't really see this year being the right time for a coaching change. The team lost so much talent from 2022 to 2023 so it wasn't shocking that the team played poorly. I do think development is going to be super important this season. The team will need to see strong growth from younger players like Jordan and Jade. Also, expectations will be higher if the team brings in a top free agent. Also, for what it's worth, I know Jewell Loyd has specifically mentioned her relationship with Noelle Quinn as a big reason she's stayed with the Seattle Storm.

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Interesting about the relationship between Noelle and Jewell.

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Great article, Jeff! A very thorough analysis. One thing that occurred to me is to make a distinction between becoming competitive (+.500/playoff berth) and contending for a championship, the latter of which seems to require a longer timeframe. Becoming competitive should not require more than 1-2 years. Building a championship contender takes longer, but as a season ticket holder, sitting through another year like 2023 without very clear progress is not cool.

Is it your sense that the team feels they'll be able to get an impact player they want at #4, given that guard options are so limited?

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I know I tried to make the distinction in my article but maybe it didn't come across as clear as I intended. If a team misses the playoffs a couple of seasons and then makes the playoffs for 2-3 years in a row but they are immediately swept in the first round or occasionally win one game in a series but still lose in the first round, I would NOT consider that a successful rebuild. I think a team would at least need to get to where the Dallas Wings finally got in 2023 where they finished 4th, hosted a playoff series, won a playoff series, and reached the semi-finals before losing to the eventual champions. Maybe if a few breaks go their way, they're more competitive against Las Vegas. I think in order to consider a rebuild successful, a team needs to get to that point.

I know the team really wants to get their point guard situation figured out. That seemed like priority A. However, that really seems much more likely to happen via Free Agency than the WNBA Draft knowing the players likely to be there at number four overall. I will be very, very curious to see if the Storm go after Skylar Diggins-Smith or Natasha Cloud. I think either would be a very strong get for the team and should solve their Point Guard concerns.

I'm also curious on what kind of leap Jade Melbourne can make in the WNBA during her 2nd season. She's averaging 18.1 PPG and 7.1 APG in the WNBL which is Australian's top league. However, I don't think it's quite as competitive as some of the European leagues and certainly not compared to the WNBA. But she is still putting up big numbers and I'm really curious to see her development this season.

From my perspective, I'm pretty confident the team should be able to get a quality player at number four overall. Things will obviously depend on which players come out and which opt to stay in college. I think there is enough talent that even if a Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers return to college, there should still be a quality piece there.

We have Clark, Bueckers, Brink, Edwards, Cardoso, Jackson, Reese, Amoore, Pili, and Sheldon. While a couple of those players I'd probably be more excited if they landed with the 14th overall pick, I just listed off those names because if all of those players entered the draft, then the Storm would likely have their choice of Aaliyah Edwards, Kamilla Cardoso, or Rickea Jackson. If one of those players on the list goes back to college, you would still have the option of two of those or one of the players above like Brink if the draft went slightly different than what I expect.

I think in some ways, it might be best if Clark or Bueckers goes back to college because if the Storm do miss the playoffs again in 2024, then they would have a very high chance at getting the #1 or #2 overall pick in 2025. If the team drafted Edwards or Jackson this year and then got Clark or Bueckers next year, to combine with Ezi and Jordan and hopefully Jewell. That's a pretty good core to build around, at least on paper.

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Thanks for the insightful read. It’s been dry in the Storm News desert so that was a welcome refresher. Now, if they could figure away to bring the price of a game experience down…I wonder how our experience fares with that of other markets.

What’s the latest on the expansion front?

We’re lucky to have you, Jeff.

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I’m curious: What aspects of the game experience feel excessively costly, and what would be more reasonable?

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Parking, ticket prices, and concessions and are all part of the experience. I live in Olympia, so transportation is a cost that I’m needing to shoulder as well. I am a retiree who probably COULD manage to spring for a ST but won’t, because of the other expenses. How is a low or even middle income family reasonably expected to pay those prices? I’ll attend one or two games this season PERHAPS, and watch the rest anyway I can. I don’t know what the solution is…

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Thanks for sharing your definitions and experiences; I appreciate that. Traveling from Olympia certainly adds a significant expense. I'm not sure there are any great solutions, though, I will say that to the Storm's credit, I think they do a better job making their experiences more affordable than other Seattle professional franchises.

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Isn’t Nneka a free agent?

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She is; maybe Jeff was thinking of a sign-and-trade??

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Yes, that is what I was thinking. I know EDD is also technically a free agent but she was cored. But as we've seen in Seattle, a player being cored doesn't mean they're staying on the team as the Storm traded away Natasha Howard after marking her with the core designation.

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Not EDD please. Nneke over EDD…While I have nothing but respect for EDD, I feel like her best years are behind her. We are 4 years removed from her amazing 2019 year. Her body just doesn’t have a playoff run in it.

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Good article, Jeff, and lots of great comments from other fans, too. That's nice to see. And now we have the great SDS or Diggety as I call her.

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So I’ve been hearing lots of Nneke murmurs and I am here for it. I hope we get a big signing this year simply as a reflection that our momentum on making Seattle a leading place (dedicated practice facility) to play is working. I’m all about a true rebuild with youngsters, but if you can’t pull good FAs then there’s a problem too.

I’ve also heard SDS mumblings. A lot of people are quick to point to toxic, but Skylar was part of PHO’s improbable playoff run to the championship against CHI—which they could have won had they not been plagued with injuries. The Phoenix meltdown came

after a noob coach came into an emotional rollercoaster with BG/Russia. And SDS played with Jewell @ ND, no? SO, if Jewell is on board with getting SDS, then so am I. I HAVE to assume (hope and pray) that since Jewell did us such a solid by extending last year, anything that she wants, we’ll go for. She saved us from ulcer town FA unlike Stewie (hats off btw to Nneke for letting LA know, classy move—another reason to be team Nneke).

I will always be team Natasha Cloud coming here. She’s more of a floor general and a stud defensively. I would *think* the young players would have a better development trajectory under her rather than Skylar. But if Cloud stays east then I can be team SDS.

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