Meet the newest members of the Storm
3 interviews with Epiphanny Prince, Morgan Tuck, and Ezi Magbegor.
With the WNBA season officially set to begin on July 25th, teams have now safely made it to the Bubble AKA the “Wubble”. This season every team will play at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The league will hold a shortened season of 22 games due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
While many players have opted out of playing this season, Seattle will bring back nine players from their 2018 championship team. That means the team will have three brand new players this season.
With training camp opening up to the media this past weekend, we got a chance to partake in some player interviews. And I thought this would be a good moment to introduce the newest members of the team.
Epiphanny Prince
Epiphanny Prince signed with the Seattle Storm as a Free Agent this off-season. Prince was drafted by Chicago in 2010 and played her first five seasons with the Sky. She then spent the next four years playing for the New York Liberty before a brief stint with Las Vegas last season. She was named an Eastern Conference All-Star twice in her career (2011, 2013) while playing with the Sky. She also won the Comeback Player of the Year award while playing for the Liberty in 2017. Prince averaged a minimum of 12 points per game in six of her ten seasons in the league. When healthy, she can provide solid offensive contributions off the bench.
Prince participated in media conference calls this weekend and below is a transcript of that interview.
Question: What have you learned about your new team so far?
Answer: “I’ve learned a lot so far. Everyone has been so helpful. A big part of these first practices were just getting our legs back into it (conditioning). We all had a lot of time off. Everyone has been really encouraging and I’m just eager to learn and get back to work.”
Q: What were your impressions of the Storm before this season and how do you see yourself fitting into the rotation?
A: ”I knew that they were a selfless team. They move the ball extremely well. They play for each other and they seem to have a lot of fun. I hope to fit in however I can, whatever coach asks me to do, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Q: Is there any experience from your career that you can draw on to help you prepare for this Bubble experience this season?
A: “That’s how I’m treating it. When I was packing, I was preparing like how I would if I was going overseas to play. I didn’t know what to expect from being here. We do have more access over here, like Uber Eats and Instacart. I’ve prepared similar to how I would if I was playing overseas.”
Q: How were you able to prepare for training camp with the pandemic going on?
A: ”I was at home quarantining with my family. I ordered a weight set. I ordered a Peloton bike. And I was just doing the work outs that Emily, the trainer here, had sent me.”
Q: You were playing on the same team with Stewie (in Russia) when she tore her Achilles. What was that like?
A: ”It was a really sad day. We were in the semi-finals in Euroleague. When she went down, we didn’t know what it was. I was just hoping for the best. Now, I’m just happy that she’s back, she’s healthy and playing at the level that she’s always been able to play at. I’m just excited to play with her again.”
Q: How does Stewie look now?
A: ”To me, she looks even better. I’m with her in the Villa. Living with her, she’s just so energetic. Her trainer sent her all these different workouts. She has me doing Pilates or Yoga with her. It’s just never-ending. But it’s cool to see how hard she works.”
Q: Some of the other teams have been bonding, like doing Tik Tok dance videos or playing Mario Kart tournaments. Have you guys done any bonding, especially for the new players like yourself, Morgan, and Ezi?
A: ”So far no. Sue has been really strict on the quarantine. So we’re just trying to follow all the rules and stay clean.”
Q: With Coach Hughes not being there, has Sue been more vocal and taking over?
A: ”I’m not sure how things were before since I’m new. But since I was added to the group chat since I’ve been signed, Sue has always been so vocal. She’s been really informative to us about this whole process.”
Morgan Tuck
The Seattle Storm acquired Morgan Tuck in the off-season with a sign and trade deal that sent the Storm’s 7th overall draft pick to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for the Sun’s 11th overall pick and Morgan Tuck. Tuck played alongside Breanna Stewart at the University of Connecticut where they won four National Championships in four years. Tuck was drafted 3rd overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2016 draft. While she showed positive signs her rookie season in Connecticut, knee injuries cost her some of her first two seasons.
Q: On her trade from Connecticut to Seattle
A: “The trade was something I was looking for and I’m glad they were able to make it happen. Seattle let me know they were interested in having me. That they had wanted me for the past couple of years so I was super excited when I found out it was actually going to happen. Having a leader like Sue is great. She makes things easier for everyone. Overall, it’s been a really positive experience so far.”
Q: What were your impressions of the Storm looking on from the outside and how does that reflect what you’ve experienced now?
A: “Anytime you see a team who wins the championship and has a history of winning championships, you know they do things a certain way. We had that at Uconn, there’s a way to do things to be successful. I knew they had great leadership and got along really well. You can see why this team won championships in the past and I’m just happy to be apart of it.”
Q: What is your optimal role here in Seattle?
A: “I see this opportunity as a new start for me. My role coming in is to come off the bench and just be a threat. Whether that’s at the 3 (small forward) or 4 (power forward). Where I can mix it up, switch a lot on defense, and be really versatile. That’s my strength and with my size and position, it just works. That’s my goal is to be able to go out there and mix it up to whatever is needed. Not just a one position player.”
Q: How did you practice and work on your game during the pandemic?
A: “I was in Virginia back home and the gyms weren’t open until right before we left (to Florida). So I bought a hoop and was in the driveway. Kinda like back when we were younger and you’d be outside shooting. And coming here (to IMG Academy) my shot feels really good. The biggest thing is just getting your legs back. I think just getting those reps up (in the driveway) even if it wasn’t in the gym really helped quite a bit.”
Q: How does it feel to reunite with Stewie after winning 4 championships at Uconn?
A: “I’m excited. Whether it’s college or now, playing with Stewie makes things easier from everyone else because she’s going to take so much attention. That’s always a plus when you’re playing with someone like her. And to reach goals and achievements with your friends is always a positive thing. I was just really excited, I knew I was trying to get to Seattle. And once I was able to, I knew us being back together, it was going to be fun on and off the court.”
Q: How difficult was it to get acclimated to a new team during the pandemic outbreak?
A: “The one good thing when you’re in the league for any amount of time, between the teams it’s not a ton of different action that you’ll see. It might be different terminology. It might be a play we ran in Connecticut, but here we call it something different. So that’s what can get confusing after being on another team for four years, you’re used to certain play calls. But I think that’s one of my strengths is my basketball mind. I pick up things really well and pretty quickly. So it allows me to focus on just getting used to playing with everyone. When you’re on a new team, you just have to focus on building that chemistry.”
Ezi Magbegor
Ezi Magbegor was drafted by the Seattle Storm in the first round (12th overall) of the 2019 WNBA Draft. Magbegor, an Australian native, was just 19 years old when Seattle selected her. After discussing things over with the team, it was decided that she would stay in Australia in 2019 to continue to develop her game there before coming to Seattle in 2020. Magbegor made the Australian Olympic National team (Opals) in 2018 and has spent the past two years playing professionally in the WNBL, Australia’s premier basketball league. She won rookie of the year her first season in the WNBL. On draft night, Rebecca Lobo said that if she had gone to college in America for four years, she would have likely been the number one overall pick. Magbegor is the youngest player in the league.
Q: Can you give some insight on your decision to go pro and not attend Uconn and play in the WNBL and then to now be here with the Seattle Storm in the WNBA?
A: “When deciding whether to go to college in America or play in the WNBL (in Australia) I decided I wanted to get that exposure and be able to play against professionals. So I’ve been doing that for the past few years. Being in the WNBA will be that next step up. Having others like Rebecca Allen, having those players already in the WNBA, and being able to learn from them. Gather insight from them before coming here was really helpful.”
Q: How did your basketball journey get started and what were some of the most important moments that made you as a player?
A: “I’ve got 3 siblings and two of my older siblings started playing basketball. I just wanted to follow them and copy what they did. That’s how I got started. Then making the Junior State team in Australia, then I was offered a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport which is a training facility in Australia. That’s where I was able to make the Junior National Team. Then I was fortunate enough to be selected to the Opals, the Australian National Team in 2018 where (Mercury Head Coach) Sandy Brondello coaches.”
Q: What are your initial impressions working with the Storm and has any player specifically reached out to you to put you under their wing?
A: “It’s great to be back on a basketball court. I’m pretty lucky with this team. I have a lot of players that I can look up to that play in my position. But also, having Sue who is a natural leader. To learn from her and Stewie, Crystal Langhorne and Mercedes Russell just learning from those players in my position have been great the past few days. Everyone has been talking to me and helping me find my feet in this league which has been great. I’m currently rooming with Jewell who has taken me under her wing a little bit. She’s always in my ear at practice which is super helpful.”
Q: Was there ever any concern about coming over this year with the pandemic going on or did you always want to stick to that plan you made with the Storm after the 2019 draft about coming over in 2020?
A: ”I always had that plan of coming to the WNBA in 2020. There was so much uncertainty going on whether the season would even go ahead. But once that did get decided. We had some discussions with those closest to me, but ultimately I wanted to come over. I wanted to play with Seattle, I wanted to play in the WNBA this year.”
Q: Do you have a sense yet on what your role will be on the team this season?
A: ”As far as my role on the team, right now I’m just watching the starting players in my position like Stewie, Mercedes, and Natasha Howard. Being able to come in and give that energy off the bench. Seattle likes to play fast, so using my athleticism to get up and down the court. Ultimately, doing whatever I can to help this team. In a way, I’ll use this year to understand how I fit into this league.”
I really like these interviews w the new players on the Storm. They were all good. Ezi has been so impressive as a Rookie. You know she'll be a star in the league someday. I've always appreciated the way she glides about the court (especially towards the basket) like a gazelle.