Seattle Storm Free Agency: Time to Recruit - Part 2

Who can the Seattle Storm add that will help them win their 5th title?

UPDATE: The Seattle Storm used the Core Tag on Jewell Loyd meaning that Loyd is no longer an Unrestricted Free Agent. Loyd can either sign the 1-year deal for the Supermax, negotiate a multi-year contract with the Storm, or the Storm have the option to trade her. Although, I believe that would only happen if Loyd refused to play for Seattle and forced a trade.

In Part 1, I got to write about the post players that the Seattle Storm could look to bring in this off-season via free agency. In Part 2, we get to take a look at the Wings and Guards available in this year’s free agent class.

But first, let’s talk about the Core Tag.

The Core Issue

On January 12th, Annie Costabile reported that the Chicago Sky have used the core tag on Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. This is something I predicted because Copper has really flourished over the past two seasons and has become one of the best in the WNBA during that time.

We’re still waiting to hear from the Storm on whether or not they will be using the core tag on Breanna Stewart or Jewell Loyd. They have until Saturday, January 15th to put the tag on one of their players.

I’ll be shocked if they don’t use it on one of them. It would be absolutely disastrous if they didn’t use it and either Stewart or Loyd left to another team with Seattle getting nothing in return.

Probably the most famous free agent incident with the Seattle Seahawks is when their General Manager Tim Ruskell opted not to use the franchise tag on Left Guard Steve Hutchinson. Hutchinson would go on to sign with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle’s dominant offensive line that led them to a Super Bowl in 2005 was no more. Seattle was not able to get back to the Super Bowl with that group and ultimately led to the firing of Coach Mike Holmgren. Losing Stewart or Loyd in a similar fashion would be a monumental failure for the franchise.

Getting back to the WNBA, we only have to look at the Storm last season who had the option to core either Natasha Howard or Alysha Clark. They opted to core Natasha Howard and ultimately decided to trade her for two 2021 first-round picks that were eventually traded to Dallas and Minnesota for Katie Lou Samuelson and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. They also obtained New York’s 2nd round pick in 2022. They lost Alysha Clark and did not get anything in return. However, by tagging Howard they were able to get multiple assets that turned into younger and (maybe more importantly) cheaper talent with multiple years of club control.

If the Storm hadn’t used the tag on Howard then they would have lost both Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard for absolutely nothing. They wouldn’t have Katie Lou, Kiki Herbert Harrigan, or New York’s 2nd round pick this year.

With that in mind, the best business decision for the Storm is to put the tag on Stewart or Loyd. During exit interviews back in September Stewart was much more public in her comments about wanting to return to Seattle than Loyd was. That’s not to say Jewell doesn’t intend to come back. But she at least expressed interest in wanting to explore free agency for the first time in her career and also to just go home, take time away, and talk with her family to figure out what’s best.

“When you first do your extension, you’re still a rookie, things were going good and we were building something. I’m glad I stayed obviously. Seattle is the only place I’ve ever known. This is home. Seattle has been home for the past seven years. You understand free agency and that you have the choice to stay or go. I’m going to take this time to have a break and talk with my family, talk with Stewie and everyone else and figure out a game plan. I’d like to just take this time to take a break, reevaluate where I’m at in my life and my career, and go forward from there.” Loyd said.

When asked for her thoughts on Jewell Loyd’s responses to her pending free agency Coach Noelle Quinn had this to say.

“She’s in a situation where she’s in the driver’s seat of her decision making. The ball is in her court. She knows what’s up. If I’m here, I want her here, we want her here. She’s had an amazing year and I value her so much! I’m so proud of her. She deserves it. She deserves the time to make a decision and take her time with her decision. We should value that and give her that space.” Coach Quinn told Seattle media during exit interviews.

Free Agents: Wings and Guards

Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper, and Courtney Vandersloot top the list of the best wings/guards available in WNBA free agency. The big story here in Seattle and around the WNBA is whether or not Jewell Loyd will stay with the Storm.

Some other potential options will be Rebecca Allen, Angel McCoughtry, Tiffany Hayes, Diamond DeShields, Riquna Williams, and Courtney Williams.

Rebecca Allen

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $105,037
9.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG

When I started thinking about free agents the Storm could recruit after the team was eliminated from the playoffs back in September, Rebecca Allen immediately came to mind. Allen has good height at 6’2”, she has a strong scoring ability, and shot 38% from three. Her defensive numbers are also impressive for her position.

While Allen would be a fantastic fit in Seattle there are some things to debate about the potential signing. Allen and Stephanie Talbot are very similar players. Talbot is also 6’2”, shot 42% from three-point range, is also a strong defensive player, and is two years younger than Allen.

There are other factors. Money will be a big one. Allen made over $105,000 this past season and is likely due for a decent bump in pay. I expect Allen will command somewhere between $125,000-$160,000. By comparison, Talbot made $70,000 last season and likely can be re-signed by Seattle for a good amount less than what Rebecca Allen will command on the open market. The organization will have to determine which player can ultimately make them better and fit within the salary cap.

The last thing to consider is the New York Liberty’s recent change in head coaches. They dismissed coach Walt Hopkins and brought in former Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello. Brondello is Allen’s head coach with the Australian National Team. That relationship should give the Liberty the edge in the Rebecca Allen sweepstakes.

Angel McCoughtry

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $190,550
14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG (2020 stats)

Angel McCoughtry would be a high-risk/high-reward signing for the Storm. McCoughtry tore her right ACL and meniscus in a preseason game in 2021. She tore her left ACL late in 2018 that resulted in her missing the entire 2019 season. In total, McCoughtry has missed two of the past three seasons in the WNBA. But in 2020, she was healthy and played a gigantic role in helping lead the Aces to the WNBA Finals.

The 35-year old McCoughtry has been one of the WNBA’s best players since 2009. The 5-time All-Star and 6-time All-WNBA (first or second team) player is one of the best scorers in the game. She also was named to the All-Defensive first team seven times in her career.

If healthy, McCoughtry could be a huge asset to the Storm. She would likely take on a similar role she had in Las Vegas where she was no longer her team’s first option but would still be a critical piece to a championship squad. Seattle’s 2nd unit could use another veteran presence. The Storm’s bench unit struggled at times to score enough which forced Coach Noelle Quinn to play her starters too many minutes. Adding a player like McCoughtry could help with that.

It’s unclear if the Aces will look to re-sign the unrestricted free agent. McCoughtry has been training a lot with the Dream’s Chennedy Carter this off-season which has led many to speculate that McCoughtry is planning a return to Atlanta where she spent most of her career.

The one big question for McCoughtry is how many years does she have left in the WNBA? If this is going to be her last run she might be more interested in signing with a stronger contender. Angel has made the WNBA Finals four times in her career but sadly has never won the championship. Could she be tempted to join the Storm to get one last shot at the title?

If she’s willing to take less money than she made in 2021, she could be an option for Seattle.

Tiffany Hayes

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $119,780
14.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.6 SPG

Maybe it’s just me but I feel not a lot of people are talking about Tiffany Hayes as an important free agent this off-season. Hayes has been putting up All-Star type numbers for several years in Atlanta.

Hayes feels like a player Seattle could look to sign even if they re-sign Jewell Loyd, but especially someone they could look to add if they lose Loyd in free agency. Kahleah Copper would be the best Loyd replacement but with the Sky putting the tag on Copper it’s unlikely that would be an option. Hayes could be that option instead.

Even if Seattle retains Loyd, there’s nothing saying the Storm couldn’t add Hayes to either compete at the Small Forward position or bring her off the bench in a big role similar to what I suggested with Angel McCoughtry.

I’m not certain Hayes will be able to get a max salary offer from any team with so many other talented players available during this free agency class. If the Storm could add Hayes with a contract similar to her 2021 salary that is something the team should seriously consider.

Diamond DeShields

Free Agent Status: RFA
Previous Salary: $70,040
11.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

One thing Coach Noelle Quinn talked about during the off-season was her desire for the team to get more athletic. They don’t get much more athletic than Diamond DeShields. DeShields has had an interesting career arc so far.

Her first two seasons were excellent averaging 14.4 PPG her rookie season and following that up with 16.2 PPG her sophomore year in the WNBA while also rebounding the ball very well. After that, DeShields started getting some hype around her about a potential future league MVP. But then she struggled with significant injuries during the 2020 bubble season and ultimately left the Sky before the end of the season to recover her injuries and focus on rehab.

During her absence, Kahleah Copper really blossomed and took over the role that Diamond expected to fill. DeShields was healthy in 2021 but her role was reduced some and her numbers were down in general. Her shooting percentage dropped as well.

With all that said, DeShields is still a very interesting player with a lot of potential. The Sky have given her an offer to make her officially a restricted free agent but the salary is likely below what she can command on the open market. With Chicago already focused on paying Candace Parker and Kahleah Copper while likely looking to bring back Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley as their top priorities they may not have enough cash to bring DeShields back.

DeShields would be an excellent fit in Seattle with the team’s high pace. Both Chicago and Seattle play similar offensive styles and I would expect DeShields to be able to replicate a lot of her early career success if she joined the Storm.

DeShields is also probably one of Seattle’s top options this off-season if they were to lose out on Loyd. I do believe the Storm will do whatever they can to retain Loyd but if it doesn’t work out, Diamond could be part of a backup plan.

Riquna Williams

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $91,250
10.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG

Riquna Williams is another player Seattle could look to add for depth. She’s been a double-digit scorer most of her career and is an excellent three-point shooter connecting on 42% of her shots from long range in both 2021 and 2020.

She could help give Seattle’s bench a boost in offensive production. This is definitely an area the team needs to improve for 2022.

Williams will likely be looking for a bigger payday than she got from Las Vegas but if you’re able to sign her for around $100,000 then that could be a solid option for the Storm as they look to build championship depth.

Courtney Williams

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $190,550
16.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG

Courtney Williams is a very talented player with some red flags. Williams is a flat-out baller. She can put up big scoring numbers but also rebounds extremely well for a guard and will also dish out the assists.

Williams averaged a career-high 16.5 PPG this season while being named to her first All-Star team.

Unfortunately, Williams has been involved in some incidents. She was traded away from Connecticut after the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement. Connecticut’s front office said Williams threatened to sit out if she wasn’t traded and Williams talked about them not being loyal and insinuating they were fake in their sincerity and interest. The two clashed and Williams was dealt to Atlanta.

Now after two seasons with the Dream, Williams will be looking for another new team due to an off-court incident where Williams was recorded on video fighting outside an Atlanta Club near a fried chicken food truck.

Williams's off-court behavior has been questioned in the past. She will look to sign with another organization that will give her another chance.

A big question will be can a team like the Storm potentially get her at a discount due to the off-court issues and would they even be willing to do so? Williams made nearly $200,000 last season but it’s hard to imagine she’ll get that same money this year. She should still make a good amount and it’ll just depend on if the team is willing to ignore or work with the red flags in order to acquire the on-court talent.

What is Coach Quinn looking for in Free Agency?

“First and foremost we have to have the toughness. We talk about it here all the time, we call it a dog mentality. We have to have tough-minded players. If you think strategically and schematic wise, we have to get a little more athletic. We talk about that three spot all the time but just in general. What I’ve noticed this year is that a lot of our tougher matchups were against those athletic guard groups. Those teams that have athletic guards. In order to match the youthfulness that is coming into our league, the isolation situations, the athleticism, I think we have to counter that by adding more depth that way. Obviously, we shot the three well but we need to add another shooting big who can stretch the floor. We have a good core to work around, in free agency we understand that if we can find those players we need to find those are three specific areas we can improve in.” Coach Quinn told me during the end-of-season exit interview.

One More Year!

Bird confirmed a week ago that she would be returning for another season, her 19th in the WNBA. On Thursday, January 13th, Bird put out a trailer hyping a new documentary that is being made to cover what is potentially Bird’s final season.

Sue Bird @S10Bird

#1moreyear 🤝

You can read more from the Variety article that covers the documentary and what will be included in it.

If you have Netflix you’re likely familiar with the Michael Jordan Documentary “The Last Dance” that aired in 2020. Which documented the Chicago Bulls’ six championships, Michael Jordan’s career in total, and especially his final season with the Bulls. Legendary coach Phil Jackson called it “The Last Dance” and it appears Bird is getting her own version.

Because Sue will be having a lot of this season documented and because she appeared to be on the fence about retiring after last year, you really have to believe this is Bird’s final season in the WNBA and with the Storm.

Will that impact what Seattle’s front office does this off-season? Will they be more aggressive in their moves because of this? Could it even have an impact on other WNBA players who may opt to sign with Seattle to join Bird for her last ride?

We will have our answers soon because free agency is about to begin!

Final Notes: Free Agency is going to be incredibly exciting! It’ll be interesting to see if the Storm’s front office can work their magic to retain their best players and bring in some quality other pieces. I also want to hear from you! Add your comments on which players you think the Storm should make a run at in free agency!

As always a huge thanks to my subscribers for all of your support! And once again, a big shout out to HerHoopStats for providing the data on player salaries, stats, and more that allows me to write more informative articles like this one.