Thanks, Jeff. You said a lot of what I’ve been thinking. It’s seemed to me that since Sue and Stewie left, Jewell didn’t really want to be here. She suffered under the pressure of having to carry the whole team on her shoulders in 2023, but she also didn’t respond well to Nneka and Skylar coming in and “taking over” a lot of the playmaking and attention.
I think she wanted to play here with Stewie, was (like the rest of us) hurt when Stewie abruptly left, and never really got over it. And I’m guessing Noelle and the coaching staff, who also felt the sting of losing Stewie so suddenly, didn’t know how to help her and got frustrated with her inability to move on. Whether that frustration rose to the level of abuse I don’t pretend to know, but I suspect this isn’t a case of good guys and bad guys but of people having incompatible responses to the crappy situation Stewie created by not signaling her intent to leave and not letting Jewell and the team plan for that.
I think this is wonderfully said Beverly. My hope is that this is just chemistry/compatabilty issues more than legitimate harmful abuse. I love the line about not being a case of good guys and bad guys.
I certainly agree (for what it's worth) with much of your assessment. It's hard to imagine that any coaching staff would foolish enough to blatantly abuse WNBA players and expect it to go unnoticed and unspoken in this day and age. That's the LAST group you'd want to mess with. As for Stewart's departure, it was poorly managed by all. Stewart's cutesy little teases were incredibly juvenile, but she earned the right to handle her departure that way. Meanwhile, the onus was really on the front office to anticipate/plan for the possible departure. It was inexcusable to be taken so seemingly unaware. That felt like front office malpractice and led to a number of bad decisions and lost opportunities.
Jeff I was hoping you would weigh in on this situation. The reports I read indicated it was multiple players not just one player. So, I'm assuming it is not just Jewell. Things were seriously off this season. I kept saying there is something systematically wrong with the team. You could sense the tension at the games. It is difficult to believe this was solely a Jewell problem. We have been hearing about the rigidity of running Noelle's schemes for awhile. Sue's last year with the Storm wasn't all sunshine and roses with Noe. Many times Sue was in Noe's face getting after her. There was clear tension there. Perhaps Jewell was thwarted and frustrated by the coaching.
I will say that Skylar's outburst at the press conference did not sit well with me. That was out of line. How can they work together as a team after that tirade. Don't get me wrong I adore Skylar but she stepped out of line with that comment. It's hard to have a positive relationship with your team after that kind of attack.
As for Noelle, let's be honest! She is not cutting it! She had her chance and she fell short. I have lost all confidence in her. She even said it herself during a press conference. She stated that in the end the team's success fall on her shoulders. I remember when Nate McMillian took a team that no one thought had any hope and went three rounds into the playoffs. They played their hearts out for Nate and he brought the very best out of everyone of those players. That's a good coach! Noe had a supposed Super Team and could have done so much more with them. It is time for a change!! Either way whatever happens it is time for the Storm to move on!!
Yeah, it's definitely not just one player. That's why I mentioned Mercedes Russell as well. And it could be even more. Other players may have just kept it all in-house instead of being more public with it like Russell and Jewell's mother.
Regarding Noelle, she was completely thrown into the fire. Think about what has happened with first year head coaches. A lot of them end up falling apart or they get canned after one bad season. You can argue that she was given a super team, but it's not like she was handed THE super team. New York and Las Vegas had more talented rosters for certain. Minnesota and Connecticut you can make the argument about. And then was it better coaching, players just stepping up for those respective teams, etc.?
Also, FWIW, Coach Quinn has led the Storm to 21 wins or more in 3 of her 4 seasons. The one season she didn't, the team lost Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. And didn't have a Plan B for what would happen if Stewie left.
The Storm won the Commissioner's Cup in 2021 and may have been able to win the whole thing but Stewie's Achilles snapped for the 2nd time in 3 years right before the playoffs. That wasn't Quinn's fault. In 2022, people can argue this but in my opinion the Storm win the WNBA Championship that season if Chelsea Gray doesn't play about 5 notches higher than anyone else. Gray's playoff performance was unreal. Do you know how good a player has to be to be a more impactful and better player than A'ja Wilson? That's how good Chelsea Gray was in the 2022 playoffs. And even Aces's Coach Becky Hammon said Seattle was the other best team in the league and their toughest test that year. How much would everyone's perspective change if the Storm won the Championship in 2022?
Do I think Quinn is a perfect coach? No. And if the abuse allegations are 100% legitimate and severe then she'll likely be fired from her job. But otherwise, I think they give her more time. Winning organizations don't fire coaches in a rash manner. That's what losing organizations do. If the allegations are cleared up and the roster is a legit contender, I think they'll give her another year or two. And if the playoff success just isn't there then maybe the team moves on after that.
Respectfully , disagree with you on Quinn. This past year was a huge bust with the super team getting swept in the first round and scoring no points in the fourth quarter of a play off game. I’m not saying they could have beaten the Liberty but their play was well below their abilities. Her terrible coaching lost them two playoff games to the Aces in Stewie’s and Sue’s last year. Becky Hammond destroyed her. She can’t motivate her players and they clearly don’t respect her. I don’t care if her win/lose record is improved or that there were player injuries. The Storm need to move on. It’s toxic now with the abuse allegations.
I won't excuse the scoring no points (or 2) in the 4th quarter. Honestly, I had already blocked that out of my memory until you brought it up. That's inexecusable by the entire team, players, and coaches. That can never happen and I knew when they blew Game 1 like that, they were going to lose the series. Same as when they blew Game 3 in Seattle in 2022. You can't give away playoff wins against another team that has just as much if not more of a chance to win a title than you. Just look at the Storm versus the Aces in 2020. Bill Laimbeer was telling his Aces players that everyone expected the Storm to win Game 3. That everyone was ready to leave the Bubble but encouraged his team not to give up. Then they got blasted by 30+ points. Seattle left no doubt that they were the better team on their way to their 4th WNBA Championship. The best teams never let the other team back in the game.
I do also agree that Coach Becky Hammon has Coach Quinn's number. I'm not sure what their head-to-head is over the past 3 years off the top of my head but I know it's pretty bad. It might be like 12 to 3 or something like that.
If the Storm had gone in a different coaching direction, I would have hoped they would have looked at the Aces's former assistant coach Natalie Nakase. Obviously, the LV Aces have had a stupid amount of talent over the past 3 years but I do think they have a very strong coaching staff. And it appears the rest of the league agrees as Nakase got the head coaching job with the Golden State Valkyries and the Chicago Sky snagged Tyler Marsh.
Regarding the abuse allegations, we still need to let that play out. Mercedes Russell's attitude after the season, including skipping out on post-season media interviews, has been a real bad look in my opinion and if the coaches had an issue with her, it may have been more of a Mercedes thing than a coaching problem.
And from some of the other reports, it sounds like Jewell's issues might be financially related and if Jewell has a hard look in the mirror, I think most of that falls on her and not on Coach Quinn not calling enough plays for her. The numbers and stats of what Jewell did with her opportunities does not put Loyd in the best spotlight, especially if she's blaming others.
Thank you, Jeff, for a good article and for all the comments fans posted. Your article validates all the frustrations I have had with this team since Stewie left. It’s systemic from the front office down. How the mighty have fallen. Very sad. Quinn never should have been hired as the head coach and Poke’s track record with players is very checkered. As a season ticket holder sitting behind the bench for over a decade, it was so obvious that the players didn’t respect the coach . Stewie and Sue ignored her in time outs. Sue was coaching the team. I saw Mercedes walk right by her ignoring a high five etc…. This year, Nneka (the best player on the team!!) seemed detached this whole season and was never used properly. I would be shocked if Nneka comes back. And Jewell ‘s comment about basketball being only 10 percent of her life, says it all. That’s the supposed franchise player who the Storm cored and gave a max contract giving a big FU to the fans and the team. Could you imagine Devin Booker saying that? The wheels are off the bus. But, sometimes things need to fall apart to improve and change. I vote for cleaning house (fire GM and Coaches, trade jewell ) and build through the draft. At least we could have a fun young team with heart to watch with promising players like Jordan.
mld - I appreciate you providing that perspective as a fan right behind the bench. You guys get to see a lot of things media members do not. I'm sure you're aware, but our media table is on the complete opposite end of the Seattle Storm bench. So we're not going to hear or see those in-game moments. Or something like a player completely ignoring the coach trying to talk to her if that's happened right in front of fans that are behind the bench. So it is good to hear other perspectives.
I can only provide my observations from our media sessions with the coach and potential in-game decisions that we can watch happen in the game or on the court (substitution changes, in-game adjustments like say the opposing team does something that is very effective, does Coach Quinn have an answer and change of tactics, etc.)
To answer that last question, I think there have probably been times where really good adjustments have been made. And other times, not so much.
Most of the players we talk to, do talk about how much it means to them to have a black woman and former WNBA player as their head coach. There is an experience and relatability factor that Noelle can provide that does resonate with at least a solid portion of the players.
I am fascinated to see what transpires over this off-season. Whether a player like Jewell or Skylar gets traded. Whether Coach Quinn and her staff are fired or not. It really depends on what the owners believe is best for the franchise moving forward. I do have additional articles I plan to write and have started working on one of them. Hopefully, I can get that done within the next few days or over the next week.
I don’t see how the Storm can move forward without substantial changes. Is it a coaching or a player problem?
I thought SDS’ comments were spot on but she should have kept it private. The Storm started slowly in a number of games as it seemed like some players were coasting.
Jewell was horrible in the playoffs. Was she injuried like I thought (she said she was 100% in the exit interview) or did she check out. Why was Neke not in a players only meeting. BS to say her role as union president was the reason.
Disappointing they wasted a ton of talent in this manner.
Thanks, Jeff. You said a lot of what I’ve been thinking. It’s seemed to me that since Sue and Stewie left, Jewell didn’t really want to be here. She suffered under the pressure of having to carry the whole team on her shoulders in 2023, but she also didn’t respond well to Nneka and Skylar coming in and “taking over” a lot of the playmaking and attention.
I think she wanted to play here with Stewie, was (like the rest of us) hurt when Stewie abruptly left, and never really got over it. And I’m guessing Noelle and the coaching staff, who also felt the sting of losing Stewie so suddenly, didn’t know how to help her and got frustrated with her inability to move on. Whether that frustration rose to the level of abuse I don’t pretend to know, but I suspect this isn’t a case of good guys and bad guys but of people having incompatible responses to the crappy situation Stewie created by not signaling her intent to leave and not letting Jewell and the team plan for that.
I think this is wonderfully said Beverly. My hope is that this is just chemistry/compatabilty issues more than legitimate harmful abuse. I love the line about not being a case of good guys and bad guys.
I certainly agree (for what it's worth) with much of your assessment. It's hard to imagine that any coaching staff would foolish enough to blatantly abuse WNBA players and expect it to go unnoticed and unspoken in this day and age. That's the LAST group you'd want to mess with. As for Stewart's departure, it was poorly managed by all. Stewart's cutesy little teases were incredibly juvenile, but she earned the right to handle her departure that way. Meanwhile, the onus was really on the front office to anticipate/plan for the possible departure. It was inexcusable to be taken so seemingly unaware. That felt like front office malpractice and led to a number of bad decisions and lost opportunities.
💯 agree with this thread. 👏👏
Jeff I was hoping you would weigh in on this situation. The reports I read indicated it was multiple players not just one player. So, I'm assuming it is not just Jewell. Things were seriously off this season. I kept saying there is something systematically wrong with the team. You could sense the tension at the games. It is difficult to believe this was solely a Jewell problem. We have been hearing about the rigidity of running Noelle's schemes for awhile. Sue's last year with the Storm wasn't all sunshine and roses with Noe. Many times Sue was in Noe's face getting after her. There was clear tension there. Perhaps Jewell was thwarted and frustrated by the coaching.
I will say that Skylar's outburst at the press conference did not sit well with me. That was out of line. How can they work together as a team after that tirade. Don't get me wrong I adore Skylar but she stepped out of line with that comment. It's hard to have a positive relationship with your team after that kind of attack.
As for Noelle, let's be honest! She is not cutting it! She had her chance and she fell short. I have lost all confidence in her. She even said it herself during a press conference. She stated that in the end the team's success fall on her shoulders. I remember when Nate McMillian took a team that no one thought had any hope and went three rounds into the playoffs. They played their hearts out for Nate and he brought the very best out of everyone of those players. That's a good coach! Noe had a supposed Super Team and could have done so much more with them. It is time for a change!! Either way whatever happens it is time for the Storm to move on!!
Thanks for letting me have a voice here Jeff!!
Yeah, it's definitely not just one player. That's why I mentioned Mercedes Russell as well. And it could be even more. Other players may have just kept it all in-house instead of being more public with it like Russell and Jewell's mother.
Regarding Noelle, she was completely thrown into the fire. Think about what has happened with first year head coaches. A lot of them end up falling apart or they get canned after one bad season. You can argue that she was given a super team, but it's not like she was handed THE super team. New York and Las Vegas had more talented rosters for certain. Minnesota and Connecticut you can make the argument about. And then was it better coaching, players just stepping up for those respective teams, etc.?
Also, FWIW, Coach Quinn has led the Storm to 21 wins or more in 3 of her 4 seasons. The one season she didn't, the team lost Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. And didn't have a Plan B for what would happen if Stewie left.
The Storm won the Commissioner's Cup in 2021 and may have been able to win the whole thing but Stewie's Achilles snapped for the 2nd time in 3 years right before the playoffs. That wasn't Quinn's fault. In 2022, people can argue this but in my opinion the Storm win the WNBA Championship that season if Chelsea Gray doesn't play about 5 notches higher than anyone else. Gray's playoff performance was unreal. Do you know how good a player has to be to be a more impactful and better player than A'ja Wilson? That's how good Chelsea Gray was in the 2022 playoffs. And even Aces's Coach Becky Hammon said Seattle was the other best team in the league and their toughest test that year. How much would everyone's perspective change if the Storm won the Championship in 2022?
Do I think Quinn is a perfect coach? No. And if the abuse allegations are 100% legitimate and severe then she'll likely be fired from her job. But otherwise, I think they give her more time. Winning organizations don't fire coaches in a rash manner. That's what losing organizations do. If the allegations are cleared up and the roster is a legit contender, I think they'll give her another year or two. And if the playoff success just isn't there then maybe the team moves on after that.
Respectfully , disagree with you on Quinn. This past year was a huge bust with the super team getting swept in the first round and scoring no points in the fourth quarter of a play off game. I’m not saying they could have beaten the Liberty but their play was well below their abilities. Her terrible coaching lost them two playoff games to the Aces in Stewie’s and Sue’s last year. Becky Hammond destroyed her. She can’t motivate her players and they clearly don’t respect her. I don’t care if her win/lose record is improved or that there were player injuries. The Storm need to move on. It’s toxic now with the abuse allegations.
I won't excuse the scoring no points (or 2) in the 4th quarter. Honestly, I had already blocked that out of my memory until you brought it up. That's inexecusable by the entire team, players, and coaches. That can never happen and I knew when they blew Game 1 like that, they were going to lose the series. Same as when they blew Game 3 in Seattle in 2022. You can't give away playoff wins against another team that has just as much if not more of a chance to win a title than you. Just look at the Storm versus the Aces in 2020. Bill Laimbeer was telling his Aces players that everyone expected the Storm to win Game 3. That everyone was ready to leave the Bubble but encouraged his team not to give up. Then they got blasted by 30+ points. Seattle left no doubt that they were the better team on their way to their 4th WNBA Championship. The best teams never let the other team back in the game.
I do also agree that Coach Becky Hammon has Coach Quinn's number. I'm not sure what their head-to-head is over the past 3 years off the top of my head but I know it's pretty bad. It might be like 12 to 3 or something like that.
If the Storm had gone in a different coaching direction, I would have hoped they would have looked at the Aces's former assistant coach Natalie Nakase. Obviously, the LV Aces have had a stupid amount of talent over the past 3 years but I do think they have a very strong coaching staff. And it appears the rest of the league agrees as Nakase got the head coaching job with the Golden State Valkyries and the Chicago Sky snagged Tyler Marsh.
Regarding the abuse allegations, we still need to let that play out. Mercedes Russell's attitude after the season, including skipping out on post-season media interviews, has been a real bad look in my opinion and if the coaches had an issue with her, it may have been more of a Mercedes thing than a coaching problem.
And from some of the other reports, it sounds like Jewell's issues might be financially related and if Jewell has a hard look in the mirror, I think most of that falls on her and not on Coach Quinn not calling enough plays for her. The numbers and stats of what Jewell did with her opportunities does not put Loyd in the best spotlight, especially if she's blaming others.
Great comments. Regardless of the investigation’s findings, Quinn and Pokey need to go for all the reasons you said.
Thank you, Jeff, for a good article and for all the comments fans posted. Your article validates all the frustrations I have had with this team since Stewie left. It’s systemic from the front office down. How the mighty have fallen. Very sad. Quinn never should have been hired as the head coach and Poke’s track record with players is very checkered. As a season ticket holder sitting behind the bench for over a decade, it was so obvious that the players didn’t respect the coach . Stewie and Sue ignored her in time outs. Sue was coaching the team. I saw Mercedes walk right by her ignoring a high five etc…. This year, Nneka (the best player on the team!!) seemed detached this whole season and was never used properly. I would be shocked if Nneka comes back. And Jewell ‘s comment about basketball being only 10 percent of her life, says it all. That’s the supposed franchise player who the Storm cored and gave a max contract giving a big FU to the fans and the team. Could you imagine Devin Booker saying that? The wheels are off the bus. But, sometimes things need to fall apart to improve and change. I vote for cleaning house (fire GM and Coaches, trade jewell ) and build through the draft. At least we could have a fun young team with heart to watch with promising players like Jordan.
mld - I appreciate you providing that perspective as a fan right behind the bench. You guys get to see a lot of things media members do not. I'm sure you're aware, but our media table is on the complete opposite end of the Seattle Storm bench. So we're not going to hear or see those in-game moments. Or something like a player completely ignoring the coach trying to talk to her if that's happened right in front of fans that are behind the bench. So it is good to hear other perspectives.
I can only provide my observations from our media sessions with the coach and potential in-game decisions that we can watch happen in the game or on the court (substitution changes, in-game adjustments like say the opposing team does something that is very effective, does Coach Quinn have an answer and change of tactics, etc.)
To answer that last question, I think there have probably been times where really good adjustments have been made. And other times, not so much.
Most of the players we talk to, do talk about how much it means to them to have a black woman and former WNBA player as their head coach. There is an experience and relatability factor that Noelle can provide that does resonate with at least a solid portion of the players.
I am fascinated to see what transpires over this off-season. Whether a player like Jewell or Skylar gets traded. Whether Coach Quinn and her staff are fired or not. It really depends on what the owners believe is best for the franchise moving forward. I do have additional articles I plan to write and have started working on one of them. Hopefully, I can get that done within the next few days or over the next week.
Excellent notes Jeff. You verbalized many things I’ve been thinking about during all this and neutrally—KUDOs!!
Good summary.
I don’t see how the Storm can move forward without substantial changes. Is it a coaching or a player problem?
I thought SDS’ comments were spot on but she should have kept it private. The Storm started slowly in a number of games as it seemed like some players were coasting.
Jewell was horrible in the playoffs. Was she injuried like I thought (she said she was 100% in the exit interview) or did she check out. Why was Neke not in a players only meeting. BS to say her role as union president was the reason.
Disappointing they wasted a ton of talent in this manner.