The Seattle Storm held their annual media day on Monday. Are they the most underrated team heading into the upcoming WNBA season? Skylar Diggins shared her thoughts with the media on the current roster and the organization.
All smiles, Skylar Diggins is committed to team culture and remains honored to wear a Storm jersey. Now in her 11th WNBA season on the floor, and second with Seattle, Diggins calls this year’s squad ‘the most talented roster I’ve been a part of.’ The Vibes are high in Seattle as the season approaches.
“Hell yeah I feel confident. Did you see our roster?” said Diggins on media day. “This is the most talented roster I’ve been a part of. I’m really excited to be here. Everybody looks really good. The vibes have been really good.”
Why the Storm’s Roster Might Be Built for a Title Run
It wasn’t always this way. The outlook in Seattle looked ominous and rainy in February after the Storm shipped star guard Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multi-team trade in exchange for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and Li Yueru.
With a 25-15 record, the Storm vastly underachieved last year. Having made their second playoff appearance in three years, Seattle was bounced and shut out of the first round by the Las Vegas Aces, 2-0. Having the third best odds among sportsbooks to win the WNBA Championship, the Storm fell short of expectations.
Diggins and Ezi Magbegor remained core pieces of the roster. However, it was unclear if the Storm were to resign WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams.
In free agency, the Storm went from rainy and cold to sunny and warm. Eventually re-signing Ogwumike, the Storm made the decision to core former UConn standout Gabby Williams. Having a core four, Seattle is as potent as anyone. The front office additionally further bolstered the roster with the additions of Alysha Clark, Erica Wheeler, Katie Lou Samuelson, Lexie Brown, and Zia Cooke.
That doesn’t include Nika Muhl and Jordan Horston, who’ll both be out for the 2025 season with ACL injuries. With Muhl out, it’s possible rookie Serena Sundell has an opportunity to make the roster. Possessing incredible size for a guard, Sundell was a vital part of Kansas State’s NCAA Tournament run. Leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, Sundell averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists in the tournament—shooting 57.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Seattle’s Depth Is a Game Changer This Season
Couldn’t leave New York without witnessing Dominique dunk 😤 pic.twitter.com/2JPTHTL3zd
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) April 15, 2025
Depth is essential for the Storm, especially after they ranked No. 10 in the WNBA last season with just 14.7 bench points per game. In pursuit of her first WNBA title, Diggins acknowledges that depth is quintessential to a championship run.
“What we like is we have depth,” Diggins told the press on media day. “In this league, outside of health—depth is what wins you championships, and the great teams have it.”
Not to mention, the Storm hit a home run in the 2025 WNBA Draft, selecting french sensation Dominique Malonga No.2, and former Kansas State Wildcat Serena Sundell No. 26 overall. Although the former Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles was the consensus No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, she chose to return to college for another year and transferred to TCU. Seattle quickly developed an efficient Plan B.
In addition, the Storm drafted Madison Conner No. 29 and Jordan Hobbs No. 34 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
The Storm will have one of the most formidable frontcourts—One that features All-Defensive First-Team player Ezi Magbegor, four-time All-Defensive First-Team star Nneka Ogwumike, and now Yueru.
Just 19 years old, Malonga is a surging international star that’s extremely versatile at 6 foot 6 inches. Her ability to protect the rim, rebound, and shot block aligns seamlessly with the Storm. With the innate ability to space the floor, Malonga is set to learn from the best.
Breaking Down the Storm’s Biggest Offseason Wins
Although suffering injuries, the addition of Clark and Samuelson will provide the Storm with much needed wing and scoring depth. Though putting up 83.2 points in 2024, the Storm ranked last in the league in 3-point percentage (28.8). Clark returns to Seattle as a WNBA Championship after two seasons with the Aces. Upon her arrival in Seattle, Clark is anticipating a more prominent role this season.
“I think having AC [Alysha Clark] here, having AC back—that was a really big deal for our team,” said Diggins. “She does the right things. She knows this community. She know this fan base. She knows and played with [Noelle Quinn].”
Samuelson returns to Seattle, which she spent the 2021 season with. Recently having played in Unrivaled, she brings much needed spacing and sharpshooting prowess. Although overshadowed by Caitlin Clark and the abundance of talent in Indianapolis last season, Samuelson brings much needed length and is a career 33.6 percent 3-point shooter.
“I think it’s a luxury that we now have Nneka [Ogwumike] and Ezi [Magbegor],” said Diggins. “Also Li [Yueru], her ability to shoot threes and stretch the floor. Same with AC [Alysha Clark]—having bigs that can shoot the basketball. Adding shooters like Katie Lou [Samuelson], Lexi [Brown]—really open the floor for all of us.”
In addition to Diggins’ excitement about the frontcourt, perhaps the most underrated storylines are the re-signing of Gabby Williams and the health of Lexie Brown. Williams came just one foot shy of winning a gold medal over the United States in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and is a bona fide hooper.
Williams, Brown Could Be X-Factors for the Storm
🎯 @gabbywilliams15!#PotanınKraliçeleri pic.twitter.com/ufUeBSIqNu
— Fenerbahçe Opet (@fbkadinbasket) April 18, 2025
A two-time NCAA Champion with UConn, Williams was a recent member of the Fenerbahçe championship roster in Turkey. In 16 games, she averaged 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.6 steals. Having played a total of just 22 games in the last two seasons, Williams early arrival is an indication of a full season ahead. A remarkable player on both ends of the court, on paper —Seattle is bound to finish as one of the most elite defensive teams this year.
When asked which off-season signing made her say ‘hell yeah,’ Diggins didn’t hesitate—it was always Gabby Williams.
“I think having Gabby [Williams] was really important,” Diggins told Ballislife and the Press. “Gabby is one of the best players in the world. She has so much going on, and for her to be here on the first day of camp—I thought that was huge. That was Gabby showing her commitment by being here on day one.”
The health of Lexie Brown is arguably the biggest storyline amongst the Seattle Storm this season. Limited to 28 cumulative games over the last two seasons with the Sparks, Brown missed several games due to a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease. A WNBA champion with the Chicago Sky in 2021, Brown is a prominent defender who can also contribute playmaking and three-point shooting for Seattle
Crediting the doctors in LA and Seattle, Brown has regained full health for six months now, which further strengthens the backcourt next to Diggins. Brown is just two years removed from a career year, where she averaged 12.4 points and shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc with Los Angeles. Having overheard rumors, she finally set the record straight on her health and prognosis. It’s all about managing Crohn’s disease and having the right doctors.
“I feel really good, the best I’ve felt since before my diagnosis, which is a blessing,” said Brown on media day. “I hear alot of people that say ‘Oh, Lexie is prone to miss some games’—That’s simply not true.You would treat Crohn’s like you would any injury. I don’t foresee having to miss any games this season. That’s how good I feel. I have it completely managed.”
The Seattle Storm Have a Perfect Mix of Rookies and Veterans
With all of the additions and draft day success, are the Storm the most underrated team in the WNBA? In a unique position, the team avoided a complete rebuild—rather blending a mix of veterans and rookies. Seattle is clearly in win now mode, while building culture and laying the foundation for the future.
With head coach Noelle Quinn at the helm for her third season, Seattle continues to uphold the standard the organization has long exemplified. A four-time WNBA champion, the franchise has identified depth, health, and culture as keys to success.
“The organization and staff have done a great job of outlining their vision of what was going to be important for us going into this season,” said Diggins. “That was really the culture, and everybody has culture. She [Noelle Quinn] has done a great job of the personnel that she put around her—also in the locker room. “
“I think it more adheres to the culture, just buying in no matter what it is. We have a lot of talent on this team. It’s not a sacrifice for any of us, but more of an investment to what we want our final goal to be.”
The Seattle Storm will kick off their first preseason game on May 4 against the Connecticut Sun. May 17 will mark their first regular season game on the road against the Phoenix Suns.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Writer, Journalist, Content Creator, Managing Editor, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
