WNBA: Ought to 2024 be thought of a disappointment for Seattle Storm?

From 11-29 and an Eleventh-place end in 2023 to 25-15 and a fifth-place end in 2024. Seems like a profitable season, proper?

A win proportion of higher than 60 p.c, a top-five protection and two 2024 All-Stars (in addition to two All-Star snubs and, down the stretch, the French Olympic hero), but not a single playoff victory. That appears like a little bit of a disappointment, no?

The 2024 Seattle Storm are a conundrum. Their offseason additions—Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith—helped the crew rapidly escape the league’s cellar and re-emerge as a surefire playoff crew, making it straightforward to see their season as a hit. However, the shortage of a postseason victory, mixed with some subpar performances over the season’s last stretch, can’t be thought of sufficient for a crew on the sting of the “superteam” dialog. They have been the forgotten contenders that forgot to win a playoff sport.

Was 2024 merely a combined bag of a primary season for a star-laden crew that may cohere into contender in 2025? Or, did this season show that the revitalized Storm don’t fairly have what it takes to be a real title menace?

What went proper for Seattle?

Photograph by Scott Eklund/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

No doubts about Nneka

Unsurprisingly, Nneka Ogwumike was glorious in her first season exterior of Los Angeles. New crew, similar Nneka.

In her first season in Seattle, Ogwumike was environment friendly on offense and impactful on protection. She averaged almost 17 factors per sport, simply above her profession common. Whereas nearly matching her profession excessive in 3-point makes an attempt per sport (2.0), she did sink a career-best 40.5 p.c from behind the arc. The Storm’s offense was at its greatest with Ogwumike on the courtroom, registering a team-high 104.9 offensive ranking. For the season, the Storm outscored opponents by 223 factors in Ogwumike’s minutes, the very best mark on the crew. Her 7.6 boards per sport have been a notch forward of her profession norm, whereas she matched her profession greatest with 1.9 steals per sport. These stats, together along with her intangible defensive intelligence, contributed to the seventh All-Defensive honor of her profession.

Skylar’s nonetheless acquired it

Extra questions surrounded the Storm’s different splashy offseason addition: Skylar Diggins-Smith. Final time she was on the courtroom, she was taking part in the very best basketball of her profession. However, that was in Aug. 2022, earlier than she gave beginning to her second little one and entered her mid-30s. As a small level guard, any lack of oomph would make her much less efficient.

Diggins-Smith, nonetheless, assuaged any worries, progressively discovering her All-WNBA-caliber type over the course of the season. After the Olympic break, she was sensational as a scorer, averaging 18.5 factors per sport. For the season, she tallied a career-best 6.5 assists per sport. She additionally set a profession excessive with 1.7 steals. Her 8.2 web ranking solely trailed that of Ogwumike (9.1).

What went unsuitable for Seattle?

Photograph by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

Jewell didn’t sparkle

In 2023, Jewell Loyd authored a profession 12 months, carrying a Storm crew that in any other case struggled to place factors on the board. She led the WNBA in scoring, not solely scoring 24.7 factors per sport but additionally totaling a then-record 939 factors. She fired up 8.5 3s per sport, whereas additionally attending to the road for 7.5 free throws per sport, each of which have been profession bests. Her 31.5 p.c utilization charge additionally was the very best of her profession. And, she did all that regardless of struggling by nagging accidents.

It’s no marvel that she was exhausted, with that load probably hampering her potential to be at her greatest in 2024.

Loyd’s shot eluded her for many of the season, as she shot a career-low 36.0 p.c from the sector. Her 27.4 p.c from 3 was her poorest mark since her rookie season. Whilst Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith alleviated her offensive obligations, Loyd by no means reached peak Gold Mamba-dom. Late-season knee troubles, which prompted her to overlook the ultimate three video games of the common season, sapped her effectiveness within the postseason, as she scored six and 9 factors within the Storm’s two playoff video games.

Nobody, nonetheless, thinks that is the participant Jewell Loyd now’s. Look out for the Gold Mamba revenge tour in 2025.

Finish-of-season swoon

Though Loyd’s struggles is likely to be explainable, Seattle’s team-wide points after the Olympic break are extra puzzling.

Forward of the All-Star break, the Storm seemed to be discovering their groove. In seven July video games, they have been 5-2 with a web ranking of 13.4, the byproduct of their greatest month-to-month offensive (106.9) and defensive (93.5) scores. But, following the resumption of play in mid-August, the Storm’s momentum had evaporated. They completed 8-7 over the ultimate 15 video games, registering a barely optimistic web ranking of 0.7 as their offense cooled (101.3) and their protection misplaced its edge (100.7)

As an alternative of peaking on the proper time, Seattle sputtered, with slight statistical degradations throughout the board including as much as important slippage. Contemplating Seattle is a veteran crew, geared up with a few of the league’s best leaders, their incapacity to rediscover their focus and type is confounding.

What’s subsequent for the Storm?

Photograph by Ethan Miller/Getty Photographs

Quinn it to win it?

In 4 seasons as head coach of the Storm, Noelle Quinn has had a large spectrum of experiences. In 2021, she assumed management of the defending champs, solely to have the crew’s repeat hopes derailed by a late-season harm to Breanna Stewart. 2022 was the swan-song season for Sue Chicken, in addition to Stewart’s final 12 months in Seattle. Final season, with Chicken and Stewart departed, was a rebuilding one. And in 2024, the arrival of Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith introduced excessive expectations again to the crew.

These up and downs and twists and turns seemingly ought to situate Quinn in a stable place; as a result of she’s seen lots in her brief head teaching tenure, she’s ready to navigate any storms Seattle would possibly confront has they try for the franchise’s fifth championship.

But, with the WNBA’s rebuilding groups demonstrating impatience with head coaches for the reason that finish of the 2024 common season, it wouldn’t be stunning if Seattle, somewhat than seeing Quinn’s observe report as a optimistic, is enticed by change and what could possibly be. That Curt Miller is accessible is especially attention-grabbing. After taking part in beneath Miller throughout her last season in LA, would Ogwumike vouch for him as an improve? Miller, in fact, discovered success with one other veteran-laden, defense-first crew within the Connecticut Solar earlier than his two-season stint with the Sparks.

Is Gabby gone? What about Nneka?

Gabby Williams (refreshingly) refuses to sugarcoat issues with regards to the monetary inadequacies of the WNBA. Requested in her exit interview about her future within the league, she emphasised that the cash will matter. After noting that no participant has acquired the profitable compensation trumpeted by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Williams asserted:

So it’s nonetheless not sufficient for us worldwide gamers to wish to keep right here. And that’s a selection of the gamers. If I make a selection to make more cash, no matter, after which groups are mad that I don’t come again, however that’s how it’s.

The Storm will probably be ready on Williams’ determination. If she decides it’s value it for her to return to the W, the group must be keen to supply as beneficiant a contract as potential. An athletic, versatile two-way wing, Williams profiles as the right fifth starter alongside Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith, Loyd and Ezi Magbegor.

Seattle additionally has to hope that Ogwumike stays a part of that beginning core. Final offseason, she inked solely a one-year contract. After spending 12 season in Los Angeles, it could be stunning if Ogwumike sought one other new WNBA house after only a single season in Seattle. Nonetheless, the Storm shouldn’t be comfortable till she is beneath contract by the 2025 season.

Mercedes Russell, Sami Whitcomb, Victoria Vivians and Joyner Holmes are also unrestricted free brokers. Attempting to retain Russell on a worth contract must be a part of the Storm’s plans, though the 6-foot-6 backup middle would possibly attempt to discover a chance that gives extra taking part in time. In any other case, the Storm ought to look to benefit from a frothy free agent market as they purpose to construct up a extra dependable reserve unit for 2025.