A Category 4 Storm is incoming.
During the 2026 WNBA offseason, the Seattle Storm fully pivoted into a new era, one filled with promise for the Pacific Northwest faithful—and potential peril for the rest of the WNBA.
Rather re-signing veterans, Seattle committed to a Dominique Malonga timeline, orienting the organization’s priorities around the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft who, even in a limited role in her rookie season, proved she had superstar upside.
In the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Storm secured two more prospects with similarly bright outlooks: Awa Fam with the No. 3 overall pick and Flau’jae Johnson at No. 8 overall. As Zack Ward already articulated, the duo made the Storm draft night winners.
However, the Storm aren’t instantly overburdening the Dom-Awa-Flau trio.
Under first-year head coach Sonia Raman, the team has constructed a roster that will support their development, without limiting their potential. Although sidelined with an injury to start the season, Ezi Magbegor is back, ready to provide All-Defense caliber impact when she returns to the court. New addition Stef Dolson can space the floor as a stretch big, while also offering championship-winning experience. Natisha Hiedeman has both on- and off-ball backcourt experience, in addition to elite vibes.
Plus, a few more still-young hidden gems could find their WNBA footing with the Raman-led Storm. In preseason, Zia Cooke scored in bunches, suggesting she could emerge as a high-volume 3-point shooter. Jordan Horston, back in action after missing all of last season with an injury, has debuted a refined stroke. With improved fitness and expanded shot, Mackenzie Holmes appears prepared to contribute.
Still, as the Storm are not prioritizing a postseason push, whether or not this season is a success comes down to what Malonga, Fam and Johnson show. Fortunately, there’s reason to be confident that all three are the real deal, ready to prove that, maybe sooner than later, they might be running the WNBA.
Storm fans, jump in the comments and let us know how you’re feeling about the team’s direction, both starting now and into the future.
It’s time for Dominique Malonga to tap into her dominance
Year 2 expectations are high for Malonga.
In the WNBA’s survey of the league’s general managers, she was voted as the player most likely to have a breakout season. Some GMs suggested she’s already the best international player in the W; others chose her as the player they would want to sign if they were starting a new franchise.
The reasons for such endorsements are obvious. She moves effortlessly around the floor at 6-foot-6, equally capable of swatting a shot, throwing down a dunk or swishing a 3.
The key for Malonga to realize all her possibilities is consistency. As rookie, she had not quite developed the disposition to dominate. For all her gifts, she too often would fade, not impacting the action on an every-play basis. Some of that was due to fitness and physicality issues. She was a teenager in a league of grown women. It’s understandable that she did not arrive with the requisite strength and conditioning to battle through a 44-game season.
Now, with a year of experience under her belt, Malonga should be more mentally and physically ready for the rigors of the W. And if she is, it could start to get threatening real quick for the rest of the league.
Awa Fam is unafraid to show she’s going to be great in the WNBA
While Malonga debuted in the WNBA with a shy and smiley mien, often giving off a happy-to-be-here vibe, Fam projects a precocious confidence. She knows she belongs—and she’s determined to prove it.
That, at least, was how Fam carried herself when Spain matched up with Team USA at the Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico in March. Against an American team stacked with WNBA talent, Fam didn’t flinch. In 19 minutes, she scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, while also grabbing five boards and earning a pair of steals.
Considering she is still competing for Valencia Basket in Spain and will have a delayed start to her rookie season, that self assurance should serve her well, suggesting she’ll be ready to roll, despite the absence of a preseason adjustment period. And her confidence is well earned, as Fam posses a strength and physicality rare for a teenager. Yes, like any rookie, she might struggle. But, she’s not going to be overwhelmed.
Quite possibly, she and Malonga can quickly form a thunder-and-lightning frontcout for the Storm, with their strengths complementing each other in ways that almost instantly will prove ominous for opponents.
Flau’jae is in position to play her best-ever basketball in Seattle
As a fan, almost nothing feels better that a young player playing well right away—except when that young player who is playing well is doing so after another team basically said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Then, it’s even better!
So far, Flau’jae is inspiring nothing but regret for the Golden State Valkyries, while inducing rejoicing from the Storm. (And, these feelings could become even stronger on opening night, when the Storm host the Valkyries.)
And really, it shouldn’t be surprising.
It was easy to imagine that Johnson, an accomplished collegiate star, would be even better in the WNBA. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey isn’t exactly known for modern offensive schemes that prioritize floor spacing. Johnson, as such, was forced to display her flashes of offensive stardom in less-than-ideal circumstances across her LSU career.
The Storm, in contrast, can better situate Flau’jae to succeed as a three-level scorer. She’ll have more space to use her quickness to slice to basket or get into the midragne and rise for a jumper. Plus, she’ll be encouraged to shoot more 3s. She demonstrated all that, and more, in two preseason games, averaging 16 points in 21 minutes as she shot better than 44 percent from 3.
On the other end, Johnson should be empowered as a defensive playmaker, with her gambles for steals and deflections protected by a backline that will feature some combination of Malonga, Fam and Magbegor. In preseason, she secured a steal in both games.
No wonder Flau’jae is thrilled be in Seattle. She’s in great on-court, and off-court, environments that should allow her to show off the best version of her basketball self.
