This afternoon, the Seattle Storm announced the hiring of Michigan women’s basketball general manager and assistant coach Natalie Achonwa to complete their coaching staff for the 2026 WNBA season. She will complete the 2025-26 season before joining the Storm, which also drafted former Michigan guard Jordan Hobbs in 2025.
Achonwa is currently in her second season as a coach for the Wolverines after serving as the assistant coach for player development in her first season. She also served as an assistant coach for the U19
Canada World Cup team in 2025, in which she also coached sophomore guards Syla Swords and Mila Holloway. She has helped Michigan to a 22-4 overall record this season, including a 13-2 Big Ten record and the current No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll, one of the highest in program history.
She is a four-time Olympian for Canada from 2012-2024 and played nine seasons in the WNBA. Achonwa was drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in 2014 and went on to play for the Minnesota Lynx during her career as well.
Achonwa was also the inaugural recipient in the fall of 2024 for the Alex Morgan Foundation’s “Coaching Moms Initiative” to support high-potential college coaches. The grant supports coaches by providing childcare funding assistance, as Achonwa is a working mom.
Achonwa was hired alongside Jarell Christian and Michael Joiner as part of first-year head coach Sonia Raman’s staff as she leads the team after being hired in November.
