Storm will look to Monday’s WNBA draft to restock roster after losing Stewart, Bird
It can be argued the Storm had no use for the WNBA draft after selecting Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart No. 1 overall in 2015 and 2016, which sparked one of the most fruitful periods in franchise history that netted seven straight playoff appearances, two league titles and a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship.
Seattle certainly found a couple of draft gems during that run who became an integral part of the rotation.
In 2018, the Storm used their No. 5 overall pick to select Jordin Canada, who filled a vital backup-guard role until last year when the team decided not to renew her contract.
And in 2019, Seattle plucked unheralded teenager Ezi Magbegor with the final pick in the first round — No. 12 overall — and after sitting out her first year the Australian center has blossomed into a promising prospect.
Not surprisingly, Magbegor and Loyd are the Storm’s only draft picks with WNBA experience on the squad, which brings Seattle to Monday’s all-important draft.
The Storm have four picks, including No. 9 overall, which isn’t a spot that routinely produces can’t-miss stars in a 12-team, 144-player league in which many first-round picks have difficulty making a roster.
Historically, six-time WNBA All-Star guard Dawn Staley is the most decorated player taken ninth in the draft in 1999.
Seattle struck gold with its No. 9 overall pick in 2000 that was used to select Czech center Kamila Vodichkova, who started 124 of 156 games while averaging eight points and five rebounds during a five-year stint that included a 2004 league title.
If the Storm find someone Monday who equals Vodichkova’s production, then it would be considered a massive success for a team that’s undergoing a major makeover.
Seattle tied for fourth in the WNBA standings last year at 22-14 but isn’t expected to compete for a championship after losing Stewart in free agency and Sue Bird to retirement.
“It’s going to be a very different Seattle team this year from the one we’ve grown to watch over the last 20 years,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said during a pre-draft teleconference. “No. 1 because Sue Bird is no longer there, but also Breanna Stewart changing teams and going to New York.
“Seattle is a team that you would think would be looking for depth at all positions. This is not … a post-heavy draft, but they can get good talent if they’re looking for shooters.”
Barring a trade, the Storm have no chance at selecting South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston or Maryland guard Diamond Miller, the presumptive No. 1 and 2 overall picks.
And Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist, who led the NCAA in scoring, is also expected to be off the board when Seattle picks.
It’s impossible to know who will be available when the Storm are on the clock, but most mock drafts say they’ll land a guard, with possibilities that include South Carolina’s Zia Cooke and Brea Beal, Indiana’s Grace Berger, Stanford’s Haley Jones, Iowa State’s Ashley Joens and LSU’s Alexis Morris.
“You’ve got some good shooters in this draft,” Lobo said. “Grace Berger, Zia Cooke. There’s a little bit more depth, especially when you’re looking at Seattle at No. 9 and 18 from the guard spot.
“So, that’s what I would expect them to be looking at. When you get to nine, it’s going to be best available (player) anyway and they certainly can use depth at every position.”
The Storm were relatively quiet during a blockbuster offseason highlighted by the New York Liberty landing former WNBA MVPs Jonquel Jones and Stewart along with guard Courtney Vandersloot to form what appears to be a super team capable of unseating defending champion Las Vegas, which added two-time MVP Candace Parker to a lineup that includes four All-Stars.
Meanwhile, Seattle re-signed Magbegor to a two-year, $314,650 deal, brought back guard Sami Whitcomb and picked up wing Kia Nurse; Whitcomb and Nurse both signed team-friendly, two-year contracts that pay each $142,500 this season.
The Storm filled out the rest of the roster with two unrestricted free agents on nonguaranteed contracts (Jasmine Walker and Theresa Plaisance), four training-camp invitees and Australian guard Jade Melbourne, who was taken in the third round of last year’s draft.
“I’m excited to have the group that we have (and) to put together a competitive roster,” coach Noelle Quinn said last week. “It’s a roster that has a lot of players who are yearning and itching for an opportunity. They’re professionals who work very hard and are playing exceptionally well overseas in their seasons.
“We have put together some good pieces and I’m super excited to get them here.”
Seattle designated Gabby Williams a restricted free agent and hoped she’d return after a breakout season in 2022, but it appears the versatile forward will sit out the season.
Currently, the Storm have five players with protected contracts — the WNBA limit is six — and they’re about $420,000 below the $1.4 million salary cap, according to Herhoopstats.com.
It’s unrealistic to think anyone the Storm picks in Monday’s WNBA draft will replace Stewart or Bird, but after essentially punting on the draft the past three years, Seattle desperately needs to find a player or two to help restock the roster.
ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson mentioned Berger and Cooke when asked which non-lottery picks can make an immediate impact.
Robinson said it’s important for teams picking low in the draft such as Seattle, which has three of the first 21 picks, to match their needs with a player’s skill set.
“That’s really what this draft is about; it’s getting to the right team and having an opportunity and what those team needs may be,” Robinson said. “There are a number of players across the board. It really is about fit and opportunity to come in and make a difference.”