Sep 21, 2025, 03:58 PM ET
Three days after being eradicated within the first spherical of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, the Seattle Storm parted methods with coach Noelle Quinn.
With the Portland Hearth and Toronto Tempo becoming a member of subsequent season as growth groups, there at the moment are three teaching openings within the league for the 2026 season.
Final offseason, the league noticed a file seven teaching modifications — not together with the Golden State Valkyries hiring for his or her inaugural season.
ESPN will monitor the entire teaching hirings and firings, and supply evaluation, as they occur.
Former coach: Noelle Quinn (Sept. 21)
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Evaluation: Solely the Minnesota Lynx‘s Cheryl Reeve had longer tenure in a WNBA head coaching job than Quinn, who took over early in the 2021 season after Dan Hughes announced his immediate retirement. Quinn led the Storm to the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup title and 4 playoff appearances in 5 seasons, however Seattle fell wanting expectations after including Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike forward of the 2024 marketing campaign.
Per league sources and first reported by the Seattle Instances, Jewell Loyd requested the Storm to fireside Quinn after the crew’s 2024 first-round sweep in opposition to Las Vegas. Diggins and Ogwumike supported Quinn maintaining her job. After an investigation in response to Loyd’s allegations of bullying and harassment discovered no violations by the teaching employees, Loyd was traded to the Las Vegas Aces, who eradicated Seattle in a hard-fought three-game sequence on this yr’s first spherical of the playoffs.
Presuming the core of Diggins, Ogwumike and Gabby Williams returns in free company, the largest problem for Quinn’s substitute will probably be bettering the crew’s half-court offense. The Storm ranked tenth in factors per possession exterior of transition, per GeniusIQ monitoring. Along with a powerful group and amenities, Seattle can promote candidates on the promise of teaching No. 2 choose Dominique Malonga, who ranked fourth on ESPN’s rating of under-25 expertise as a 19-year-old rookie. — Kevin Pelton
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