The Seattle Storm had a quiet WNBA season this year. Thus, in order to up the ante, the team wanted to inject some quality into the side. And ahead of the 2026 WNBA draft, the Storm has successfully done the same.
In a recent announcement, the Storm announced Sonia Raman as their new head coach. And with it, they made history. Raman, who worked as the assistant coach for the New York Liberty, became the very first Indian-origin coach in the WNBA.
Surely, after the announcement was made, fans and critics heaped praises on the team. And while things are seemingly looking bright, there are certain problems that WNBA analyst Sophia Jones wanted to share.
How Will Seattle Storm Address Their Depth Issue Under Sonia Ramam?
There is no doubt that in Raman, the Storm has landed an able head coach. Speaking of her coaching CV, the 51-year-old coached MIT for 12 years. Her incredible coaching style also made her clinch the honor of being the winningest coach of the program.
Yet, despite the glitz and glamor, Raman will have to address some complex situations. The team only has two rookie players under contract. This means that Storm might lose players like Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Brittney Sykes to free agency.
Speaking about the Storm’s problems, WNBA analyst Sophia Jones stated that Seattle’s roster lacked depth this year. Thus, it will be quite a tough challenge for Raman to find the right balance.
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“I mean, I think in comparison to the other teams that we’ve covered so far, Seattle definitely does have the most unrestricted free agents. And I mean, one through six, six being the six woman that comes off the bench and Erica Wheeler, all unrestricted free agents for Seattle. One thing that was very apparent to me with them last season was they didn’t have a ton of depth,” said Jones.
Meanwhile, as the team will be going through a transition, Dominique Malonga might be Seattle’s answer to glory.
Will Dominique Malonga Lead Seattle Storm To Glory?
Dominique Malonga has been one of the most promising players for the Storm. Unfortunately, Malonga is currently facing legal charges from Fenerbahce. However, despite all the uncertainties, it looks like their ploy of trying to build around Malonga will pay off.
Storm had a lottery pick last time as they moved the likes of Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd to make way for Malonga. And this year, too, Seattle has earned itself a lottery pick yet again.
Now, with the likes of Olivia Miles available, the Storm side can put up a dream lineup. However, even without Miles, Seattle can certainly draft Azzi Fudd or Flau’jae Johnson to bolster their roster.