Storm Set for Season Opener

IMG Seattle Storm

SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm has completed its 2026 roster in preparation for Friday’s season opener against the Golden State Valkyries at Climate Pledge Arena, showcasing a promising young lineup that combines rising stars with seasoned players. 

Six players are returning from last year’s team, including Lexie Brown, Zia Cooke, Mackenzie Holmes, Ezi Magbegor, Dominique Malonga, and Katie Lou Samuelson. Brown, Cooke, and Holmes are entering their second season in Seattle, while Samuelson is back for her second year with the team after missing the 2025 season due to injury. Malonga is in her sophomore season following a record-breaking rookie year where she became the youngest player to achieve a double-double. Magbegor, a four-time WNBA All-Defensive selection, begins her seventh season with the Storm. They are joined by Jordan Horston, who returns to the lineup after missing last season due to an injury after her initial two years in Seattle. 

During the offseason, the Storm added three veteran players, including Stefanie Dolson, Natisha Hiedeman , and Jade Melbourne. Dolson, a 2021 WNBA champion, enters her 13th year in the league and joins the Storm after two seasons with the Washington Mystics, where she achieved a career-high 46.5% shooting from three-point range in 2024. Seven-year veteran Hiedeman signed with Seattle following a two-season stint with the Minnesota Lynx, where she recorded a career-high 49.2% field goal percentage in 2025. Melbourne, originally drafted by Seattle in 2022, returns to the Emerald City after spending two seasons with the Washington Mystics. The 2024 Olympic bronze medalist for Australia averaged a career-high 5.9 points per game in 2025. 

In this year’s WNBA draft, the Storm infused their roster with new young talent. Seattle selected 6-foot-4 center Awa Fam with the No. 3 overall pick and acquired No. 8 overall pick Flau’jae Johnson via trade. Seattle also added guard Taina Mair at No. 14 and forward Grace VanSlooten at No. 39.