Seven WNBA franchises made head coaching changes last offseason, a record for the league that led to the busiest coaching hiring cycle. This year’s carousel is expected to be tamer, but on Sunday, the Seattle Storm announced the franchise is not renewing coach Noelle Quinn’s contract.
Quinn had been a coach with the Storm since 2019, progressing from an assistant to associate head coach in 2020, to head coach in 2021 after Dan Hughes retired during that season. Quinn also had played with the franchise in 2013 and 2016-18. She departs Seattle with the second-most wins in Storm history, and four postseason appearances in five years.
Despite her history with the organization and regular postseason trips, the Storm are moving in a different direction. This year’s team finished 23-21, and although they were seconds away from pulling off a first-round series upset over the Las Vegas Aces, they arguably underperformed considering their talented roster. A mid-season trade for All-Star guard Brittney Sykes seemed to suggest Seattle’s win-now intentions, but the Storm went just 7-7 with Sykes in the lineup and her minutes decreased in the playoffs.
By parting ways with Quinn, general manager Talisa Rhea will be orchestrating an offseason search for the first time. Here are four candidates who could replace Quinn:
This past season was Raman’s first in the WNBA. She played a key role in the Liberty’s offensive development as well as in special situations, such as late-game scenarios and after timeout sets). Both are areas in which the Storm have significant room for growth.
Despite a roster led by Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams, Seattle was No. 8 in offensive rating and struggled in late-game situations. Seattle went 14-15 in games that went into clutch time (games that had a score margin within five points in the final five minutes), with a minus-12 net rating in such moments, the second-lowest of any playoff team. The Storm could take a significant leap up the standings — they finished seventh this season — with even slight improvements in that area.
Raman, who has interviewed for other WNBA head coach openings, previously was MIT’s head coach from 2008-2020 and a Memphis Grizzlies assistant for three NBA seasons, where she was well-regarded among peers. Her ability to connect with players of different ages would also serve her well in Seattle — considering she would presumably be coaching veteran stars like Ogwumike and Diggins, as well as 19-year-old center Dominique Malonga, who is among the league’s brightest young stars.
January is finishing her first season as an assistant with the Fever, which is her third season on a WNBA coaching staff after retiring from playing. Around the league, executives view her as a future head coach, and she has already interviewed for other head coach jobs. Last winter, January added to her coaching resumè by joining Detroit Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate’s staff, which sharpened her skills. January plays the role of a defensive coordinator for the Fever, but she has a reputation for being a well-rounded coach.
January, 38, played 14 seasons and her experience has proven she can connect with players of all experience levels — something that would be important in Seattle, considering the roster makeup. This season, she received particular acclaim from Fever star Caitlin Clark as Clark rehabbed her groin injury.
Recent hires around the league have highlighted the importance of prior relationships between general managers and the coaches they hire. January finished her career in 2022 with the Storm, signing with them with Rhea as general manager. That tie could create an additional sense of comfort in any coach-GM partnership.
Speaking of familiarity, few, if any, potential candidates have as much familiarity with the organization as Wright. The former Atlanta Dream head coach played 10 seasons (2005-2014) for the Storm, making five All-Defensive teams and winning the 2010 championship. Wright, who spent the past season with the Sky, led the Dream as coach for three seasons (2022-2024) with playoff appearances in her final two years. Still, Atlanta never won a postseason game in her tenure and the Dream especially struggled on offense.
The Dream’s past offensive limitations might diminish Wright’s candidacy in Seattle, but among current WNBA assistants with past WNBA head coach experience, she seems well positioned to at least receive interviews for this job. If Rhea and Storm ownership want to hire a former player with prior head coaching experience, Wright should be on their short list.
After a decorated playing career, in which she won five WNBA championships and made five All-Star teams, Brunson joined the Minnesota Lynx coaching staff in 2020 as an assistant. Since then, she has been a key resource in the development of Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith. Those experiences seemingly position her well to work with Malonga, and Brunson has previously said that player development is one of her favorite parts of coaching. Seattle’s roster will eventually turn over, adtnd having someone with player development experience would be critical in the continued growth of the franchise.
In working with the Lynx, Brunson has had the opportunity to pick the brains of a number of former head coaches — Katie Smith, Eric Thibault and Lindsay Whalen, among others. That information sharing and network of experienced coaches should help her in a transition to the lead chair.
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