The Seattle Storm have started the 2024 WNBA season with a 1-3 record. However, star player Nneka Ogwumike has a clear message for those worried about the slow start: patience is key.
With a challenging schedule that included three road games and a back-to-back set against Washington and New York, the team is still finding its footing.
“It takes time. People see a roster and expect success right away,” Ogwumike per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “We’ve played together officially for a week and unofficially for three. It just takes time.” Her absence due to an ankle injury in the last two games hasn't helped the team’s performance, but she is expected to return to the lineup soon, potentially as early as Wednesday when Seattle hosts Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn shares Ogwumike's sentiment, emphasizing the need for patience.
“I want to use the first 10 games as a sample size at least,” Quinn said before their loss to the New York Liberty on Monday night. “We’ve been battle-tested early. Been on the road early. The vets are here and it’s going to take some time.”
The Storm can take inspiration from the New York Liberty’s experience last season. The Liberty, after bringing in Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot, needed time to build chemistry but eventually reached the WNBA Finals.
“You have to have reference points,” Quinn said. “They are a different team than us, but the reference point is that it took them a little bit of time to pick up. But what New York did was find ways to win.”
Jewell Loyd optimistic about Storm's future after addition of Nneka Ogwumike, other star players
Jewell Loyd, a long-time fixture in Seattle’s lineup, previously on the team’s recent rebuilding phase during the off-seasonand expressed optimism for the future.
“I've been there 10 seasons, 10 years, and we had this phase of rebuilding and people leaving and there were a lot of questions, what do we do, do I stay, do I leave. I didn't feel like it was my time to leave that,” Loyd said.
The addition of All-Stars Skylar Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike has accelerated the Storm’s rebuild. Their aggressive moves in free agency underline the team's resolve to return to championship form. With a disappointing 11-29 record in the 2023 season, the additions of Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith signal a determined push to recapture the success that saw the Storm clinch WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020, and the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup.
Diggins-Smith, who missed last season due to maternity leave, is finding her footing again and is optimistic about the team's potential.
“I definitely don’t take it for granted,” she said. “It’s great to be back with this team and the support system they have.”
Her arrival in Seattle, bolstered by a strong connection with Loyd and a shared championship mindset, has injected optimism into the Storm's roster.
“I connected with one person very early in the process, and that was Jewell,” said Diggins-Smith previously.
The team’s dedication is evident in their opening of a dedicated WNBA practice facility, highlighting the franchise's commitment to providing the best for its athletes. As the Storm gear up for the rest of the season, the integration of these All-Star talents into the lineup holds immense promise. Loyd's enthusiasm for the season ahead is a beacon of hope for Seattle fans.
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