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The Seattle Storm entered the 2025 WNBA season with a mix of ambition and uncertainty. After parting ways with franchise cornerstone Jewell Loyd in a tumultuous offseason trade, the team retooled around veterans Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, while infusing youth through the draft with Dominique Malonga. With the league more competitive than ever, especially following the addition of the surprising Golden State Valkyries, the margin between a top playoff seed and an early exit has become razor-thin.
Seattle now shockingly sits in the seventh seed despite breaking a recent six-game skid with a revenge win over the Atlanta Dream, poised to make the playoffs but far from guaranteed to make a deep run. In this high-stakes environment, every decision counts. Let's take a look at the moves the Storm should make to secure their playoff spot and position themselves as a real postseason threat.
the defense by the seattle storm in these final 2+ minutes of this game, back to back to back TO BACK stops to keep themselves alive. defensive heart and hustle down to the final seconds, just beautiful hoops I am SO moved by. pic.twitter.com/Nz5Wz2weKe
— 🏀 (@useyourlegs) August 16, 2025
1. Fix off-court chemistry issues
After the offseason trade of Loyd, which shocked many fans, and reports of some locker room friction, the Storm’s internal dynamics have been a question mark. However, the team has quietly started to build a healthier culture, anchored by veteran leadership from Diggins and Ogwumike.
Continuing to foster communication, trust, and camaraderie is vital, not just for on-court performance but for playoff resilience. A unified locker room can turn the tide in close games. Team bonding activities, open dialogue, and accountability structures will all help reinforce a culture of championship-level focus.
2. Focus more on solid 3-point shooting
The Storm’s offense has had glimpses of being efficient at times this campaign, especially when stars like Diggins and Ogwumike are clicking. However, the team ranks in the bottom third of the league in 3-point attempts, despite being fifth in 3-point percentage.
Seattle needs to generate more clean, catch-and-shoot threes, particularly from perimeter threats like Brittney Sykes and versatile forwards like Gabby Williams. Diggins should be tasked with creating more drive-and-kick opportunities to increase volume from beyond the arc if she's not open to take those shots herself. A spacing-first mentality will be key to stretching defenses and opening up the paint for Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor.
3. Use Dominique Malonga more strategically
Malonga, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, brings a rare combination of size, agility, and face-up skill to the floor. She’s not ready to start heavy playoff minutes yet, but her minutes per game should be steadily ramped up to give Seattle an edge in both rim protection and energy.
The 19-year-old's ability to switch onto guards defensively and run the floor in transition gives the Storm the versatility they’ll need against elite competition. Head coach Noelle Quinn must resist her tendency to over-rely on veterans down the stretch and instead lean into Malonga’s high-upside minutes to add freshness and unpredictability to the rotation. Her presence could also be used to perfectly set the Storm up to meet the next point on this list.
4. Prioritize rebounding and getting extra possessions
The Storm are definitely built to rebound better than they currently do. Despite having elite frontcourt talent in Magbegor and Ogwumike, as well as strong wing rebounders like Williams, they rank middle of the pack in both offensive and defensive rebound percentage. This would need to change immediately if Seattle intends to hang on to its postseason berth.
By placing a greater emphasis on boxing out and crashing the glass, the Storm can generate more second-chance points and limit opposing runs. If Malonga, the promising rookie center, continues her development and gets more playing time, the team could form one of the most physically dominant rebounding tandems in the league. Seattle must play to this natural strength if it wants to win.
5. Recommit to the team's elite defensive identity
In past seasons, the Storm have led the league in defensive metrics like steals and deflections. That defensive DNA still exists on the roster, particularly with Gabby Williams, Magbegor, and Diggins all being capable defenders. However, recent games show a lapse in focus as rotations have gotten slower, defensive rebounding has been sloppy, and transition defense has cost the team easy buckets.
Reinstating a defensive-first mentality will not only reduce opponent scoring but also create the fast-break chances that Seattle thrives on. By tightening communication and switching schemes effectively, especially in pick-and-roll coverage, the Storm can regain their disruptive edge. Plus, an improved defense would create more turnover opportunities, which leads right into the next point.
6. Take advantage of turnovers with transition baskets
The Storm are at their best when they’re running. Their athletic wings and bigs excel in transition, but the team has too often settled into a half-court slugfest. Forcing turnovers on defense through traps, deflections, and physical perimeter pressure is something the team already does pretty well and can use to fuel its transition game. But so far, Seattle has been letting second-chance points slide too often in close contests when those missed points could be the difference between a win and yet another loss.
Diggins and Williams thrive in early offense scenarios, which is a skill that could translate well to the fastbreak. Emphasizing transition drills in practice, with outlet passes and rim-runs by the bigs, will enhance this dimension of the Storm's game. If Seattle can consistently generate 12-15 fast-break points per game, it could swing several tight matchups in their favor.
7. Tighten up the rotation with defined roles
As the 2025 WNBA regular season comes to a close, the coaching staff needs to identify a consistent rotation and stick to it. Seattle has tried several lineup combinations due to mid-season trades, injuries, and rookie integration, but now is the time for role clarity. Diggins is one of the main engines of the offense, and Ogwumike is the inside anchor, while Williams should continue to serve as the defensive glue.
The open question is who consistently fills the “sixth starter” role, which could easily fall to new trade deadline acquisition Sykes. Sykes has put up impressive individual numbers since joining the Storm, but her arrival has still made for a tricky adjustment as she tries to integrate her skills into Seattle's system.
8. Embrace the urgency
The last eight games of the regular season will determine everything for the Storm this year. They'll face everyone from playoff locks and bubble teams and need to aim for at least five wins in that stretch to solidify a seed and avoid being bumped out. To do that, the Storm must approach each game like it’s Game 7. Scouting must be sharp, effort must be consistent, and the team must start fast every game since early deficits have been a recurring issue. By locking in defensively in the first quarter and taking smarter shots, the Storm can take better control and dictate the tempo.
The Storm are in control of their own destiny, but that control comes with the pressure to execute the end of the season perfectly. With a strong mix of battle-tested veterans, high-upside rookies, and a head coach who’s shown the ability to adapt under pressure, the pieces are all there. But potential means little without results.
Over the next few weeks, Seattle must fine-tune its lineup, commit to rebounding and defense, generate more high-efficiency offense, and solidify a locker room culture capable of weathering adversity. If they succeed, the Storm won't just clinch a playoff spot — they could enter the postseason as one of the most dangerous, balanced teams in the WNBA. The window is still open, so now is the time to storm through it.
