Sonia Raman Takes Over the Storm: 'Play with Joy' Is the New Mandate

Seattle has a new coach on the sideline, and Sonia Raman wasted no time laying down what matters most. On the eve of Sunday's training camp opener, the first-year WNBA coach was clear about her priorities: "Compete, get better together and play with joy." That's the message for the entire season, and it starts now.

Raman's first official Storm practice was a quiet affair. Dressed in black with her arms folded, she stood mostly silent on the sideline with a pensive look while her staff led players through drills and scrimmages. She's not the rant-and-rave type, and she owns it. "I'm a teacher at the end of the day," she said. "I want to do what I can do to teach them to be their best on game day." Whether that means a whistle, stopping practice to explain something, or pouring confidence into her players, she'll do whatever the moment requires.

A Massive Reset for the Storm

This is a massive overhaul. Seven holdovers are back with a completely new coaching staff and 11 new players in camp. That's a lot of newness to manage in a short window. Over the next three weeks, Raman has to whittle the active roster down to 12 players, determine a starting lineup and rotation, establish an offensive pecking order, nail down a defensive philosophy, and build chemistry before the regular season opener on May 8. No pressure, right?

Seventh-year forward Ezi Magbegor spent five years under previous head coach Noelle Quinn and one year as her assistant. This is Magbegor's first year without Quinn at the helm. "It was great to be coached by Noey. She's a great coach," Magbegor said. "I think Sonia has come in and obviously she's built relationships in the offseason and just really prepped in her new role. It's been great in what she's been wanting to implement. Obviously, a different coach, but I think it's exciting."

The Holdovers Are Locked In

Third-year forward Jordan Horston, who sat out last season recovering from an ACL injury, returned to see a completely different roster. "In the WNBA, nothing is going to surprise me anymore," Horston said. "Just looking around, the group is different, but I loved seeing everybody was locked in and everybody was cheering for each other. It just seems like a great group. Everybody seems like they got their heads on right and ready to work. I feel like we can do something special."

Raman knows things won't be perfect today. But she's stacking days, building a foundation both on the court and in the locker room, and moving forward one play at a time. That's the Storm way now. May 8 arrives sooner than you think.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.