Storm Just Drafted Three First-Round Picks For the First Time Ever, and This Is Only the Beginning

The Seattle Storm made franchise history Monday night, and it signals one thing: everything about this team is changing. General Manager Talisa Rhea called it a "reset," and she wasn't kidding. With three first-round selections for the first time ever, the Storm are tearing down what didn't work and building something completely different.

"We had two first round picks going into this draft and so we felt like it was a great time to just reset the foundation," Rhea said. The organization is hunting for versatility, speed, and defense first. Players who can do multiple things and actually buy into a team-first culture of development. That's the mission.

The Haul: Fam, Johnson, and a Bold Swap

With the No. 3 overall pick, Seattle grabbed 19-year-old Spanish center Awa Fam. Yeah, it looks weird on paper when you remember the Storm just signed Ezi Magbegor to a $3.75 million deal, the richest contract in WNBA history, and they're also invested in 20-year-old center Dominique Malonga. But this is about flexibility and depth at the most premium positions.

Then came the biggest move of the night. Seattle swapped their No. 16 pick and a 2028 second rounder to Golden State for the No. 8 overall pick. The Valkyries grabbed LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson and shipped her to Seattle, while the Storm selected TCU forward Marta Suarez and sent her to Golden State. It's the kind of collaboration that only works when two teams are aligned on what they want.

The first round closed with the Storm selecting Duke guard Taina Mair at No. 14, a pick that surprised some league observers. Grace VanSlooten, a forward from Michigan State, came aboard in the third round at No. 39.

New Coach, New Culture, New Everything

None of this happens without Sonia Raman, who just took over as head coach in her first WNBA draft role. "I couldn't be more happy with the way draft night went tonight for the Storm," she said. The alignment between Raman and Rhea is real, and they're partners in this vision.

Seattle finished 23-21 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. The top five scorers from that team, including four All-Stars, walked in free agency. It was a full dismantling, which means the 2026 Storm will look nothing like what came before.

Rhea plans to sign a handful of training camp contracts to round out the roster, which currently sits at 12 players. WNBA teams get up to 18 in camp. But basically, what you saw Monday night is the skeleton of this season. Now it's on Raman to build something worth watching.

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