Nine Straight Losses, But Two Young Storm Players Give Emerald City Hope

Okay, Seattle, we need to talk. This 2026 WNBA season? It ain't what any of us envisioned for our Seattle Storm. We're staring down the barrel of a *nine-game losing streak*, and let's be real, a 3-13 record just isn't cutting it. It's tough to watch, and frankly, it's gut-wrenching when you bleed green and blue like we do. Natisha Hiedeman summed it up perfectly after our last loss, saying the team is absolutely filled with frustration, and all these losses are just sapping their spirit. It's palpable from the stands, too.

The Hard Truth and The "What If"

Remember all that chatter before the season kicked off? Some of us, including Edwin Garcia, were wondering if the franchise was making a huge mistake. Should we have prioritized re-signing veterans like Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams? Or was jumping headfirst into a rebuild, like Zack Ward argued, the right move? A lot of us, myself included, were hyped about the 2026 WNBA Draft picks and the bright future for the Storm. We wanted to believe the young talent was our path forward. Right now, though, with us at 3-13 and only two wins against the Connecticut Sun (the only team below us in the standings), Edwin's "what if" is hitting a little too close to home. The offense, especially, is a total struggle, and it's making every game an uphill battle. This Saturday, against the Phoenix Mercury, we're looking at avoiding a franchise-record matching 10-game losing streak. Oof.

Young Guns Flashing Potential Amidst the Pain

But here's where it gets interesting, Seattle. While the losses are piling up, there's a flicker

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, a tiny spark, that keeps us hopeful. Despite all the frustration, the margin of defeat for our Storm isn't actually increasing. In fact, our last three losses have all been by single digits. That's gotta mean something, right? It means we're *close*. More importantly, two of our future foundations, Dominique Malonga and Flau’jae Johnson, have consistently been our most positive players on the court. Malonga, especially, across her eight games, has a plus/minus that's just barely negative. She even just had her best game of the season, scoring a career-high! These young players are showing up, making plays, and giving us something real to cheer for, even when the scoreboard isn't on our side. While the Mercury, who are also struggling and on a six-game skid, are feeling disappointment because they still thought they were contenders, our Storm, for all their growing pains, are building something. Phoenix retained Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper, thinking they’d follow up their 2025 WNBA Finals trip with another strong season, but that opening-day rout of the Las Vegas Aces turned out to be a total desert mirage. They've only won three more games since, and none against winning teams. Their defense, according to Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, isn't enough. Our frustration, even with a rebuild, feels different. This Saturday, 3 p.m. ET on ABC, the Storm visit Phoenix, and both teams are desperate. We're fighting to snap that brutal losing streak and avoid a new low. What's at stake is more than just a win, it's a chance for our young core to keep building confidence, to show that this rebuild, however painful it is right now, has a real future. Let's get loud for our Storm, Emerald City!

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