The Seattle Storm’s season closed in a single possession. In a decisive Game 3 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, the Las Vegas Aces edged the Storm 74-73 when Jackie Young converted a go-ahead putback with 12.4 seconds left.
The three-game first-round series ended 2-1 in Las Vegas after Seattle had split the first two games.
Days after the loss, the Storm announced that they had not only let go of coach Noelle Quinn, but her entire coaching staff, per WNBA reporter Roberta F. Rodrigues.
“On behalf of our organization, I would like to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm. Her commitment to the ongoing success of our organization and to furthering the development of our players was second to none,” Storm GM Talisa Rhea said in a statement.
The move follows Seattle’s second consecutive opening-round playoff exit (both to the Aces) and capped a season that saw the Storm slip to a 23–21 record after winning nine of their first 14 games to start the year.
While Quinn’s tenure included a semifinal run in 2022 and successful player development, the Storm never recaptured the championship form last seen in 2020.
What’s most surprising, however, is that all assistants and development coaches will also depart alongside Quinn, signaling a full-on reset.
This mass coaching turnover comes almost one year after the Storm faced multiple player complaints about a “toxic” coaching culture, with the team hiring an outside firm to investigate.
Last winter, All-Star Jewell Loyd requested a trade after filing complaints; an independent probe reported no violations and Loyd was moved to Las Vegas in a three-team deal.
The WNBA separately reviewed a June complaint about an alleged profanity incident and declined to open a formal investigation.
Those off-court storylines (and the resulting roster churn) likely played a role in the Storm opting to seek an entirely fresh start.