Seattle Storm roster: Meet 2026 projected starting lineup and bench
Save this for the upcoming WNBA season because you're going to need it.
A reliable and informative roster is a Storm fan's most valuable resource considering the wholesale changes the team made in recent weeks.
Consider this, the Storm will unveil five new starters and an assortment of fresh faces when the regular season begins Friday night against the Golden State Valkyries at Climate Pledge Arena.
There's so much about the new-look hometown WNBA team - individually and collectively - that's unknown.
But don't fret, we've got you covered with a detailed breakdown that'll help you get to know the 12 players who comprise the 2026 Storm.
Jump to:
Projected starting lineup | Bench
------------
Projected starting lineup
------------
Natisha Hiedeman, G
Position: Guard
No.: 2
Age: 29
Height: 5-8
College: Marquette
Year: 8
How acquired: Free agent 2026
2026 salary: $750,000
Outlook: Finished second in the Sixth Player of the Year balloting last season while playing in all 44 games as a reserve for the Minnesota Lynx. Will likely begin the season in the starting lineup and is expected to run the offense. During her career, Hiedeman started two seasons (2022-23) with the Connecticut Sun and averaged 9.1 points. She's played in seven consecutive playoffs since her rookie year, and it will be interesting to see how she adjusts to leading a team that's predicted to finish near the bottom of the league.
Quotable: "I've been in a lot of different positions in my career, starting and coming off the bench and having to do this versus that. So, I feel like whatever my role is on the team, I'll really embrace it. I take pride in it. So, I'm pretty aware of what the coaches want from me and what the team needs from me. I'm ready to fully immerse in that." - Hiedeman on her role
Flau'jae Johnson, G
Position: Guard
No.: 4
Age: 22
Height: 5-10
College: LSU
Year: 1
How acquired: Drafted first round (8th overall) in 2026
2026 salary: $309,622
Outlook: Dynamic rookie guard with a megawatt personality who's become an instant fan favorite and has the top-selling jersey on the team. She's one of a handful early favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award because of her vast skill set and ability to score inside and on the perimeter. Her speed, athleticism and aggressiveness are traits that separate Johnson from everyone else. The only thing she's lacking is WNBA experience.
Quotable: "I just have to be myself. I feel like putting that pressure on me is just like, not what I really want to do because I know I come with a lot. I just want everybody to know that I'm here to do my job and I'm here to learn. But I feel like that just comes with it. I think it comes with the territory of the things that I do. But, I just try to carry myself with grace, and I feel like my only responsibility is to represent Seattle and represent the Storm to like the best way that I can." - Johnson on if she has to carry the Storm
Jordan Horston, F
Position: Forward
No.: 23
Age: 24
Height: 6-2
College: Tennessee
Year: 3
How acquired: Drafted first round (9th overall) in 2023
2026 salary: $332,278
Outlook: Horston hopes to be ready for Friday's regular-season opener after missing last season due to a left ACL injury that occurred Feb. 7, 2025 during an Athletes Unlimited game. Her last appearance in the WNBA was Sept. 24, 2024. That season Horston was a finalist for Sixth Player of the Year and Most Improved awards. She's a versatile defender who can lock down opposing players on the perimeter and in the post. Offensively, Horston is incredibly adept inside the arc where she shot 56.6% in 2024. Her perimeter scoring has been a weakness early in her WNBA career.
Quotable: "It's been an up and down journey, so I had to lean into my faith heavily. I really felt like He's lifted me up and He's made me stronger. I've gotten closer in my faith. I feel like a completely different person. I feel like everything is starting to click and starting to make sense. … What helped me through those times were just like leaning into my teammates, my family members, the people that love me unconditionally. They were there for me through it all. It was pretty hard. It got low at times, but I had the right support system around me that was able to pull me out of those tough times." - Horston on recovering from ACL injury
Ezi Magbegor, F/C
Position: Forward/Center
No.: 13
Age: 26
Height: 6-4
Country: Australia
Year: 7
How acquired: Drafted first round (12th overall) in 2019
2026 salary: $1.25 million
Outlook: Magbegor, who is the longest tenured Storm player, is the third highest paid player in WNBA history after receiving a three-year, $3.75 million contract in April. She'll miss at least the first month of the season because of a right foot injury that occurred while playing for Australia in the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. Magbegor set a Storm single-season record and finished first in the WNBA with 96 blocks last season while claiming her fourth All-Defensive team honors. Her scoring has dipped in each of the past two seasons from a career-high of 13.8 ppg. in 2023 when she claimed her only All-Star Game invitation.
Quotable: "Becoming more of an offensive player on this team, prior to the injury, obviously, I was playing in Unrivaled and that was a different experience as well. You're obviously forced to be an offensive threat and that was really exciting. And then playing on the (Australian) national team I felt good and confident. I just felt like offensively, I was kind of back to me a little bit. Although the injury is disappointing, I think that's something that I can kind of build off and just remember how I felt at that point prior to getting injured. Then just continuing to be a defensive threat and focus as well. I pride myself on being a defensive player, but I think I can get so much better, especially for this team and be a leader in that aspect as well." - Magbegor on her role
Dominique Malonga, C
Position: Center
No.: 14
Age: 20
Height: 6-6
Country: France
Year: 2
How acquired: Drafted first round (2nd overall) in 2025
2026 salary: $466,913
Outlook: No pressure, but the Storm need Malonga to mature into a superstar. It doesn't have to happen this year, but the sooner the better. At the very least, the front office and new coaching staff are hoping she improves upon a promising rookie year that included back-to-back performances of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Malonga acquitted herself well in two of three playoff games while notching a pair of double-doubles. Last year, she was surrounded by veteran All-Stars and her role shifts dramatically considering she's now one of the top offensive options on a young team. Fans are also anxiously waiting for her first WNBA dunk.
Quotable: "There is nothing crazy that is expected from me. They just expect me to be me. To bring what I know. To bring energy. To run the floor. To be versatile and play defense, basically just the basic thing. They don't ask me to be out of character. I know that the playing style that we have today, it's fast paced. It's positionless so I'll have the opportunity to be on different position on the floor and just be efficient in any position that I will be in. The word for this season is efficiency. That's what I want to be. So, I'm just literally working on my finishing, my shooting and all the stuff. Nothing really crazy, just me being me and bringing the energy all the time." - Malonga on her role
Bench
------------
Jade Melbourne, G
Position: Guard
No.: 5
Age: 23
Height: 5-10
Country: Australia
Year: 4
How acquired: Free agent 2026
2026 salary: $500,000
Outlook: Former third-round draft pick in 2022 by the Storm, who played one year in Seattle before being traded to the Washington Mystics in 2023. She's averaged 5.7 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 41.4% from the field and 30.5% on three-pointers the past two years while starting 12 of 43 games. Melbourne, who signed a one-year guaranteed deal, will likely provide relief at point guard.
Quotable: "I've just grown up a lot. I came to the Storm as a kid who was quick, had a basketball IQ and had a lot of energy for the game. Over three years, I'm still that, but I've developed live-game reads, a three-point jump shot that is continuing to be a work in progress. But I've also grown in the leadership area as well and kind of established myself as a player that can play the point guard in this league. … You can expect a different and exciting player from me. Still that sparkplug, still that person that gets up the floor, but just a smarter version. Someone that can really light up a game at some point, make some crafty plays, loves to get other teammates involved, and kind of bring that leadership aspect. Even though I'm young, I have experience in this league, and that's what I think the Storm fans can expect from me this year." - Melbourne on her role
Zia Cooke, G
Position: Guard
No.: 7
Age: 25
Height: 5-9
College: South Carolina
Year: 4
How acquired: Free agent 2026
2026 salary: $277,500
Outlook: Began the 2025 season with the Storm before being traded on Aug. 5 and returning two weeks later to finish the season in Seattle. In three WNBA seasons, including two with the Las Vegas Aces, Cooke has yet to fulfill her promise after being taken No. 10 overall in the 2023 WNBA draft. She had an outstanding season in Athletes Unlimited while averaging 16.1 points - fourth highest in the league - on 39.8% shooting in 24 games. During training camp, Cooke has been one of the biggest surprises. She tallied 19 and 12 points off the bench in two exhibitions and is second on the team with a 15.5 scoring average.
Quotable: "Honestly, it just reminded me of who I was and just not losing that. I played against a lot of great people. I played with a lot of great people. For example, Tina Charles. I was on her team. I played against her. It just felt good. Ariel Atkins, to be able to play against these people that are in the positions that I want to be in eventually and just see that I can perform at a high level against a lot of pro athletes. It just shows me that I'm not here for no reason." - Cooke on playing in Athletes Unlimited
Lexie Brown, G
Position: Guard
No.: 8
Age: 31
Height: 5-9
College: Duke
Year: 9
How acquired: Traded from Sparks in 2025
2026 salary: $277,500
Outlook: Brown averaged just 2.1 points and 9.5 minutes - her fewest since 2021 - in 2025. She was disgruntled about her reduced role during exit interviews last year, which prompted speculation that the two sides would consider a mutual separation despite a year remaining on her guaranteed contract. The coaching change may have benefited Brown who started both exhibitions and averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. In 2023, she averaged 12.4 points with the Los Angeles Sparks before being diagnosed with Crohn's disease and missing the second half of the season.
Quotable: "After last season, and how things ended and how things shook out in the offseason, I just felt like this was something that I wanted to be part of long term. Those are the conversations that we had in the offseason about moving forward with the team. Personally, I just want to get on the floor, and then just continue to pour into everybody that's here. We have a lot of new people to the organization and to the city of Seattle, so my role has kind of made a complete 180 as far as being one of the few players on this team that is familiar with the organization, with the city, and just making everybody feel comfortable. I think, my production on the court will come. Wins and losses are what it is, but I think for me, most importantly is building a new culture here." - Brown on returning to the Storm
Awa Fam, C
Position: Center
No.: 11
Age: 19
Height: 6-4
Country: Spain
Year: 1
How acquired: Drafted first round (3rd overall) in 2026
2026 salary: $436,016
Outlook: Fam missed training camp and two exhibitions while playing for Valencia Basket in Spain and it's unclear if she'll join the Storm for their regular-season opener. She's expected to remain with Valencia Basket until its season ends, which could delay her WNBA debut until mid-May. It's not an ideal situation for the coveted teenaged upstart who many league observers believe has the highest upside among rookies. She'll have to get adjusted to a new team, city and league on the fly while trying to find minutes in a crowded frontcourt. Only six international players have been taken higher than Fam in the WNBA draft, including former Storm star Lauren Jackson (No. 1 overall in 2001) and Dominique Malonga (No. 2 overall in 2025).
Quotable: "I think it's going to be easy. The big difference is maybe the physicality. In Europe, we didn't use so much and in the USA and in the W they already use so much of that. But I think it's not going to be difficult because it's the same players. A lot of players in Europe, they are playing in the WNBA. They are the same players. I know who they (are). I need to lock into what I need to do. Of course, I need to learn more about the league. I'm going to need help of course from my team and my coaches, but I think it's not going to be difficult because I think (the WNBA) is the same as the EuroLeague teams or the best teams in Europe." - Fam on adjusting to the WNBA
Stefanie Dolson, C
Position: Center
No.: 31
Age: 34
Height: 6-5
College: Connecticut
Year: 13
How acquired: Free agent 2026
2026 salary: $750,000
Outlook: Dolson, who was selected No. 6 overall in the 2014 WNBA draft, is one of six players still active from that draft class. The two-time All-Star (2015, '17) is the oldest and most experienced player on the roster. Only seven active players have appeared in more games than Dolson. She spent the past two seasons with the Washington Mystics, where she started 53 games before moving to the bench last year. The short-handed Storm will likely begin the season with Dolson in the starting lineup. She's expected to lead, mentor and ultimately support a promising young frontcourt.
Quotable: "I did this two years ago. Just to show like that I could still play. Last season in DC was tough. We had six post players in the beginning of the season. So, to come here and just be a vet, but with a young roster. I think just to go out be my vet self, but also still contribute. I don't mind or care about the minutes, I just want to have contribution to what I'm putting out there and I think I have that capability with this team." - Dolson on personal goals this season
Katie Lou Samuelson, F
Position: Forward
No.: 33
Age: 28
Height: 6-3
College: Connecticut
Year: 6
How acquired: Free agent 2026
2026 salary: $420,000
Outlook: Despite missing the 2023 season after giving birth to her first child and sitting out in 2025 following an ACL injury, the Storm gave Samuelson a two-year guaranteed deal in April. Her last WNBA appearance was Sept. 9, 2024 with the Indiana Fever. She had double-digit scoring games five times that season and had an effective field goal shooting percentage of 46.2%. Samuelson spent the 2021 season with the Storm and averaged 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while starting 24 of 27 games.
Quotable: "I'm just making progress every single day. I'm excited to just take it day by day and keep going. I feel really good. I'm playing live and doing stuff now more than I was before. So just continuing to progress each day. This season, specifically I think as a unit we're all just excited to kind of put our best selves forward and come together as a team and just see what we all can do as a unit and individually. I think everyone is kind of in a position where they're going to have opportunities this year, and people are going to have chances to step up. It's a really fun group. It's really eager group to learn and everyone has really great energy." - Samuelson on her expectations this season
Mackenzie Holmes, F
Position: Forward
No.: 54
Age: 25
Height: 6-3
College: Indiana
Year: 2
How acquired: Drafted third round (26th overall) in 2024
2026 salary: $277,500
Outlook: Holmes underwent knee surgery after being drafted and sat out the 2024 WNBA season. Last year, she signed a rookie contract with the Storm before being waived on May 12 because of salary cap restraints. Holmes rejoined the team on June 16 and finished the season with the Storm. She made just 10 appearances in 2025 not including a scoreless outing in the playoffs.
Quotable: "I have a full year of professional basketball under my belt, which is huge. Getting a season in Australia and then playing a month in China with some really good vets I think was really beneficial for me as far. As this year, I just want to continue to learn, continue to grow, but use everything I've learned this past offseason to try to propel me into this season. Just be solid and do whatever my team needs me to do, similar to last year. Just looking to be that person that can do anything for the team." - Holmes on expectations this season
Taina Mair, G
No.: 22
Position: Guard
Age: 22
Height: 5-9
College: Duke
Year: 1
How acquired: Drafted first round (14th overall) in 2026
2026 salary: $298,133
Outlook: Despite being an undersized point guard, Mair was an outstanding rebounder during her collegiate career. Her game is strikingly similar to her former Duke coach Kara Lawson, a standout playmaker who spent 14 seasons in the WNBA. Mair played her best in her final games for the Blue Devils. She had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in an 87-85 Sweet 16 win against LSU. Mair poured in 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals during a 70-58 loss to UCLA in the Elite 8. She's the highest-picked Duke player in the WNBA draft since Lexie Brown was taken No. 9 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2018.
Quotable: "In March, I had a really great (NCAA) tournament. I played against a lot of the top competitions and a lot of teams that had a lot of draftees. I think I played well against them, and I think that kind of showed my ability of what I could do at the top level against top competition." – Mair on how her NCAA tournament helped her draft stock
Grace VanSlooten, F
No.: 40
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Height: 6-3
College: Michigan State
Year: 1
How acquired: Drafted third round (39th overall) in 2026
2026 salary: $270,000
Outlook: A consistent and efficient low-post and mid-range scorer who was also a high-level rebounder during two-year stints at Oregon and Michigan State. VanSlooten can also create offensive plays for teammates and defensively she has enough size and plays with enough physicality to make plays. Her perimeter offense will need to improve. VanSlooten connected on just three of 32 shot outside the arc in college.
Quotable: "I'm hoping my motor. I like to run the floor and I think that's something that can translate from level to level. So, just keeping that high motor and never taking a play off." – Vanslooten on how her skillset translates to the WNBA
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 6:44 AM.