Storm’s Rebuild Got Caitlin Clark’s Stamp of Approval After Loss to Fever
The Seattle Storm are just a few months into a rebuild, but the process is off to a good start. After Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes, and Erica Wheeler all left in free agency, the Storm embraced a rebuild around 20-year-old Dominique Malonga. They added Awa Fam with the third overall pick in this year’s draft and traded for Flau’jae Johnson.
Malonga and Fam were voted as the rookies who would be the best players in five years in the last two GM surveys. Both could be MVP candidates in just a few years. With a league-worst 6-21 record, Seattle is also on track to add another good pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
However, that record doesn’t reflect how close the team is in most games. Ten of the Storm’s 21 losses were decided by single digits, including a 110-107 loss to the Indiana Fever last night. The Fever built up a 17-point lead early, but the Storm battled back and gave Indiana everything it could handle. Seattle’s young core also impressed Caitlin Clark, who put up 45 points and 10 assists to seal the clutch win for the Fever.
“They’re good players, and they have a really good young core,” Clark said, per a recording of the postgame media availability on the Fever’s YouTube channel. “They’re going to be a team to watch in the next couple of years.”
Clark herself was never part of a long rebuilding process, but she was the missing piece for the Fever. After years of losing, the Fever landed back-to-back number one picks, went to the playoffs in Clark’s rookie season, and pushed the Las Vegas Aces to the brink in Game 5 of the semifinals last year, even though Clark was sidelined with an injury. Clark and Boston are one of the best 25-and-younger duos in the WNBA. Malonga and Fam, meanwhile, are the young duo with the most untapped potential.
The Storm’s young core showed up against Indiana
Dominique Malonga took full advantage of Boston’s absence. She scored 28 points on 13-22 shooting from the field and grabbed 14 rebounds. She also turned the ball over six times, but that is just part of the process when the best players on your team are rookies and second-year players in their early twenties.
Awa Fam was quiet in the first half, but hit four consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter to help the Storm complete their comeback. She also recorded 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Flau’jae Johnson did a bit of everything with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block.
Jade Melbourne may not be as established as a core piece as Malonga, Fam, and Johnson, but she also left her mark on the game, putting up 15 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 1 steal.
The future is bright in Seattle
27 games into the season, anyone who’s been paying any attention to the Storm or the WNBA as a whole knows that Seattle is building something special.
Fam and Malonga are just 20 years old, but already play like two of the most versatile frontcourt players in the W. Fam is knocking down 37.2% of her 4.1 3-point attempts per game, and Malonga’s length is difficult to contend with for most teams, especially paired with her still evolving skills as a driver and outside shooter.
Johnson, with her defensive energy and shot creation on the wing, is a nice complement to the two bigs, and the Storm will be able to get more perimeter help in a stacked 2027 WNBA Draft.
Seattle may not be a contender for several more years, but the team has one of the best young cores in the WNBA.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.