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New York Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
WNBA not investigating Storm coaching staff after cursing claim
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW WASHINGTON — A report that the WNBA has launched an investigation into the Storm coaching staff is inaccurate, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Post on Wednesday. The source explained that a complaint was filed to the league after a Storm assistant cursed at an Aces player in the postgame handshake line following Las Vegas' 75-70 win in Seattle on Sunday. Advertisement The league reviewed the allegation, but nothing more seemingly came of it. To call the exploration into the query an investigation is an 'overstatement,' according to the source. This season marks Noelle Quinn's fourth season as Seattle's head coach. She's led the Storm to a 4-4 record this season and is 62-62 with two postseason berths. But Wednesday's news was the second conflict to saddle Quinn's staff in less than seven months. The Chicago Sun-Times reported in November that the Storm hired a third-party firm to investigate allegations of player mistreatment by the coaching staff. Jewell Loyd was outed as the center of those allegations. Advertisement Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn coaching during a game. Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Less than a month later, the investigation into alleged harassment and bullying concluded with no violations found, and Loyd requested a trade from the Storm. She was dealt to the Aces as part of a three-team trade that sent Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles and the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft to Seattle. The source stressed Wednesday's report had nothing to do with the Storm's initial investigation. Advertisement A request for comment from Loyd through the Aces wasn't immediately returned. The Storm didn't immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. After leading the Liberty to a 7-0 start, Sandy Brondello was named Coach of the Month for May, the WNBA announced Wednesday. Advertisement In six games, the Liberty posted a league-best 90.5 points and 24.5 assists per game. They also set a regular-season league record when they made 19 3-pointers against the Sky. New York's net rating of 19.1 puts it at the top of the league, too. Brondello said the monthly honor is as much a reflection of her and her coaching staff as it is the players executing the game plan. 'It's a testament to all of us really,' Brondello said. 'We're 7-0, we're happy with where we're at, but we know what we got, still got room for improvement and got to keep growing.' Nyara Sabally of the Liberty is fouled by the Chicago Sky's Elizabeth Williams. Getty Images Nyara Sabally, who's missed five straight games, is listed as questionable for Thursday's game at the Mystics. Sabally participated in at least some of Wednesday's practice, and Brondello said the third-year center has been 'building up' for her return. 'It's more, like, making sure Nyara feels good. That's important for us,' Brondello said. 'She's getting more confident in the knee and then … it's reloading her now and then being smart about that. And we'll take information from the performance staff.' Advertisement Sabally surely would add another layer to an already dynamic Liberty offense with her rolling abilities and post-up skills. But the Liberty are playing the long game with Sabally, making sure she's available when the team needs her most. 'We're cautious, [and] we're making sure she's good to go,' Brondello said. 'We're winning, so we don't need to bring her back early. Let's think big picture [with] her and make her feel confident in what she's done because she's so critical.'
Reuters
6 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Reports: League reviewed, not investigating complaint against Storm assistant
June 4 - The WNBA reviewed a complaint by the Las Vegas Aces' Jewell Loyd that a Seattle Storm assistant coach cursed at her during a game this season, but the league is not moving forward with a formal investigation, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. Loyd is a former All-Star star guard for the Storm, which lost to the visiting Aces 75-70 on Sunday. Seattle also hosted Las Vegas on May 25 and won 102-82. After last season, Loyd accused Storm coach Noelle Quinn and her staff of bullying and harassment regarding player performance, according to reports. After an independent investigator hired by the Storm didn't find evidence to support the complaint in December, Loyd requested a trade. The Storm moved her to Las Vegas as part of a three-team trade on Feb. 1. She averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals last season. She is averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in six games (all starts) for the Aces. For her career, Loyd averages 16.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Loyd, 31, is a six-time All-Star, the 2015 Rookie of the Year and a two-time league champion with the Storm (2018, 2022). She was voted All-WNBA in 2016, 2021 and 2023. --Field Level Media
Fox News
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Storm assistant's alleged use of profanity toward former player prompts WNBA review: report
The Seattle Storm are facing scrutiny again after reports Wednesday indicated the WNBA has launched an investigation into the team's coaching staff. The team was previously the subject of a separate internal investigation in December. WNBA reporter Khristina Williams reported Wednesday that sources said the league and league security have launched a probe into the team's coaching staff. Williams later added a source said the investigation was linked to a former player. According to Williams, the complaint accused an assistant coach of directing profanity at that unnamed player. But Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported a source with direct knowledge called the inital reports "inaccurate." Costabile reported that an allegation of a team assistant cursing at a former player after Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Aces was made, and the league reviewed the complaint. The Seattle Storm directed inquiries to the league when reached for comment. The WNBA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The Storm hired outside counsel last year to investigate allegations of bullying and harassment by the coaching staff. The probe concluded that there were no violations of workplace misconduct. "I believe that the organization did the right thing," Storm coach Noelle Quinn said in February. "Throughout this entire process, the communication level was tremendously high. I felt supported in a lot of ways, and I know my staff felt supported as well. With anything like this, it is important to take the right steps, and our organization did that." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins at forefront of next era for Seattle Storm
SEATTLE (AP) — Shortly before the Seattle Storm broke for training camp, veteran guard Skylar Diggins exuded some bravado when assessing the franchise's roster ahead of the 2025 WNBA season. 'Hell yeah I feel confident! Did you see our roster?' Diggins said. 'But no, this is definitely the most talented roster I've been a part of in my 13 years, 11 on the court.' As Diggins, 34, astutely noted, she's been around the block. The six-time All-Star has laced her sneakers up for some stellar teams, and the Storm have the makings of being one, too. Seattle is off to a 3-2 start, which includes a commanding 20-point victory over the Las Vegas Aces. 'It's a great combination of players,' Diggins said. 'Everybody knows what they're good at. Our spacing has been great. People have been picking up really quickly on things.' Suffice to say, year two of Diggins partnering with fellow superstar Nneka Ogwumike and playing under coach Noelle Quinn has gone well so far. The first year of that power dynamic wasn't too shabby, either; Diggins assisted on a Storm franchise-record 570 points, and Seattle qualified for the playoffs after missing them entirely and going 11-29 in 2023. Still, the Storm were bounced by the Aces in the first round, leaving significant room for improvement in 2025. Ogwumike, 34, who inked another one-year deal in February, feels increasingly comfortable in Seattle. She also believes the duo of her and Diggins can shepherd the Storm – which has won four WNBA championships – back to its previous heights. 'I think we can take it pretty far, especially because not only are we both here again, but we were both here for the first time last year,' Ogwumike said. 'So, we have a very shared experience and kind of memory of what we did last year and how we want to build off of it.' Diggins and Ogwumike have known one another for two decades, but were exclusively opponents rather than teammates prior to last year. They combined to average 31.8 points per game last season, a collective total that very well could increase considering longtime guard Jewell Loyd was traded to the Aces this offseason. So far, Diggins and Ogwumike have combined to average 37.4 points per game. Unsurprisingly, their comfort in Quinn's offensive system only increases by the day. 'It's easy playing with good players,' Diggins said. 'A lot of us are very confident in who we are as basketball players and what we can do. And so, we kind of learn how we can complement each other and use each other to get what we want.' In many ways, these two WNBA staples represent the next era of Storm basketball, and that particularly became the case when Loyd was traded to the Aces in January following some turmoil. Loyd, though, was part of each of the past two Storm championship teams in 2018 and 2020 that were paced in large part by Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Sure, there's a different core in the Emerald City these days, but there are some familiar faces from that string of success as well. Forward Alysha Clark is back in Seattle after five years away, and fellow forward Ezi Magbegor has only taken on a more prominent role since she was drafted in 2019. Adding 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga and her 6-foot-6 frame to the mix doesn't hurt matters, either, though she's been slowly brought along in the early stages of the season. 'What really sealed the deal for what could potentially be a new era was (Malonga) getting drafted here,' Ogwumike said. 'So, being able to be a part of a little bit of the history, but also the future too.' As Diggins pointed out, there's a solid mix of both accomplished and young WNBA players on the scene in Seattle. But the buck stops with both her and Ogwumike, the latter of whom was a WNBA champion in 2016 with the Los Angeles Sparks. Diggins, meanwhile, is still seeking her first title — and joined the Storm in large part two winters ago because of her belief in the franchise's capabilities. 'It's always been a great landing spot for free agents and winning basketball,' Diggins said. 'We just want to continue to build off our plus-14 win (improvement) season last year that we did and just continue to position us where we want to be, and that's contending for a championship.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA's Gabby Williams Makes Big Announcement on Sunday
The WNBA is nearly set to tip off its 2025 season, and teams across the league are finalizing their rosters as they prepare for the 40-game regular season. As rosters continue to take shape, player movement remains active. Some athletes are choosing to play overseas or elsewhere, while others are being released as teams make tough decisions. Advertisement On Sunday, news broke regarding a former WNBA standout who appears to be scaling back her basketball commitments to focus on her team. Underdog WNBA reported that former Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams will not participate in EuroBasket this summer. "Gabby Williams said she won't participate in EuroBasket this summer," the post read. Williams has played 147 games in her WNBA career. Over the past three seasons with Seattle, she appeared in 58 games. Last season, she played in only 12 contests but averaged an impressive 29 minutes per game, scoring 10.3 points per outing. When she re-signed with the Storm in February, head coach Noelle Quinn expressed high praise for the versatile forward. Advertisement "We're excited to have Gabby back with us in Seattle this season,' said Storm head coach Noelle Quinn. 'Gabby is such a versatile player who is dangerous both on the offensive and defensive end. She's a student of the game and is constantly striving for excellence, which showed during her stellar Olympic performance last summer. I know her contributions this year are going to be game-changing for our team.' Before joining the Storm in 2022, Williams was a key member of France's national team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her commitment to the Olympic squad prevented her from participating in the Chicago Sky's training camp that season. This was her announcement from her personal social media: Gabby Williams, Williams, Instagram She also competed in the 2024 Olympics with Team France, helping her squad earn a silver medal. Williams averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game during the tournament. Advertisement The EuroBasket competition tips off June 18 with group play, but Williams appears focused on preparing for the WNBA season instead. Related: Seattle Storm 2025 WNBA Season Preview
