Coach Noelle Quinn will not continue as head coach of the Seattle Storm in the 2026 season, the organization announced on Sunday. The Storm fell 2-1 to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs, a series that concluded last Thursday. Quinn, 40, played in the WNBA from 2007 to 2018, including two stints with the Storm. She finished her playing career with a WNBA championship with the Storm in 2018, and then became an assistant to coach Dan Hughes in 2019. She took over as head coach at the beginning of the 2021 season, when Hughes resigned after six games for health reasons. Quinn, the only African-American head coach in the WNBA, finished with a 97-89 regular season record and 4-8 in the playoffs. The Storm lost in the second round in 2021, in the semifinals in 2022, and in the first round in the last two seasons. They did not qualify for the playoffs in 2023.
The Storm had a 23-21 record this season and earned the number 7 seed in the playoffs. They lost their first game 102-77 in Las Vegas, but bounced back with an 86-83 win in Game 2 in Seattle. They had a chance to upset the number 2 seeded Aces in the deciding Game 3 in Las Vegas, but missed a shot in the final seconds and lost 74-73.On behalf of our organization, I would like to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm. Her commitment to the continued success of our organization and to the development of our players was unsurpassed. She put us in a position to win at the highest level of the game and for that, we are grateful.
Talisa Rhea, General Manager
Quinn’s time as head coach in Seattle had high points, such as the run to the semifinals in 2022, which marked the end of the career of the legendary Storm point guard, Sue Bird. However, the low points included a dispute between Quinn and her staff, and the outstanding guard Jewell Loyd, which erupted last year and led to Loyd’s departure. Loyd alleged harassment and bullying by the Storm’s coaching staff. The Storm organization conducted an independent investigation into the allegations, which concluded in December, without finding any violations. Then, the Storm transferred Loyd at her request, and this season she played with the Aces. After the Aces’ victory in Seattle on June 1, Loyd alleged that an assistant coach from the Storm insulted her. The WNBA reviewed the complaint, but no disciplinary action was taken.I am super proud of my team, of the growth they showed, of the resilience to be in this moment. I wanted it so much for this group, because they worked very hard. That’s the competitor in me. I played so much basketball, sometimes I wish I were there with them. This was a group that was so committed to each other and to what we wanted to do this year.
Noelle Quinn
