Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn will not return for the 2026 season, the organization announced on Sunday. Quinn’s departure comes after the Storm’s defeat to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs, with a score of 2-1. Quinn, 40, had a distinguished playing career in the WNBA from 2007 to 2018, including two stints with the Storm. She concluded her playing career with a WNBA championship in 2018, and then became an assistant coach to Dan Hughes in 2019. She took over as head coach at the start of the 2021 season, when Hughes resigned after six games for health reasons. Under her leadership, Quinn, the only African-American head coach in the WNBA, amassed a 97-89 regular season record and a 4-8 playoff record. The Storm were eliminated in the second round in 2021, in the semifinals in 2022, and in the first round in the last two seasons. They failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2023.
In the current season, the Storm recorded a 23-21 record, securing the seventh spot in the playoffs. After losing the first game 102-77 in Las Vegas, they achieved an 86-83 victory in the second game in Seattle. In the decisive third game in Las Vegas, they were close to defeating the Aces, but missed a shot in the final seconds, losing 74-73.“On behalf of our organization, I want to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm,” said General Manager Talisa Rhea. “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
Quinn’s tenure as head coach in Seattle had its highlights, such as the run to the semifinals in 2022, which marked the end of the legendary Storm point guard Sue Bird’s career. However, there were also challenges, including a dispute between Quinn and her staff, as well as with star player Jewell Loyd, which led to Loyd’s departure. Loyd accused the coaching staff of harassment. The Storm organization conducted an independent investigation into the allegations, which concluded in December without finding any violations. Subsequently, the Storm traded Loyd at her request, and she played last season with the Aces. After the Aces’ victory in Seattle on June 1, Loyd alleged that an assistant coach from the Storm had insulted her. The WNBA reviewed the complaint, but no disciplinary action was taken.“I am very proud of my team, of the growth they showed, of the resilience to be in this moment,” Quinn said after the game. “I really wanted this for this group, because they worked very hard. That’s the competitor I have inside. I played a lot of basketball, sometimes I wish I were there with them. This was a group that was very committed to each other and to what we wanted to do this year.”
Noelle Quinn
