Storm: Noelle Quinn Out, End of Cycle After Playoff Defeat

Noelle Quinn Will Not Continue as Seattle Storm Coach

Coach Noelle Quinn will not remain at the helm of the Seattle Storm for the 2026 season, the organization announced on Sunday. The decision comes after the Storm were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Las Vegas Aces, losing the series 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 by winning the WNBA championship with the Storm in 2018. Subsequently, she joined the coaching staff as an assistant to coach Dan Hughes in 2019. She took over as head coach at the start of the 2021 season, following Hughes’ resignation after six games due to health issues. 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.

“On behalf of our organization, I want to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm,” said Talisa Rhea, general manager, in a statement. “Her commitment to the continued success of our organization and to the development of our players was unparalleled. 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

This season, the Storm had a 23-21 record and earned the seventh seed in the playoffs. They lost the first game 102-77 in Las Vegas, but bounced back with an 86-83 win in the second game in Seattle. They had a chance to upset the Aces, the second seed, in the decisive third game in Las Vegas, but missed a shot in the final seconds, losing 74-73.

“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 wanted this very much for this group, because they worked very hard. That’s the competitor in me. 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

Quinn’s tenure as head coach in Seattle had its 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, there were also low points, including a dispute between Quinn and her staff, and star guard Jewell Loyd, which intensified last year and led to Loyd’s departure.