SEATTLE — Coming off a season in which the Seattle Storm had the second-worst record in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the franchise had two selections in the 2024 draft to retool its roster for the upcoming season.
Here's who the Storm selected in this year's draft on Monday evening.
Round 2, Pick 14: Nika Muhl, guard, UConn
With the Storm's first selection in the draft, the franchise drafted a point guard from the University of Connecticut.
Sound familiar?
In 2023, Muhl broke Storm legend Sue Bird's all-time assist record at Connecticut with 686 assists. Muh's 284 assists in the 2022-23 season set another all-time record for a single season.
"It's huge shoes to fill in," Muhl told ESPN after she was drafted by the Storm.
The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year brings versatility and poise to a Storm team that needs guards to set the tempo and initiate offense.
"I feel I was lucky enough and I had the privilege to have amazing people around me - my sister, my family, all the people watching from home, the people at my table, the people in the audience," Muhl said in an ESPN interview during the draft. "That's my family for life."
ESPN rated Muhl as the second-best point guard in this draft class and the eighth-best prospect overall.
Round 3, Pick 26: Mackenzie Holmes, forward, Indiana
Holmes won't be a part of the Storm's plans in 2024 because the 6-foot-3 forward underwent surgery to address a "recurring issue" in her knee.
"I pray a team honors me with a selection knowing I will be ready for the start of the 2025 training camp," Holmes said in a post on X, formerly known on Twitter.
Holmes operated as a low post presence in five seasons with Indiana, averaging 17.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for her career.
ESPN rated Holmes as the fifth-best power forward in this draft class and the 24th-best prospect overall.
Why didn't the Storm have a first-round pick this year?
Three months before the draft, Seattle traded the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and forward Kia Nurse to the Sparks to acquire Los Angeles' 2026 first-round selection. The deal left the Storm without a first-round pick this year.
Instead of making its early selection, the Storm made waves in the offseason by signing eight-time All-Star and Most Valuable Player Nneka Ogwumike and six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith. The pair will join the WNBA's reigning scoring leader, Jewell Loyd, to form a star-studded Big Three in 2024.
