The Seattle Storm have a strong starting lineup. Three of the five starters are All-Stars. With Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams leading the way, Seattle has been one of the better teams in the WNBA this season. With 13 wins, the team currently has the fourth-best record in the league.
One big advantage for the Storm has been the team’s health. Seattle’s star players haven’t missed any substantial time yet. That allowed the Storm to overcome their lack of depth. After losing Nika Muhl, Jordan Horston, and Katie Lou Samuelson to ACL injuries, the Storm’s bench has been thin at best.
The Golden State Valkyries waived Stephanie Talbot to make room for Iliana Rupert. Seattle could pick up Talbot to bolster its depth and bench production.
Seattle desperately needs help off the bench
Since the Storm traded Li Yueru to Dallas, the bench has largely consisted of Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke, and Dominique Malonga. Lexie Brown and Mackenzie Holmes have barely played all season long. Tiffany Mitchell, who had been waived by the Las Vegas Aces, was a great pickup.
Even with Mitchell on the roster, the Storm’s depth is thin, though. Malonga is a 19-year-old rookie. Noelle Quinn cannot always trust her to play heavy minutes. Clark is well past her prime and has struggled to make an impact in the last few games.
In the Storm’s most recent game against the Washington Mystics—a 74-69 loss—Malonga and Cooke only played three minutes each, and Holmes and Brown didn’t see the court at all. Clark played 13 minutes but missed all of her shots. Mitchell, who played 23 minutes, scored all 12 of the Storm’s bench points.
Such a grave lack of production from the bench puts a lot of pressure on the starting lineup.
Stephanie Talbot could boost the Storm’s bench
Stephanie Talbot didn’t have her best outing with the Valkyries. Her three didn’t fall consistently, leading to a dip in production. However, Talbot has been an efficient 3-point shooter in the past, plays solid defense, and provides veteran experience.
Signing her may not seem like a big move, but she could be a valuable addition to a bench in desperate need of any kind of production. It would also give Quinn another player she can trust to put in games regularly.
Quinn already coached Talbot with the Storm in 2021 and 2022, and trusted her to play between 16 and 17 minutes a game. Meanwhile, Quinn has not trusted Holmes and Brown to play many meaningful minutes at all this season, shortening the rotation. Even Malonga’s and Cooke’s minutes have been up and down.
The Storm already have twelve players on the roster and would have to waive someone to make room for Talbot. If that means replacing a player the head coach doesn’t trust to step onto the court with a player who can play meaningful minutes, it is worth considering, though.