The WNBA preseason started this past Tuesday for the Seattle Storm, before what looks to be a promising season. Under new coach Dan Hughes and MVP candidate Breanna Stewart, fans should be excited about the team’s prospects for success.
Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd
It always starts with the franchise superstar, and Stewart’s career has been nothing short of stellar. After finishing eighth in last year’s MVP voting and second in total scoring, watch her pick up where she left off.
She scored 15 points in her first preseason match, and will continue to find her shot this Saturday. In short, it’s steady as she goes for the Seattle Star.
Jewell Loyd is the other former lottery pick looking to make a case for her first All-Star appearance this upcoming season. In my opinion, she’s better than Sue Bird but it’ll be tough to break through into the All-Star game, simply because of clout and starpower of her name.
Coach Dan Hughes
Dan Hughes is an old head in WNBA circles, and he enters his first year after having taken a short break from some tough final years in San Antonio. He hasn’t coached a particularly fast-paced game, but his style is focused on offensive efficiency.
I don’t think Hughes has coached a player with the caliber of Breanna Stewart. He’s coached players like Becky Hammon and Sophia Young, but it’ll be interesting to see how the offense settles in with a player as efficient as Stewart.
Jordin Canada
Canada is the the Storm’s star rookie, coming in to push for a starting role on this team. She played great on Tuesday, and fans shouldn’t be surprised if she eventually carves out a spot on the starting lineup. With her quickness and ability to aggressively get to the freethrow line, there might be enough room for Jordin Canada to spread her wings in a backup role.
Personally, I think Jordin is a future star with Breanna Stewart, and could potentially form one of the more dangerous backcourts in the league with Jewell Loyd. Fans will get to see plenty of this potentially dangerous three headed offensive machine.
Crystal Langhorne and Alysha Clark
Rounding out the starting lineup of Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, expect Crystal Langhorne and Alysha Clark to be the anchors in the frontcourt for the Storm. While Crystal’s All-Star days might be behind her, she’s adept at rebounding the ball on the defensive end, and scoring the ball extremely efficiently down low.
Alysha Clark is a serviceable forward that can help stretch the floor. Her percentage from deep range are solid, so it forces her defenders to stay alert. She hadn’t played in this week’s first preseason match as she was overseas. Clark plays for CCC Polkowice in the Polish League, and the team won the league’s championship at the end of April. She played a huge role in the series, averaging about 10 points per game.
The Storm still have a lot of work to do, and while the team came out with promising results in the first exhibition, the Phoenix Mercury played without Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. The Storm will face the Mercury again in another exhibition this Saturday at 7:00 PM.
