Storm coaching change: Seattle ousts Noelle Quinn after second consecutive first-round playoffs exit

The Seattle Storm announced Sunday that long-term coach Noelle Quinn's contract will not be renewed. The organization will immediately begin the search for a new coach. 

"On behalf of our organization, I would like to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm. Her commitment to the ongoing success of our organization and to furthering the development of our players was second to none," Storm general manager Talisa Rhea said in a statement. "She put us in a position to win at the highest levels of the game and for that, we are grateful." 

Quinn, who spent more than four seasons with the Storm as a player and helped them win a championship in 2018, began her coaching career as an assistant in Seattle in 2019 immediately upon her retirement. Early in the 2021 season, she was elevated to head coach after Dan Hughes announced his retirement due to health issues.

In four-plus seasons at the helm in Seattle, Quinn went 97-89 and led the team to the playoffs four times. However, the Storm were just 4-8 in the postseason under Quinn and only won one playoff series. After missing the playoffs in 2023, the Storm were eliminated in the first round in each of the last two seasons. 

Quinn's tenure will ultimately be defined by what happened in 2024 and 2025, as the team underperformed expectations and she dealt with off-court controversy. 

Ahead of the 2024 season, the Storm made a major splash in free agency and brought in Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins. Together with Jewell Loyd, they formed a talented Big Three that the Storm hoped could make the team a title contender once again. Instead, the Storm's offense was far less than the sum of its parts, and the team finished in fifth place before being swept in the first round.

After the 2024 campaign, Quinn and her coaching staff were investigated for alleged mistreatment of players that included bullying and harassment. The investigation eventually cleared Quinn and her staff of any wrongdoing, but in the aftermath Loyd -- a franchise icon who helped the Storm win two championships -- requested a trade. 

Loyd was eventually dealt to the Las Vegas Aces in a three-team blockbuster that netted the Storm the No. 2 overall pick (Dominique Malonga) in the 2025 WNBA Draft (via the Los Angeles Sparks) and the Aces' 2026 first-round pick. 

Despite Loyd's departure, the Storm once again had high expectations in 2025 after another fruitful free agency period and the arrival of Malonga. Instead of contending, or even matching last season's performance, they barely snuck into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and were bounced in the first round again.

Notably, the Storm never finished higher than sixth in the league in offensive rating during Quinn's four full seasons in charge despite having some combination of Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, Loyd, Ogwumike and Diggins for the entirety of that span.