Storm back coach Noelle Quinn after offseason bullying claims

The Brief

• Storm general manager Talisa Rhea backed head coach Noelle Quinn and her coaching staff after offseason allegations of bullying and harassment by a player.

• Jewell Loyd reportedly requested a trade after Quinn and her staff were cleared of any wrongdoing.

• The Storm say interest in joining the Storm by free agents this offseason speaks to the belief in their organization.

SEATTLE – Seattle Storm general manager Talisa Rhea expressed her full support of head coach Noelle Quinn on Tuesday after allegations of bullying and harassment against the coaching staff this offseason.

“First, we let the process play out and that was very important to us and the integrity of that process,” Rhea said. “Second, we’ve been locked in with Noelle this entire offseason and it’s been very clear through our free agency conversations that players do want to be here.

“They believe in what we’re building here in Seattle. They want to play with Noelle. The group that we have here is totally bought in to that. So we’re very confident in Noelle and what she’s able to do with this group this year.”

The backstory

Quinn and the Storm coaching staff were cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent investigation after former Storm standout Jewell Loyd allegedly launched the complaint.

“I believe that the organization did the right thing,” Quinn said of the investigation. “Throughout this entire process, the communication level was tremendously high. I felt supported in a lot of ways and I know my staff felt supported as well. With anything like this, it is important to take the right steps and our organization did that.”

Loyd reportedly requested a trade after the investigation was completed. The request was granted as Loyd was dealt to the Las Vegas Aces last month in a three-team deal that netted the team center Li Yueru, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and a 2026 first-round pick.

“We’ve had a strong relationship with Jewell and being able to be transparent and open in our communication,” Rhea said. “As last season went on and into this offseason, we wanted to do what we felt like was best for our organization and Jewell.”

“Jewell meant a lot to this organization. She built a lot with us here. Noelle and I have been part of a couple of championships with Jewell, so this is not to take away anything that Jewell did during her time here with Seattle. I’m very appreciative for that. We will continue to be. We’re excited with how the roster has moved forward, excited for this year and what we were able to do with that trade.”

Rhea and Quinn both stated that the amount of interest from players looking to sign with the Storm this offseason speaks to the job Quinn and her staff have done. Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams each re-signed with the team, and former Storm standout Alyshia Clark returned to Seattle after three years with the Aces and Washington Mystics.

“Moving forward,” Quinn said, “the fact that we have built a tremendous roster – players who want to come and play for me, my staff, want to be a part of the organization – it will show the fans everything that they need to know about myself and what we’re building around Seattle. This is a top-notch organization, an organization that stands for excellence and integrity. I lead in that way and I want to continue to exemplify that as well.”

The Source

Press conference with Storm general manager Talisa Rhea and head coach Noelle Quinn.

MORE STORM NEWS

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Nneka Ogwumike to re-sign with Seattle Storm, per report

Seattle Storm trade Jewell Loyd to Aces in three-team deal, per report

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