How the impending WNBA expansion draft affects the Seattle Storm

By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA - For the first time since 2008 when the Atlanta Dream franchise was added to the WNBA, an expansion draft will take place once again for the newly-minted Golden State Valkyries on December 6th.

The draft will enable the Valkyries to select from a specific pool of players made available by all 12 teams currently in the league. Organizations can protect a maximum of six players from being chosen by Golden State in said draft.

Other players will be eligible for selection by the Valkyries as they look to take the court for their inaugural season in 2025. Teams must submit a roster to the league office ten days before the draft takes place, featuring every player under their control. Players who are unrestricted free agents have to be designated on a team’s list as such or the unprotected list.

For the Seattle Storm, the expansion draft will have little to no effect on its roster heading into the 2025 WNBA season.

Seattle does not need to designate All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike as one of the six protected players via negotiating rights because she has already played two-plus seasons under core designation. As a result, she cannot be cored again by any team, which makes her safe.

Unrestricted free agents can be protected, which is where 2024 Olympic silver medalist Gabby Williams enters the equation. As a UFA, Williams will most likely be one of the six players Seattle protects.

Where does that leave the rest of the Storm’s roster?

Seattle only has five players under contract for the 2025 season:

• Jewell Loyd

• Skylar Diggins-Smith

• Ezi Magbegor

• Jordan Horston

• Nika Mühl

With that in mind, the obvious choice for protecting players lies within the team’s core.

Loyd, Diggins-Smith, Magbegor, Horston, and Williams will most likely be the first five protected players. Whether it was an expansion draft or continuing to build through free agency, Seattle was bound to shake up its bench unit this offseason after finishing 10th in scoring with its reserves. Realistically, Golden State would only be able to acquire Mühl from Seattle as she’s the sole remaining player under contract.

When Mühl was selected with the 14th overall pick in the WNBA Draft this past spring, Storm GM Talisa Rhea said the team was surprised that she was available and was a player they couldn’t pass on.

The 5’11” guard didn’t play much in her first season due to a veteran-laden roster, but the Storm saw something in her when drafting her. Mühl took it all in stride and spoke on numerous occassions about the things she’s learned and appreciated while supporting her teammates. Given her connection with Loyd and Diggins-Smith, it’s clear that she has the support of those around her.

As stated in the draft rules, teams have a maximum of six players to protect. Could the Storm use their sixth and final designation on Mühl? It’s unclear if that is the path forward, but for the reasons stated, the team loses nothing by doing so. Not having a solidified roster and only being able to protect one unrestricted free agent works in Mühl’s favor.

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