Can a trade in Seattle help escape their pattern from playing and down?

The Storm van Seattle is perhaps the most suitable team of the WNBA.

Storms are unpredictable, inconsistent and difficult to predict. During the 2025 season, this also described the Basketball Team from Seattle. Although, at least in July, the storm was consistent in their inconsistency; After opening the month with two consecutive victories, they then alternated profit and losses.

The details behind those varied results only emphasize the non -workable unpredictability of the team. They defeated the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream on the road, only to lose from the Connecticut Sun. They managed to beat the sun on two other occasions, but lost twice from the Washington Mystics, both at home and on the road. They also took a defeat to the Dallas Wings.

These inconsistent results were their product from up and down play on both sides of the ball. While they closed July by dropping 101 points on the sun, they only scored 58 in their earlier loss for the mystics. Defensively they kept the Liberty to only 70 points when they won in Brooklyn, but the Wings let 87 points and the sun score to put 93 points in losses for both non-Playoff teams.

August is also on the way to an unfavorable start for Seattle. On Friday, a Nneka Ogwumike Masterclass-37 points and 12 boards were nothing, because after earning a 10-point benefit in the second half, lost in double extension on a Dearica Hamby game winner of the visiting Los Angeles Sparks, 108-106. The game aroused post game frustrations by head coach Noelle Quinn, because they interpreted various questionable calls that La preferred as illustrative of a season hose “Lack of respect” For both her players and herself.

They have the enormously hesitant performances of the storm in sixth place in the WNBA classification on 16-12. If the play -offs were to start today, they would not have a homecourt in the first round. However, they have the same record as the fifth place Indiana Fever, are only half a game behind the fourth place Phoenix Mercury and only a match behind third place. They are going to make the play -offs. But do they go into a solid position to move forward in the late season? Or will they be forced for another disappointing early exit?

To encourage a promising postseason prediction, a trade is possible in order. The franchise has not been hesitant to make movements lately, although the deceased duo of Jewell Loyd and Li Yueru both asked for transactions. Seattle, however, has the means that are needed to make the kind of proactive move that could shift the team’s prospects.

They have three 2026 first round treks, with their own selection supplemented with picks from the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks that they received in the outdoor season Loyd-Kelsey Plum-NO. 2 Choose Blockbuster. Although the approaching outcome of the current SMEs makes it impossible to predict the composition of the schedule of the Storm 2026, it is unlikely that a Seattle team that will maintain the majority of their veteran core. That may make a first round pick (or two) replaceable. (Although from a different perspective, the upcoming lack of clarity about next season could motivate the buyer of Seattle to maintain those choices, because they could bring in three young people as a supplement to a future-oriented Dominique Malonga-Centric Storm team.)

So how fat does Seattle want to be? Do they want to make an offer for one of the speculation with a higher dedicated players, such as the Marina Mabrey van de Zon ($ 210,000) or the Wings’ Dijonai Carrington ($ 200,000)? Or do they only make a more marginal move? Here is a look at two options:

Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke and design capital for Marina Mabrey or Dijonai Carrington

If Seattle has focused on Mabrey or Carrington, the primary outgoing player will probably have to be Alysha Clark. Somewhat curiously, Clark did not play in the loss of the Storm’s Friday evening, with her absence explained as a “DNP – Coach’s decision” instead of an injury. After a hot start of the season, Clark’s 3-point battle seemed to disappear her characteristic skill, because she only shot 18.8 percent from 3 in July while playing less than 15 minutes per game.

Seattle currently only has $ 223 in Cap Room, which means that they have to send a player or players, whose total salary almost matches that of the incoming player. Clark earns $ 185,000, which, in combination with Zia Cooke and her salary of $ 66,079, would be sufficient to import Mabrey or Carrington, depending on how many Picks Connecticut or Dallas would demand.

Although Streaky, Mabrey Seattle would offer a high-up score punch, just like she did for the sun when she was traded in the middle of last season. Her unabashed 3-point bombing in particular would benefit a storm team that does not take enough 3s. Carrington would offer more two -way juice as a determined defensive scourge that would strengthen the already powerful transition violation of Seattle.

Katie Lou Samuelson, Zia Cookie and Draft Capital for Rachel Banham

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty images

If Seattle does not wish to excrete with Clark, a double champion in the storm that, despite her advanced basketball time, could certainly escape her rut and rediscover her 3, she can use the injured Katie Lou Samuelson and her salary of $ 90,000 as a trading ship.

An interesting name in that reach? Rachel Banham from the Chicago Sky, who earns $ 95,000. As our Zachary Draves has detailed, Banham has taken a more important role for a Sky team that, because they are exchanging their own pick from the first round from the 2026, is probably planning to continue to insist on the play-offs, despite the accumulation of injuries to important players. The prospect of receiving some future choices, including an additional 2026 first rounder, could, however, encourage Chicago to renounce Banham.

You could even claim that Banham performed better this season than Mabrey and Carrington, because both players with a higher profile have treated with injuries. Banham, on the other hand, has demonstrably the best season of her 10-year career, with her figures in July-14.3 points per match and 43.2 percent on 3s out of 7.4 attempts per match-her benefit benefit. Her 3-point shooting and ball handling qualities can offer the type of boost needs of Seattle, giving the team a third caliber guard who can play in addition to Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler.

Just like the weather, the problems of the storm can be atmospheric. Maybe their extreme inconsistency is an indication of something that is just out With this team something that a single player cannot repair. Nevertheless, Seattle has enough assets to try to find a solution. Let’s see if they choose to do this.