🌟 SEATTLE MOVES ON FROM NOELLE QUINN

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW HEAD COACH BEGINS

It felt inevitable. For the past year and change, you could feel the tension in the air with the Seattle Storm. Between the investigations, losses, and general frustrations with their lack of success, it felt like everybody was on edge. In our playoff preview on September 15, we wrote:

As we’ve talked about on numerous occasions here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, the Storm need to have a great showing in these playoffs, or else…

For Noelle Quinn, “or else” has arrived.

On September 21, the team announced that they declined to renew Quinn’s contract for the 2026 season. In a statement, Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea thanked Noey for her time in Seattle:

“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. She put us in a position to win at the highest levels of the game, and for that, we are grateful."

On the latest edition of Tempestade Talk, Erica L. Ayala and Roberta F. Rodrigues took a look at Quinn’s time in Seattle as well as the Storm’s path forward

In five seasons, Quinn finished with a 97-89 record and four playoff appearances. However, the Storm only advanced to the semifinals once in her tenure here. The team underwent numerous transitions during her time here, but ultimately, Quinn was unable to lead the Storm back to the WNBA Finals.

For Seattle, the off-season is full of uncertainty. They are a veteran team with years of experience that still fancies itself a contender.

Is there a head coach out there who can help them reach their potential while still encouraging the growth of Dominique Malonga?

Time will tell.

🌟 SWITCHING UP

THE WNBA SEMIFINALS HIT THE ROAD

The playoffs have been absolutely sensational and as we head into the weekend, let’s take a look to see where the final four teams stand.

#1 Minnesota Lynx vs. #4 Phoenix Mercury

It looked like it was going to be a runaway. The Minnesota Lynx have been the best second-half team in the WNBA all season and built a lead as big as 20 points in the third quarter. However, the Mercury never went away.

Even with Kahleah Copper hampered by an ankle injury, Phoenix’s depth shone through as the bench duo of Sami Whitcomb and Kathryn Westbeld complemented Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally as the Mercury rallied.

Down three late, the Mercury counted on a former WNBA champion to create one more magical moment

In overtime, Phoenix was able to build a six point lead and never let up as they stunned a sold out Target Center crowd and turned what was shaping up to be a Minnesota coronation into a true battle from here on out. The Lynx are well versed in heartbreak, and it will be a great test to see how this team bounces back.

Series tied 1-1
Game 2 recap by Benny Hughes, Canis Hoopus

#2 Las Vegas Aces vs. #6 Indiana Fever

Champions always respond. It’s very rare to keep an MVP down back-to-back games and after a rough game one, you knew A’ja Wilson was going to be prepared to remind the basketball world why she’s one of the greatest of all time.

She did that and then some as she led the Ac’ attack with a cool 25/9/1/5/2 on 55 percent shooting from the field. Wilson started 1-5 in game two, but quickly settled in and made nine out of her remaining 13 field goal attempts.

On the other side, the Aces were able to do a much better job of slowing Kelsey Mitchell down. Las Vegas was able to throw a variety of defensive looks at her to limit Mitchell to 13 points on 4-14 shooting as

Something to keep a close eye on the rest of this series will be the level of physicality allowed by the officiating teams. The two games have featured some incredibly physical basketball, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the commentary team on down. The coaches are aware of the level of physicality on display and hope it doesn’t escalate into something troublesome.

“Most of my assistants come from the NBA,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said,
“and they’re like, ‘This level of physicality would not fly in the NBA. There would be fights.’ We just have well-mannered women who can get to the next play. But there would be fights.”

The intensity of the playoffs ratchets up the further you go. The Aces have championship experience and have seen just about everything imaginable on a basketball court. For most of the Fever, this is their first time in games of this magnitude and that lack of experience might be tough on them. However, they’ve got a raucous, sold out Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd ready to give them that extra push to pull off an upset and continue this magical run to the WNBA Finals.

Series tied 1-1
Game 2 recap by Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-Journal

💰 MONEY MOVES

 LA IN A BRAND NEW WAY

Prior to the 2020s, the Los Angeles Sparks were one of the marquee franchises in the WNBA. Led by Lisa Leslie in the late 90s and 2000s followed by Candace Parker’s rise in the late 2000s and 2010s, LA was a steady model of success. Consistent playoff appearances, championships, and all around excellence made them a destination location. However, things fell into disrepair in the 2020s and the Sparks have been trying to make their way back to respectability. Late last summer, Sparks co-owner Magic Johnson spoke about his frustrations with where the Sparks found themselves and his goal for the team going forward:

“I think I have to get more involved, and I’ll do that, that’s a commitment to the fans, that I will get more involved and be part of it more to help bring the Sparks back to a championship level.”

Although the Sparks fell a bit short of the playoffs, they took a step forward on the court in 2025. And off the court, they’re taking a gigantic step forward into the future.

On September 24, the team announced plans to build a new, $150 million training and practice facility by 2027. In addition to the basketball courts, weight rooms, etc., at the new facility in El Segundo, the Sparks facility will have the W’s first indoor-outdoor player sanctuary, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, and flexible wellness spaces for yoga, meditation, and quiet reflection, among other things. For a team that has fallen behind in terms of investment compared to their peers, this is a tremendous show of faith to players and fans that the Sparks are ready to once again be a top tier franchise.

"We’re building a place where Sparks players can be at their best on and off the court,” Sparks Governor Eric Holoman said. "From cutting-edge training and recovery spaces to family and community areas, every corner of this facility was designed with them at the center. It reflects our commitment to our team, our fans, and the city of Los Angeles, and sets a new standard for what a professional sports organization can provide for its athletes."

It’s been five years since the Sparks appeared in the playoffs. In that time, they’ve said goodbye to franchise icons, fallen down in the standings, and seen new teams leapfrog them. When you’ve fallen in the ways that the Sparks have, it takes time to get back to where you want to be. It starts with having good talent on the team, and LA has young cornerstones on the roster along with veterans with championship experience.

Investment in various parts of the organization matters a lot as well, and this facility is a sign that the Sparks are ready to spend and position themselves as a top-tier team in the W. Sparks ownership has made plenty of noise in Los Angeles, and we’ll see if they can make this team a winner on and off the court.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• New York Liberty GM on Sandy Brondello split: A 'proactive' choice to 'bring freshness' and 'energy' to team by Erica L. Ayala, CBS Sports

• Sandy Brondello ran out of time by Lucas Kaplan, NetsDaily

• The Seattle Storm were less than the sum of their parts—again by Cat Ariall, Swish Appeal

• Arike Ogunbowale’s Future Headlines the Wings’ Offseason Decisions by Justin Carter, Dallas Magazine

• The Indiana Fever showed the Las Vegas Aces who they really are by Tony East, The IX Basketball

• Monday musings: Sports, leverage, and the future of broadcast TV by Jon Lewis, Sports Media Watch

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

📲 STAY CONNECTED!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider subscribing to receive the latest updates from Black Rosie Media directly in your inbox—it's completely FREE! Feel free to share this with a friend so they can also stay informed.

Join our Black Rosie Media Slack Channel to interact directly with our contributors, participate in game-day chats, and much more!

You can also connect with us on BlueSky, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube!