The Seattle Storm is investigating its coaching staff following allegations of player mistreatment, according to a report published on Friday. The report states that the team has hired an independent law firm to examine claims that coaches have been bullying and harassing players based on their on-court performance. The alleged incidents of mistreatment are said to have occurred during practices and games last season.
The Storm has not yet publicly commented on the situation.
Noelle Quinn, who became the team’s head coach in May 2021 after Dan Hughes retired, is central to the investigation. Quinn, a former player for the Storm, spent five seasons with the team before joining Hughes’ coaching staff in 2019. She served as associate head coach during Seattle’s 2020 WNBA championship season, which was led by Finals MVP Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, before being promoted to head coach.
In her fourth season as head coach of the Seattle Storm, Noelle Quinn guided the team to a 25-15 record, but they were eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. Quinn’s coaching staff includes assistants Pokey Chatman, Ebony Hoffman, and Perry Huang. Meanwhile, Storm star Nneka Ogwumike has served as president of the WNBA Players Association since 2016.
After the Seattle Storm’s season ended in September, Noelle Quinn shared her plans to work with an executive coach during the off-season to further develop her leadership skills and continue her growth as a coach. Quinn expressed pride in the team’s “turnaround season.”
Seattle isn’t the only team dealing with player mistreatment allegations. In August, Dearica Hamby of the Los Angeles Sparks filed a federal lawsuit against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, accusing them of discrimination and retaliation related to her pregnancy before being traded in January 2023. Aces head coach Becky Hammon has denied the claims