r/SeattleStorm

SEATTLE — When Jade Melbourne was drafted by the Seattle Storm No. 33 overall in 2022, she didn’t immediately join the team. By the time she came to the WNBA from Australia the next year, there was hope that the then 19-year-old was Seattle’s point guard of the future, the answer to having no Sue Bird for the first time in 20 years.

But the next season, the Storm went in a different direction, recruiting veterans like Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, instead of leaning into youth. So, during training camp, they traded Melbourne to a team where she’d get playing time: the Washington Mystics.

But after two seasons in D.C., she is back in Seattle, having signed a two-year contract as a free agent in the offseason, and ready to be the young team’s point guard.

“I think honestly the two years in Washington were the best thing that could have happened to my basketball career,” Melbourne told The IX Basketball after practice on Tuesday. “Washington needed a backup point guard at the time. I moved into a role where I was playing. I was growing in the league. And I think, as a young player, when you can get game reps and game experience, that’s unbelievable. So I was definitely able to grow. You hear from new voices, you play with new teammates, you understand the league. There was an opportunity there.”

Now it feels funny for Melbourne, coming back to a team that traded her at such a young age. But she says she has a lot of appreciation for the Storm finding a trade during training camp when it would’ve been easier for them to cut her. She’s come back feeling a little closer to expectations: the same player, but more mature.

Seattle guard Jordan Horston, who was a rookie alongside Melbourne on the 2023 Storm, thinks she’s come back “a completely different Jade.”

Wondering if anyone picked up an extra pin from the game last night that they’d be willing to send me? I’m a Fire fan in Portland (But Storm is my second fav-I had season tix way back in the LJ/SB era!) I would love to have one to go with the pin from the Portland rivalry game.

Going to my first Storm game the 20th! Any tips or anything I need to check out while I'm there? I've been to Climate Pledge for concerts before so I already know I'm not bringing a bag.

Malonga is lazy

I love getting Ezi back, but with her and Horston returning it feels like Mack is not going to get any play time because Sonia favors Dolson for some reason. In a game like tonight when we were struggling so much to rebound Mack is the better option over Dolson. Also, I can’t stand how Dolson is a vet yet commits so many stupid fouls! She should know better.

https://preview.redd.it/anhigc6da9ah1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=39120446f71f17d9735421bfd12e82df593cb9c0

According to this chart, the Storm are the worst in the league in points per play on transition offense, even though they say they want to be a defense-first running team. Why do you think that is? Turnovers and missed layups?