July 21st, 2026 Episode Summary
This episode of The Forecast, Seattle’s weekly women’s sports show on KVRU 105.7 FM, examines the Seattle Storm’s rebuilding season at the mid-point of a 46-game schedule, where the team holds a 6–21 record but remains competitive in numerous close losses, including a recent 110–107 defeat to the Indiana Fever. Host Maggie Mertens speaks with reporters Roberto Rodrigues (Black Rosie Media) and Jeff Brown (Storm Chasers) about how the franchise has shifted from short-term patchwork after the departures of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart to a clear long-term identity built around one of the league’s youngest starting lineups, highlighted by 20-year-olds Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam alongside fellow young core pieces. The discussion emphasizes measuring success through growth rather than wins and losses, noting improvements in areas like rebounding, boxing out, and offensive focus on interior play, even as many games still slip away in clutch moments due largely to inexperience and late-game decision-making.
Rodrigues and Brown grade the Storm’s first half around a “C” level—passing but unfinished—arguing that close, competitive losses are far more encouraging than the blowouts of 2023 and position the team for another high draft pick to deepen its youth core. They project a second half similar in record but featuring “better losses,” with fewer demoralizing defeats and more evidence of incremental progress, while acknowledging a difficult remaining schedule and the likelihood that the team’s struggles are partly by design in a rebuild year. A major focus is the promising fit between Malonga and Fam: Awa’s three-point shooting and perimeter versatility complement Dom’s interior dominance, giving Seattle a modern inside-out frontcourt that could become a matchup nightmare as both develop and eventually integrate with injured big Ezi Magbegor.
The conversation also highlights unresolved questions in the backcourt, particularly at point guard: Natisha Hiedeman has exceeded expectations as a scorer and has increasingly prioritized feeding the bigs, but both she and Jade Melbourne still struggle to consistently make elite pick-and-roll reads and timely pocket passes that would fully unlock the frontcourt’s potential. Looking ahead, the guests see the 2025 draft as a key opportunity to secure a high-level guard—mentioning prospects like JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo—as the franchise seeks a new point guard legacy in the wake of Sue Bird’s retirement. First-year head coach Sonia Raman is praised for quickly identifying team strengths, tailoring schemes to her personnel, and fostering resilience—evident in the Storm’s comeback from a 17-point deficit against Indiana—though both guests would like to see more sideline fire and note that her performance should be judged on development and identity-building rather than win totals.
The episode closes by touching on league-wide officiating concerns, particularly free-throw disparities and the physical treatment of dominant bigs like Malonga, with examples such as Indiana’s 31 free throws to Seattle’s 18 and Dom’s two free throws on 19 paint attempts, which the guests liken to Shaquille O’Neal–style under-calling and warn could be dangerous if unchecked. Throughout, Mertens and her guests frame 2024 as year one of a multi-year rebuild in which patience, player development, and the forging of a new identity take precedence over immediate playoff contention, while inviting listeners to stay engaged and share their own perspectives on Seattle women’s sports.
Episode Notes
0:00 - Mid Season Roundtable with Jeff Brown and Roberta Rodrigues
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Jeff Brown has been covering the Seattle Storm since 2015. Storm Chasers is dedicated to covering the 4-time WNBA Champion Seattle Storm and the WNBA league overall. Aiming to be the very best media coverage for the Storm. You can follow and support Jeff’s coverage by subscribing on substack https://stormchaserswnba.substack.com/ or by following on X : https://x.com/wnbastormchaser
Roberta F. Rodrigues is a Brazilian-American journalist covering women’s basketball. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi and an MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management from Seattle University. Her experience includes front office and agency roles in the basketball industry, both nationally and internationally. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Beta Basket, the first women’s basketball outlet in Latin America, launched in Brazilian Portuguese in 2020, with an English version released in 2024. Roberta immigrated to the United States in 2016 and currently lives in Seattle with her spouse and their pets, Parker and Atlas. You can follow Roberta for continued coverage of women’s basketball on and off the court, including breaking news and analysis by subscribing on substack https://betabasketinenglish.substack.com/ or by following on X : https://x.com/robertawba
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The Forecast is a Production of :
KVRU (https://www.kvru.org/shows/the-forecast/) & JEFFSCOTTSHAW
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Executive Producer + Host // Maggie Mertens // [email protected]
Executive Producer // JEFFSCOTTSHAW // [email protected]
Additional Production Support Provided By // Crystal Fincher & Shannon Cheng & Maurice Jones Jr.
