Roster Features Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, all WNBA First-Overall Draft Picks

SEATTLE – The Seattle Storm today announced its final roster for the 2016 season following the conclusion of training camp. Ten players return from last season: Sue Bird, Abby Bishop, Alysha Clark, Markeisha Gatling, Crystal Langhorne, Jewell Loyd, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Jenna O’Hea, Ramu Tokashiki and Monica Wright. With Breanna Stewart in Seattle after being selected first in the WNBA Draft, the Storm now has three No. 1 draft picks on its roster (Bird, Loyd).

“Training camp was a competitive and energetic environment but now we’re thrilled to begin the regular season,” said Storm President & GM Alisha Valavanis. “We look forward to opening up in Los Angeles on Sunday.”

The Storm waived Lexi Eaton Rydalch, Angel Goodrich, Quanitra Hollingsworth and Krystal Thomas on Tuesday, and Tiffany Bias was waived on Friday ahead of the roster deadline.

Stewart, a 6-4 forward from the University of Connecticut, comes to Seattle after winning four consecutive national championships during an unprecedented career with the Huskies. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in all four of her team’s title runs and won AP Player of the Year three straight seasons. After finishing her college career with a 151-5 record, Stewart became the fifth Connecticut product to be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft. She will also represent the United States at this summer’s Olympics alongside Bird.

Blake Dietrick, also new to the Storm, is looking to make her WNBA debut this season after going undrafted in 2015. A point guard from Princeton, Dietrick was named Ivy League Player of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 30-0 regular-season record as a senior. Coming off strong rookie seasons, Loyd, Tokashiki and Mosqueda-Lewis all return to Seattle for their second years. In 2015, Jewell Loyd became the first player in franchise history to win Rookie of the Year. She was second on the team with 10.7 points per game. Mosqueda-Lewis averaged 5.8 points per game off the bench, while Tokashiki made 16 starts and scored 8.2 points per contest.

Now entering her 15th season in Seattle, Bird signed a new multiyear deal with the franchise in the offseason. She ranks second among the WNBA’s all-time assists leaders and ninth in career steals. Clark, the only other player that has been in Seattle for more than two years, enters her fifth campaign with the Storm. She comes off a season in Israel where she won Player of the Year honors after leading her team to its second straight league championship.

Seattle opens the 2016 regular season on Sunday at the Los Angeles Sparks, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m. The Storm will then host the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx in its home opener on Sunday, May 22. Secure the best seats in the house with Storm 360 Memberships, available now, starting at $288, available online or by calling (206) 217-WNBA (9622). For packages and group discounts, please call 206-217- WNBA (9622).

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