WNBA All-Star and Canadian National Team star signs with Seattle
SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm announced today the signing of free agent guard Kia Nurse. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Kia is a talented, versatile guard and a proven impact player and competitor in our league,” said Talisa Rhea, Storm General Manager. “She brings valuable experience as a leader of Team Canada on the international stage, and we look forward to the positive impact she will have on our team here in Seattle.”
Nurse enters her sixth year in the WNBA in 2023 after being drafted No. 10 overall by New York in 2018. She spent her first three seasons with the Liberty before being traded to Phoenix in 2021, and has averaged 11.0 points, 2.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 steals per game in 121 games overall in four seasons. Nurse, who played collegiately at UConn where she helped the Huskies to back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016, had a breakout season in 2019, averaging 13.7 points, 2.3 assists and 0.7 steals per game—all career-highs. She was voted as a starter to the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game, becoming just the third Canadian to play in the All-Star Game.
“I am so excited to join the Seattle Storm family! This is a top-tier organization with an incredible fan base and history of success,” said Nurse. “I can’t wait to get to work with my new teammates and coaches and immerse myself in the community.”
Nurse, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is coming off an ACL injury suffered in Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA semifinals which cost her the 2022 WNBA season. However, she posted strong numbers while representing Canada (with Canadian National Team Assistant Coach and Storm Head Coach Noelle Quinn) in the 2022 World Cup in October. She averaged 11 points on 41.3% shooting from the field and 35.3% from three-point range to help Canada to a fourth-place finish—its highest in full international play (World Cup or Olympics) since a Bronze medal at the 1986 FIBA World Cup in the Soviet Union.
“After coaching Kia with Canada Basketball and watching her development in our league, I’m so excited for the opportunity to coach Kia again, here in Seattle with the Storm,” said Quinn. “She is a special player that will elevate what we are trying to do on both sides of the ball.”
Nurse was hired by TSN as a basketball analyst in 2020 and has worked for the network during each offseason covering the NBA. In September, Nurse was named the inaugural winner of the Nathalie Cook – Canadian Women & Sport Disruptor Award, presented by TSN for her work with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives both on and off the court.
Single game tickets along with Storm Mini Plans, and Group Experiences are available for the 2023 season. For more information, visit http://stormbasketball.com, or call 206-217-WNBA (9622).