Former Seattle Storm Coach Slaps Shocking Allegations at WNBA, Accuses League of Systematically Shutting Out Black Coaches

Former Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn spoke about racial disparities in WNBA coaching positions during her Thursday media session for Unrivaled, where she is now coaching the new Breeze BC team.

The Athletic’s Ben Pickman asked her about the contrast between Unrivaled having five Black women head coaches and the WNBA having none. Quinn had been dismissed as head coach of the Seattle Storm after the 2025 season, following their second straight first-round playoff elimination.

In her answer, Quinn said the absence of Black head coaches in the league appears to be deliberate.

"It's not by accident; I believe it's intentional,” she said (per Meghan L. Hall). “Representation is possible when leadership chooses to make it possible."

When asked whether she would return to coaching in the WNBA, Quinn responded simply:

"We'll see."

Sonia Raman, whose parents are Indian, succeeded Quinn as Storm coach. Raman is a lawyer who previously worked at Fidelity Investments and the U.S. Department of Labor before entering coaching.

Her most prominent coaching experiences include serving as an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies under coach Taylor Jenkins and joining the New York Liberty staff in 2025.

Noelle Quinn to coach some of WNBA’s most promising young players in Unrivaled

Ahead of its second season, Unrivaled added two new teams: Breeze BC and Hive BC. They join the original six teams -- Laces BC, Lunar Owls BC, Mist BC, Phantom BC, Rose BC and Vinyl BC.

Quinn will be the inaugural head coach of Breeze BC, which features some of the WNBA’s brightest young talents. 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers leads the roster, along with Storm center Dominique Malonga, whom Quinn has previously coached.

The team also includes LA Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald, and Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martion.

Speaking about her role with Unrivaled, Quinn said she hopes to reveal a side of herself not often seen:

"I learned that I'm a resilient individual ... My goal is to be the best version of myself ... to have fun, to loosen up and to show a side of me that not a lot of people get to see.”

The second season of Unrivaled will tip off January 2026.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro