Pick and Roll: Williams back in Seattle to cause a Storm

Welcome back to Pick and Roll, powered by FanDuel.

Join me and TSN.ca’s Brianne Spiker as we highlight everything you need to know about WNBA storylines as the season continues.

This week, we are travelling to the West Coast to examine the Seattle Storm. 

The Storm were already one of the sleeper teams to keep an eye on this year, and now they’re reintroducing a player that led France to a Silver at this years Olympics. 

If they weren’t on your radar before bringing Gabby Williams back into the mix, they better be now! 

Williams is back in Seattle for her third season with the team after sitting out the opening half of the year to stay in France and work with the French National team in preparation for a home Olympic games.  

“We’re thrilled to have Gabby back with the Storm,” said coach Noelle Quinn. “Gabby’s Olympic performance showcased her world-class talent, and we’re excited to have her join us as we push for the playoffs.”

Most weeks we follow a structure with this column where I lay out a few storylines and some betting numbers before turning it over to Spiker for her thoughts. 

I set it up and she throws it down. Pick and roll, it’s in the name. 

But since Brianne considers herself a fan of the Storm I think it’s best we start with her expertise. 

Stick around at the end where we give you one bet to consider on this team too. 

Let’s get crazy, let’s get loud. It’s time to cause a storm. 

It’s time for Pick and Roll. 

Seattle Storm Storylines 

Spiker's Take 

Things are tight in the Western Conference with the Minnesota Lynx, Storm and two-time reigning champion Las Vegas Aces duking it out for first place. 

With the Storm adding Williams at the trade deadline, it's a move that has the potential to separate Seattle in the West. 

Williams is an electrifying player on the defensive side of the ball, but has the ability to contribute offensively as well. Her familiarity with the team, this being her third season with the Storm, helps tremendously as Seattle has shown at times familiarity has been lacking after overhauling the core in the off-season with the additions of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. 

This is a veteran team with championship aspirations, but the team needs more from its depth players. Williams can be a difference-maker in that department and gives the team a much different dynamic in matchups against the league's best. 

While Seattle's veteran core has carried the mail this season, fans have been clamouring for rookie Nika Muhl to see more time on the floor. While there are situations where it would be important for Muhl's development to be playing instead of watching, the fact she is still on the team speaks volumes about how the organization views her. Fellow youngsters such as sophomore guard Jade Melbourne and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu were both jettisoned while Muhl remained.

At minimum, Storm management see a future in Seattle for Muhl, who has the pedigree of being a UConn graduate, a school the Storm have repeatedly added players from to great success. 

Muhl's playmaking and defensive ability launched her from a longshot going into the 2023-24 NCAA season to a second-round pick that has stuck around for almost a full season in the WNBA. She will have her moment some day. 

Seattle Storm Betting Markets 

After opening the season with 60-1 odds to win the WNBA Title, the Storm have seen their championship number slashed to nearly single digits thanks to an impressive summer. 

The 18-10 Storm currently have fourth-best record in the league, and sit second in the Western Conference two games behind Minnesota. 

The race for the No. 1 seed in the west could play a huge factor in which team makes it to the final this year as both the Strom and Lynx have been nearly unbeatable (12-3, 11-3) at home, while the two teams have been less than perfect away from home (8-5, 7-7).  

One Bet to Consider 

Like Brianne said, the west is going to be a dog fight this year and I want to take this Storm team to war with me. 

Maybe I'm overeating, but the addition of Williams just screams "fresh legs" to me. Any sport’s regular season can be such a grind, and while Williams was in France preparing for the Olympics with the national team, she wasn't flying city to city playing back-to-backs in the WNBA. 

With the league feeling tighter than ever this year, maybe that extra rest for Williams and the Strom makes the difference in a conference final. 

This is the fifth edition of his column and I think it's time I add my first championship future. 

So give me Seattle at +1200 to win it's first WNBA title since 2020.