An investigation was launched by the WNBA and league security into the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, per league reporter Khristina Williams.
The investigation is focused on the team's coaching staff, Williams reported.
It comes just a few months after now-Aces guard Jewell Loyd, who was on the Storm last season, filed a complaint that included accusations of harassment and bullying by Seattle's coaching staff before she requested a trade, although there are no current indications that the two investigations are related.
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Here's what to know about the reported investigation into the Storm.
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Seattle Storm investigation, explained
Williams' report on Wednesday cited that there is "currently an investigation being launched into the Seattle Storm coaching staff by the WNBA and league security."
However, also on Wednesday, Front Office Sports' Annie Costabile then reported that the initial report of an investigation into the Storm was "inaccurate." Costabile wrote that "an allegation was made that a Storm assistant cursed at a former Storm player following Sunday's game against the Aces," and that the WNBA reviewed the complaint, with fines or suspensions not expected.
Williams also provided an update, reporting that the league is "reviewing a complaint from a former Seattle Storm player who alleges an assistant coach directed profanity at them."
Storm investigation history
Seattle's coaching staff has been the subject of another investigation in the past year.
In December 2024, Loyd, who had been on the Storm for 10 seasons, requested a trade after she initially filed a complaint for harassment and bullying by the team's staff. After Loyd's complaint, there was a team-led inquiry into those accusations, but ESPN later reported that no violations were found.
"The Storm recently received internal allegations of potential workplace policy violations," a statement provided to ESPN said at the time. "The organization retained an outside investigator to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations. The investigation has been completed and there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying."
Loyd's trade request led to her being dealt to Las Vegas, and Seattle acquired the No. 2 pick in April's draft, which it used Dominique Malonga. After the investigation and trade, Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said in February that the process was "a learning experience."
"I believe that the organization did the right thing," Quinn said, per ESPN. "Throughout this entire process, the communication level was tremendously high. I felt supported in a lot of ways and I know my staff felt supported as well. With anything like this, it is important to take the right steps and our organization did that."
The news surrounding the Storm on Wednesday also came on the same day that 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru, who was acquired from the Sparks in the offseason, requested a trade from Seattle.