SEATTLE -- When the Storm named Sonia Raman as their new head coach on Wednesday, it marked what the former Liberty assistant described as "kind of a homecoming."
"The list goes on and on, I think, in terms of the organization," Raman told ESPN, explaining what made the Storm job attractive. "And then Seattle itself as a city. It's a premier women's basketball city. Really rich tradition, deep support from the fan base. And I actually have really personal ties as well. My wife is from the area, so it's kind of a homecoming for us as well."
Raman's wife, Milena Flores, is a native of nearby Snohomish, Washington, and played basketball at Stanford and in the WNBA. Thanks to that connection, the Storm played a key role in Raman's move to the WNBA after 12 years as head coach of the MIT women's basketball team and four as an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2020-24. During training camp in 2024, Raman regularly attended practices at the BECU Storm Center for Basketball Performance led by predecessor Noelle Quinn.
"The Storm have been really welcoming, going back to even the [former coach] Dan Hughes era," Raman said. "Being able to come in and watch practices. ... Having the type of access I was able to have in 2024 in that training camp, it was really, really special to see the progress that they had made as an organization."
Before opening their new headquarters in 2024, which houses both basketball operations and the team's business staff, Seattle practiced using a single court at nearby Seattle Pacific University.
"It certainly didn't hinder their ability to compete and win championships, no matter where they practiced, but getting to see them in that facility -- so much more that you can do with that space," Raman said. "Also just being able to build community, build team bonds by all being in the same building before practice, after practice, treatment. Their performance space, just incredible, at the highest level of the league. I really noted that and just how easy it was to connect with everybody there."
Now, it will be up to Raman to take advantage of Seattle's facilities, which she said are "going to fit very nicely with my effort to be really efficient, maximize time and really focus on growth and getting better every day."
Raman developed that emphasis on player development at the college level, where she inherited an MIT program that had gone 7-58 (.107) in conference play the previous five seasons. Raman led the Engineers to their first two New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference titles and NCAA Division III tournament appearances in school history.
That continued in the NBA, where Raman joined the Grizzlies as they were building around first-round picks Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. The Grizzlies reached the playoffs in three of Raman's four seasons on staff, winning their first playoff series since 2015 during that span.
With the Storm, Raman will be tasked with guiding the development of center Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 pick of the 2025 draft who earned WNBA All-Rookie honors as the league's youngest player at age 19.
"She was a problem coaching against her, I will say that," Raman said, having seen Malonga put up 11 points and eight rebounds in 10 minutes to lead a Seattle comeback July 6 at New York. "Really, really excited to coach her and get to know her, both on and off the court and really start to build where she can go next. What does that sophomore leap look like for her? I think it's really important not to pigeonhole her in terms of position or in terms of skill set but really imagine kind of a positionless type of future for her and really see how we can move her around on both ends."
Because all five Seattle starters -- four of whom were All-Stars this year -- are set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason, Raman said she doesn't know how the rest of her first roster might look. Having started her time in Memphis with a focus on the defensive end before shifting to offense, Raman wants the Storm's identity to start with multiple efforts on defense and carry over to up-tempo offense with an emphasis on floor spacing and half-court execution.
That latter factor could be key for Seattle, which ranked ninth in the WNBA in points per possession outside of transition in 2025, according to GeniusIQ tracking. That was last among playoff teams. Difficulty executing down the stretch was a factor in the Storm's 4-9 record in games decided by five points or fewer, tied for the most such losses in the league. Those painful close losses surely influenced Seattle's decision not to retain Quinn, whose contract expired after five seasons.
"I think it starts with we're going to compete every night," Raman said of her philosophy. "We're going to have this growth mindset of getting better every day. We're going to instill this selfless, together, team-first, sacrifice for each other, celebrate each other's accomplishments mentality. Instill a culture of accountability and bring joy every day into the building and everything we do.
"I think that is certainly something I have seen from the Storm for a long time over the years and hope to kind of embody and continue and keep growing."