The Seattle Storm have signed guard Taylor Thierry to a developmental player contract. Thierry, who was selected No. 36 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, played 17 games in the WNBA last season.
Before her WNBA career, Thierry was a standout at Ohio State, ranking fifth in program history in field goal percentage (59.7%) and 10th in steals (234). During her collegiate career, she earned multiple accolades, including:
- All-Big Ten Second Team (2023, 2024)
- All-Big Ten Defensive Team (2023, 2025)
- 2025 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist
"Lockdown Defender 🔥
@OhioStateWBB’s Taylor Thierry has been a force on defense all season long—as a semifinalist for our Naismith Women’s DPOY presented by @moleculesleep, she’s proven why she’s one of the toughest defenders out there‼️
Thierry’s hustle has earned her 231…"
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy), March 16, 2025
The Storm’s other developmental player is Taina Mair, the 14th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Mair, who played collegiately at Duke and Boston College, was the 2026 ACC Tournament MVP, averaging 9.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
The Storm are currently 1-2 to begin the 2026 WNBA season, with wins against the Connecticut Sun and losses to the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto Tempo.
The team’s leading scorers include:
- Dominique Malonga: 16 points, 7.3 rebounds
- Jade Melbourne: 14 points, 5 assists
- Flau’jae Johnson: 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds
- Stefanie Dolson: 9.3 points, 4 rebounds
This season marks the WNBA’s first with developmental players—athletes with less than three years of experience who participate in all team activities, receive a $750 weekly stipend, and can be activated for up to 12 games. When activated, players earn approximately $6,000 per game and may eventually transition to standard contracts.
Other notable developmental players in the league include Maddy Westbeld (Chicago Sky) and Kate Martin (Los Angeles Sparks), who held standard contracts last season. Some teams, such as the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces, still have open developmental player spots.
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