May 9, 2026 — Seattle, WA — The Seattle Storm hosted the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena in front of 14,200 fans — the largest crowd ever for a season opener in franchise history. Despite a strong first half from Seattle, the Valkyries rallied in the second half to claim a 91–80 victory.
The evening began with a special performance from guest artist I’nai Bridges of the Seattle Opera, who delivered a stunning rendition of the national anthem.
Fans also gave a warm welcome to former Storm player Gabby Williams, who humbly waved to the crowd before tip-off. Some supporters wore pink wigs in playful tribute to Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman.
Before the game, the Storm announced the full 2026 season roster, followed by spotlight introductions for the team’s six new starters. Continuing a longstanding Storm tradition, each starting player handed a basketball to a young fan — many of them young girls who may one day aspire to become future WNBA stars.
Seattle led for most of the first half, featuring an impressive performance by Dominique Malonga, the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 200 rebounds. In her first start, Malonga scored 21 points—just one shy of her career high—shooting 8-for-15 and grabbing eight rebounds.
However, fouls and a handful of costly mistakes allowed Golden State to chip away at Seattle’s lead. Malonga was also charged with multiple offensive fouls during the contest.
Jade Melbourne made 4 of 5 shots, hit all her free throws, and scored 2 of 3 three-pointers, marking her 50th career three-pointer.
Melbourne also lost part of a front tooth late in the first half. During postgame interviews, she laughed off questions about the injury, saying, “It’s good — I’ll head to the dentist.”
Zia Cooke recorded career highs in both points and rebounds, finishing with 15 points and seven boards while shooting 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Flau’jae Johnson, in her WNBA regular-season debut, added 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists
The Valkyries were led by three-point specialist Janelle Salaün, who scored 20 points, while Veronica Burton contributed 16 points in the win.
Up Next: The Storm’s first road game of the season is against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, May 10, at 10 A.M Pacific.
Watch: CW Seattle
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