SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm has added three new assistant coaches to Head Coach Sonia Raman’s staff ahead of the upcoming season, hiring Natalie Achonwa, Jarell Christian and Michael Joiner.
Raman will lead the team in her first season after being hired in November.
Achonwa joins the Storm after two seasons at the University of Michigan. She most recently served as general manager and assistant coach after an initial year as assistant coach of player development. Achonwa is a four-time Canadian Olympian, competing in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, and she represented Canada as an assistant coach for the U19 World Cup team in 2025.
Drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in 2014, Achonwa played nine seasons in the WNBA. She earned All-Rookie Team honors in 2014, along with the 2019 WNBA Community Assist Award and the 2020 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. Achonwa will complete the 2025-26 college basketball season with the Wolverines before transitioning to her role with the Storm.
Christian most recently served as the general manager of the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League, where he led the team to three consecutive 30-plus win seasons for the first time in franchise history. In 2023, he served as the director of player development for the Maine Celtics while also working with the Boston Celtics’ player development staff, becoming the first person in NBA history to hold roles with both staffs simultaneously.
From 2023 to 2025, Christian worked as a scout for the Celtics, evaluating the Atlantic, Central, Pacific and Southeast divisions. He previously served as the Maine Celtics’ head coach during the 2021-22 season. Before his time in Boston, Christian served as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards from 2019 to 2021 and as head coach of the Capital City Go-Go during the 2018-19 season.
Joiner comes to Seattle after two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where he served as an assistant coach specializing in player development and defensive strategy. In 2025, the Mercury consistently ranked among the league’s top five teams in defensive rating. Before joining Phoenix, Joiner served as an assistant coach with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, and as a player development coach for the Grizzlies. While with Memphis, he worked closely with Raman, collaborating on scouting preparation and the team’s defensive system.
The league and its players are currently under collective bargaining negotiations heading into the 2026 season.
Storm season tickets and mini and flex plans are available for the 2026 season. Group and premium experiences are expected to go on sale in late February, and single-game tickets will go on sale this spring. More information is available at http://storm.wnba.com or by calling (206) 217-WNBA (9622).