New York Liberty assistant Sonia Rahman has agreed to a multi-year deal to become the Seattle Storm's new head coach, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.
Raman made WNBA history by becoming the first Indian-American female head coach to serve as an NBA assistant coach.
Raman served as an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2020-24 and served as an assistant coach for the Liberty last season.
Klutch Sports' Andy Latack and Steve Neff hold talks with the Storm over a new contract.
Seattle fired head coach Noelle Quinn on Sept. 21, three days after losing to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. The Storm compiled a 97-89 record in five seasons as head coach after Quinn replaced Dan Hughes, who retired midway through the 2021 season.
This is Seattle's first comprehensive coaching search since hiring Hughes in October 2017. The Storm won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2020, the latter with Gary Kloppenburg as head coach, when Hughes failed a physical to participate in the WNBA bubble season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
“I think we're looking for a leader, someone who can manage the team and really establish a new identity,” Seattle general manager Talitha Rea told ESPN last month. “There's a lot of uncertainty and we're entering a new chapter and league-wide, there's a lot of excitement about someone being able to really put his stamp on the team and build confidence, build team chemistry and establish an identity on the court that will ultimately lead to us trying to compete in the next few years.”
Storm All-Stars Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Brittany Sykes and Gabby Williams will all become unrestricted free agents this offseason, as will nearly every WNBA veteran who signed a new collective bargaining agreement to increase their salaries.
However, Seattle signed Dominique Malonga, the top pick in the 2025 draft, to a contract and she was named to the All-Rookie team as the league's youngest player. The addition of Raman leaves her former team, the Liberty, as the only WNBA team looking for a head coach.