by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
February 20, 2026
The former WNBA player will finish out the current season before joining the Storm later this year
The WNBA’s Seattle Storm just announced the hiring of Michigan women’s basketball general manager and assistant coach, Natalie Achonwa. She will join the franchise for the upcoming 2026 season.
The Storm is also adding two other assistant coaches, Jarell Christian and Michael Joiner, to the sidelines alongside new head coach Sonia Raman, who was hired in November.
Achonwa will stay on staff at Michigan for the rest of the season before officially joining the Storm, completing her second season. Last year, she was the assistant coach for player development.
She is a former player who is a four-time Canadian Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024). She was also an assistant coach for Canada’s U19 World Cup team in 2025. After the Indiana Fever drafted her with the ninth overall pick in 2014, she played for the team from 2015 to 2020. After a stint overseas, she came back to play for the Minnesota Lynx from 2021 to 2023, before leaving the league to become a coach.
While playing in the WNBA, Achonwa was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2014 and was awarded the 2019 WNBA Community Assist Award and the 2020 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.
Maize N Brew has reported that Achonwa, in her coaching capacity, has helped Michigan to an impressive 22-4 overall record this season, with a 13-2 Big Ten Conference record. The basketball team is currently ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll, one of the highest in program history.
The media outlet also stated that in 2024, Achonwa was the inaugural recipient of the Alex Morgan Foundation’s “Coaching Moms Initiative,” which supports high-potential college coaches. The grant supports coaches by providing childcare funding assistance.
The WNBA season is in jeopardy of not starting by the May 8 season-opening date. The league and the players are at a stalemate in negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.
RELATED CONTENT: WNBPA Lowers Demands, Yet WNBA Remains Far From Deal For Upcoming Season
