The Seattle Storm are in their rebuilding era. As they hang the jerseys of their trailblazers in the rafters, they’ve opened the doors to the approaching changers of the game.

Leading that next chapter is one of the youngest trios the League has seen: Dominique Malonga, the French phenom redefining what’s possible at her position; Awa Fam, the smooth and versatile Spanish standout with a veteran’s feel for the game; and Flau’jae Johnson, the LSU national champion whose relentless energy, confidence and flair have made her one of basketball’s brightest young stars.

This group has its eyes set on bringing the next championship to Seattle. But before they can embark on that journey, they first have to build their foundation and lean on one another as they find their way back to the glory days of Storm basketball.

It’s not only about strength in numbers, but strength at their core: confidence, faith, accountability and finding where each piece fits best. Trusting in themselves and in each other to continue finding their will to win, even in the midst of the rain.

The clock starts now–not as a countdown to greatness, but as the beginning of a new era. Or, perhaps more fittingly, the first chapter of new beginnings.

SLAM: Let’s talk about draft night and everyone’s reaction to Seattle’s picks?

DOM: We watched draft day here. I had my teammates over, I cooked, and we watched the draft. Awa, I mean, obviously, she got drafted third. We knew it. And then we were eating because we got the most important pick. We were just following along, and then they announced the trade. I’m telling you, we screamed. The way we jumped on the TV when they announced the trade for Flau’jae… That was the most amazing thing that happened for us that night, actually.

SLAM: How has it been becoming teammates and learning through the process?

DOM: I was really excited about building the team. Free agency was kind of hard for Seattle. We’re not going to lie. We had a lot of posts. In terms of guards, we were like, Okay, who’s going to be our top guard? Then that trade was so clutch. We were just so excited. And then, when they arrived—I mean, both of them—we were so excited to have them. We really wanted them to feel welcome. That’s why we did the biggest thing for them, because they deserve the biggest welcome. We’re so happy you’re here.

FLAU’JAE: When I came in, it was lit. We had “Welcome Flau’jae” at the top. Everybody was here. When Awa came, I was like, I want her to experience that. I want her to feel how I felt when I came in. It was great. Seattle Storm, shout out to our people. They did good.

AWA: It was a crazy moment, really. An amazing feeling. You come here and they receive you super well. You feel like a family, you know? So it was really, really nice.

SLAM: Flau’jae, what’s the biggest difference between choosing where you wanted to play in college and being drafted by an organization that’s choosing you?

FLAU’JAE: In college, you have more control. You know what I’m saying? I’m going to pick. In this situation, you’re getting chosen. It was different. It was humbling, to say the least. They were really taking a chance on me. They traded up to come get me. They really wanted me to be a part of this. It was an amazing feeling to know they were saying, We really want you here.

SLAM: Each of you brings something different–dominance, energy, smoothness. But, together, people already see the makings of a big three. As one of the youngest cores in the League, how do you approach those expectations for what you can build together?

DOM: I think it feels good. We love that. We’re competitors. We want to win and that’s what matters. We don’t even think about being young. We just know we’re able to hoop. We can play with anybody in this League. Actually, our youth is our strength. We have a lot of energy, and we never stop. I really can’t wait to keep developing this chemistry with the two of them because I think that’s a real big three right there. We’re going to do great things. So it doesn’t even matter if we’re young or not.

FLAU’JAE: We’re just learning each other. Give us some time to gel. Give us some time to stir the pot a little bit, get the gumbo cooking. I like playing with them because I learn so much from them. Dom is a real pro. She comes in every day ready. She doesn’t get startled at all. She’s really poised. I feel like they mellow me out a little bit because I’m always on ten. So I try to get to, like, five or six with them. We’re definitely the youngest in charge. Just let it cook.

AWA: Yeah, I feel the same. We are rookies. She has more experience than us, so we’re learning from Dom. It’s more like, Okay, be chill. Be patient. This is the start. Keep going, and this is going to be really, really great.

SLAM: What have you guys asked of each other in this process of growing and gelling while figuring it out? How do you stay poised in that?

FLAU’JAE: I want them to hold me accountable. I feel like that’s the best way to grow as a team. I can be held accountable. She can be held accountable. We’re all trying to grow. Dom has always been patient with learning and stuff. For me, it’s just patience. We’re learning from each other how you want the ball, where you want the ball, where you’re going to set the screen, where you’re going to pop. That’s a big thing. Keeping our composure is going to be huge because it’s a lot of games. It’s a long season. We kind of just have to stay together.

DOM: I think it’s also just by showing up and staying consistent. By getting reps together, we’re going to get better. So we show up every day. We practice and I love that because we’re all hard workers here. We don’t count the hours we spend here. That’s what really matters. We just want to improve so much. Of course, we want to win. We can be a little defeated sometimes, but we have each other to lift everybody’s heads up and keep going. That’s because we have a great foundation. Even beyond basketball skills, just the people they are, it’s a great foundation. You want to go to war with those girls. That foundation makes everything so much easier because I’m happy to see them every day. I love sharing the court with them.

AWA: It seems like we’ve been playing together for two or three months, and it’s not even like that. I just arrived three weeks ago, not even a month and I already feel super comfortable. This is just the start. If I feel this comfortable after one month, I’m going to feel even more comfortable and confident with them in four years, I hope.

SLAM: All three of you have had people projecting greatness onto you for years. Now that you’re on the same team, how do you embrace your own expectations while making sure the focus stays on what you can build together?

DOM: We can’t wait too. It’s exciting. Of course, you want to show it on the court right away. People see it, but we know it too. We know we’re great players. Despite all the expectations, we have those expectations for ourselves. The first thing is that we want to win. We want to win as a team. To win, we have to be our best selves. We know there are expectations, but those expectations come from us, the team, and the organization. We have so many things to prove not for other people, but for ourselves. That’s what keeps us going.

FLAU’JAE: I understand the prophecies and all of that, but what I’m learning here is that it’s all about the process. It’s about showing up every day, like Dom said, and being consistent. That’s going to be the biggest thing for us because we’re building. We’re really building. Enjoying that process and growing together, while playing with great players, is what makes you better. I want to go to work with my teammates. I don’t want to let my teammates down. We’re all going to fulfill those prophecies, but it’s going to happen through the process. It’s going to be dope to see how it unfolds.

AWA: I just feel grateful to be here. It’s exciting every day. I wake up and tell myself, Okay, I’m in the W. I need to be ready for practice, ready for my teammates, ready for my coach. I feel grateful to be here. I want to enjoy the moment and just keep playing. Good things are going to come. This is a dream for us. I’m just happy to be here and enjoy the moment.

SLAM: A letter to the city of Seattle?

FLAU’JAE: In my British accent?

DOM: It’s really good. All right, ready? It’s crazy.

FLAU’JAE: Dear Seattle, we want to say thank you so much for supporting us throughout our process. We believe we’ll bring something amazing to the city that came before the Storm. From Awa, Dom, and Flau’jae, we love you, we thank you for the support, and we’ll see you at Climate Pledge.

SLAM: What’s a closing message you’d like to leave with each other?

AWA: We’re going to win games, okay? Really. We’re going to win games.

DOM: No doubt.

FLAU’JAE: No, we’re going to lock in for real. These are really my dogs. I’m just so happy I get to play with y’all. I’m so happy I get to grow with y’all. There’s going to be a whole lot of action, a whole lot of dunks, a whole lot of fades, and a whole lot of lays coming.

DOM: I’m really happy to play with these girls. What’s most exciting to me is that this is year one of we don’t know how many years. I want to be here to stay and I want this group to be here to stay and build something for as long as we can. I just can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like in a couple of years.

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