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Jordan Horston is recalling Draft day back in April, when the Seattle Storm selected her ninth overall. It was a total shock to the rookie. The Storm never spoke to her prior to the Draft because they thought she would have been picked by the time it was their chance to select. Turns out the 6-2 guard was a steal for the organization.
But there was a time when she wasn’t sure she’d put her name in this year’s draft at all. The University of Tennessee grad, who averaged 12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 4.0 apg, felt that there was “unfinished business,” since the Lady Vols didn’t advance past the Sweet 16 during her time in Knoxville. But after a lot of thought, she decided to go for it.
“I just feel like it was my time. I prayed a lot about it and I feel like this is what God wanted me to do,” Horston says. “It was a better chance to go out this year rather than next year because that draft class is going to be stacked. I listened to my prayers and I feel like I made the right decision.”
Every player has one moment, that moment when they realize they’ve made it. Horston describes her first W game as an “oh my gosh” moment, because she was finally playing with and against players she had long admired. Each game now is a learning experience, and Horston is set on becoming the best player she can possibly be.
“Every game I’m just trying to get better, trying to learn something, trying to grow,” she says. “Each and every game I’m learning something that I can get better at.” As of press time, Horston has played in 12 of the Storm’s 14 games, averaging 7.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per.
With the retirement of legend Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart now in New York, the 2023 Storm looks a lot different than it did a year ago. The team welcomed nine new players to its roster, including four rookies.
“It’s not gonna click right away because we’re new, we’re young, but it’s just getting a feel for where people want the ball at, where people’s sweet spots [are],” Horston says. “It just comes with time.”
With such a young team, head coach Noelle Quinn and her staff have put time and effort into building player connections off the court. Quinn expects that chemistry to carry over to games. “Just keeping them in the pocket of togetherness and chemistry will go a long way,” she told The Seattle Times.
The players have “accountability partners,” a system created to work on their bonds with each other. Partners are expected to do activities together, like grabbing coffee. “People care about each other, check up on each other. It’s all coming from love,” Horston says. “When you have that, the chemistry is going to come naturally.”
Horston credits her time at UT with helping her learn how to take care of herself: her mind, body and happiness. But the League is a whole different game when it comes to physicality and competition.
“It’s not really something you can prepare for,” she says. “It’s completely different from what I have done in college. In the League, you have more of a flow. You just play. It feels almost like picking up with a team, and I love that.”
As for her game, Horston is staying true to how she has always played. “I’m a transition player. I like to get it and go,” she explains. Just like in her college days, she is still keen on mid-range shots and operating out of pick-and-rolls. And she is always aggressive and willing to sacrifice her body to chase a loose ball. As she adjusts to a new team, the guard is setting more ball screens and learning how to thrive.
Another adjustment is living in a new city, so we had to ask, is the West Coast the best coast? Horston, who went to high school in Columbus, OH, is a big fan. “The change in atmosphere has been great,” she tells us. “I should’ve always lived on the West Coast.”
Before the move to Seattle, Jordan says she wasn’t a morning person, but the move has helped her build a new routine, which includes getting up at 6 a.m., making breakfast and hitting the gym early to put up shots. “The time difference has been amazing for me.”
She also enjoys her surroundings, how close she is to everything in the city and how kind the people are, pointing out that every Uber driver has been super nice.
“Everybody here is genuine,” she says. “I really feel like this is the best opportunity for me to grow as a person, because there are so many good people around me. You know, that’s rare. It’s not something that you see often.”
As excited as Horston was to be drafted, the timing meant that she couldn’t attend her graduation and receive her degree in Communications with a minor in Information Science. But her new Storm family made sure she got her ceremony.
Horston was staying after practice one day to get up extra shots—as she typically does—when the team told her that she had to leave the gym. She went to the locker room, where people were following her around and acting weird. When she went back into the gym, it was set up for a surprise graduation ceremony, and her whole team was there to celebrate.
“If I would’ve known they were doing that, I would’ve begged them not to,” Horston says, “because I’m really awkward in situations like that. But it just goes to show that they care. It made me feel special that day, and they really didn’t have to do it. I just really appreciated it.”
That week, in addition to celebrating her graduation and turning 22, Horston got to play in her first WNBA game, against the reigning champs, no less. She finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. And despite being a rookie, Horston played 24 minutes, tied for the third most on the team.
She’s got her sights set on some off-court endeavors, too, namely within the fashion world. She showed up to the Draft in a black checkered Louis Vuitton blazer, perfectly tailored pants and stacked jewelry. She originally had a stylist for the event, but her outfit didn’t fit right, so she took matters into her own hands and found the perfect replacement outfit the day before the Draft. The last-minute fit was a crowd favorite, even being mentioned in USA Today’s list of the best outfits from the Draft.
“You can ask anybody. You can ask my mom. I can be going to the grocery store, and I will be putting on a fit,” she says. “I always like to dress nice; it makes me feel good.”
Horston has high expectations for her rookie season. Her goals include making an All-Rookie Team and winning Rookie of the Year.
“I just want to grow in every aspect of my life and learn how to be a pro,” she says, “so I can be in this League for a long time. I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I can be. This is where I’m made to be.”
Photos via Getty Images.
