Quinn Earns Victory in First Game as Storm Head Coach

Everett, Wash. – The Seattle Storm earned an 88-73 victory over the Indiana Fever on Tuesday to pick up their fifth-straight victory of the 2021 WNBA season, but it was the first-career win for new Head Coach – and UCLA Hall of Famer – Noelle Quinn.
 
Following the victory, Quinn acknowledged the relative craziness of taking the coaching reins of the Storm early in the season, but made it clear she was focused on her typical routine heading into the evening.
 
"Obviously this has been an eventful few days," said Quinn. "I haven't really checked my phone, but I've talked to some very important people in my life that have encouraged me and supported me." 
 
"Today, I tried to keep it as normal as possible routine-wise," she said.  
 
Seattle superstar Breanna Stewart led the way with a game-high 28 points, adding six rebounds and three assists in the performance. In a mid-game interview, Stewart voiced her support for Quinn as she took the coaching helm of the organization.
 
"[We are] excited to transition with 'Noey' and to take this next step with her. We just have her back 100 percent and we know she has ours."
 
Tuesday's contest was Quinn's first as Head Coach after being elevated from her assistant role following the retirement of former Head Coach Dan Hughes. She has served on the Storm's coaching staff since 2019 following a 13-year playing career that saw her secure an WNBA title with the Storm in her final season in 2018. After serving as an Assistant Coach in 2019, Quinn was elevated to the role of Associate Head Coach for the 2020 season that saw the Storm defeat the Las Vegas Aces for the WNBA title.
 
In her introductory press conference, Quinn referenced the list of current and former Black female head coaches in the WNBA and acknowledged the significance of becoming the first Black Head Coach in Storm history.
 
"They crawled so I could walk; I sit on those shoulders," she remarked. "I don't do things for a title. I don't do things for clout. I just do things to help others. I do things to have impact. And for me to be the first of something, that's amazing. That touches me."
 
Noelle Quinn at UCLA
Quinn put together a prolific career as a Bruin from 2003-07. She started 106 of the 107 games in which she appeared and compiled 1,829 points across her four years in Westwood, the seventh-most in program history. She helped lead UCLA to its first and only Pac-10 Tournament title in 2006 and played in the 2004 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments. Quinn was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2020.