Free-agent guard Kia Nurse is signing with the Seattle Storm, the team announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Nurse, 26, was selected with the No. 10 pick by the Liberty in the 2018 WNBA Draft after four years at UConn.
- She spent the past two seasons in Phoenix but missed the entire 2022 season recovering from a torn right ACL in the 2021 playoffs.
- The one-time All-Star has averaged 11 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game in her career.
- Nurse returned from her injury in September to play with Team Canada at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. She averaged 11 points in 21 minutes per game across eight contests.
Welcome to Seattle, @KayNurse11! ⛈️
📰 https://t.co/B4DrOqBzq0#TakeCover pic.twitter.com/EOtn0dOGJ9
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) February 3, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How does Nurse fit with the Storm?
While playing for Canada last fall, Nurse grew even more familiar with Storm coach Noelle Quinn, who is one of the assistant coaches for the Canadian national team. Quinn said in a statement Friday that after watching Nurse with Canada basketball, and in the WNBA more broadly, she was “so excited for the opportunity to coach Kia again.”
“She is a special player that will elevate what we are trying to do on both sides…
