Two free agents are returning to the Seattle Storm for the 2026 season.
The Storm re-signed guard Zia Cooke and forward Mackenzie Holmes, the team announced Saturday.
In addition to retaining Cooke and Holmes, the Storm also officially announced the signing of free agent guard Natasha Hiedeman. Reports first surfaced Friday Hiedeman is signing a two-year deal with the team. The Storm did not release specifics on Hiedeman’s contract.
Specifics were not released on the contracts for Cookie, Holmes or Hiedeman.
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Cooke, 29, appeared 26 games off the bench during two separate stints with the Storm last season. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 3.5 points and 10.0 minutes per game while shooting 35.7% from the field, a career-high 39.5% from 3-point range and 65.2% from the free-throw line.
The Storm traded Cooke to the Washington Mystics last year in early August for guard Brittney Sykes, but they were able to reacquire her off waivers two weeks later.
Cooke, the 10th overall pick in the 2023 draft, is averaging 4.0 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 94 career games with the Storm and Los Angeles Sparks over three seasons.
Holmes, 25, was a third-round pick by the Storm in the 2024 draft and missed the 2024 season due to knee surgery. The 6-foot-3 forward was cut by Seattle at the end of training camp last season, but re-signed with the team in June. She appeared in 10 games, totaling 10 points, nine rebounds and five steals while averaging 5.8 minutes per contest. Holmes shot 5 of 7 from the field in her limited action.
The 29-year-old Hiedeman spent the past two seasons in a reserve role with the Minnesota Lynx, and finished second in the Sixth Person of the Year Award voting for 2025 after averaging 9.1 points, 2.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. She shot 49.2% from the field, 37.1% on 3-pointers and 76.1% on free throws.
Prior to going to Minnesota, the 5-foot-8 Hiedeman played the first five years of her WNBA career with the Connecticut Sun, who picked her in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft out of Marquette.
The signings come as Seattle is losing two major pieces of its team in free agency. Ten-time All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike departed to return to the Sparks, while seven-time All-Star point guard signed with the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
Forward Gabby Williams also appears to be leaving Seattle after posting a message on her Instagram account Friday night that said, “Thank You Seattle. Love, Gabby.” ESPN’s Andraya Carter reported Williams will sign with the Las Vegas Aces, Golden State Valkyries or Minnesota Lynx.
The Storm open the regular season at home May 8 against Golden State.
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