27
Sep
Exit Interview
One text and Jade Melbourne felt she could drop 50
Jade Melbourne and Ezi Magbegor high-five during the Seattle Storm’s game against the Portland Fire at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on July 4, 2026. Picture: Jane Gershovich/NBAE via Getty Images
Press Conferences
The 8-36 record hid it, but the Victorian point guard had the best season of her career in Seattle
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Jade Melbourne’s career-defining year for both the Seattle Storm and Australian Opals ended without a playoff berth, a World Cup podium finish and teammate Ezi Magbegor.
But the 24-year-old Victorian point guard used her own Storm Exit Interview to share just how important the Australian Opals captain is to her.
“Ezi is one of the toughest and most resilient people I know,” Melbourne said.
“This is not at all how she wanted her year to go. No one wants to rupture their ACL, but she’s going to attack the rehab and be back.
“Her growth on the leadership side has really stood out. You’re never going to get the rah-rah from Ezi, but you get this calm sense that she has your back.
“She has a great relationship with every person in the locker room. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t touched the court in 10 games – Ezi has your back, and she’s going to empower you.
“She sent me a text message this year, and I felt like I could drop 50 that night. She knows how to reach people. We’re all going to be by her side through this rehab, and when she comes back, she’s going to be better than ever.”
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Melbourne played 42 games for the 8-36 Storm in 2026, started 32 and averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists – all career highs after re-signing with the Storm after two seasons at the Washington Mystics.
“When you sign up for a team, especially coming into this season, you have to have an open mind,” Melbourne said.
“Even in free agency, when I asked, ‘What’s my role?’, it was like ‘Well, we don’t have a team yet’.
“There was stuff you couldn’t predict.
"The best thing about my season was that I feel like I was consistent throughout. The team knew exactly what they could get from me night in, night out. I was always going to bring energy and get my feet in the paint.
“Regardless of whether I was starting, coming off the bench or being an energy spark, you knew the energy, effort, intensity and skill set you were going to get from me. I feel like that’s the first year I can say that. Upon reflection, that’s what I can pride myself on this season.”
Magbegor, who signed a maximum deal under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, missed a large chunk of the start of the season, and it heavily impacted the Storm on both sides of the ball.
“No one gave up,” Melbourne declared.
“You look at the young big three and think the future is really bright in Seattle.
“We had 14 really good people on the roster at the end. We wanted a better win-loss record, but we’re walking out of here saying, ‘I’m going to miss you’.
"We got behind one another. You’d see someone work on something in player development, pull it off in a game, and everyone on the bench would be up – coaches included.
“(Head coach) Sonia (Raman) set the tone with that ‘Play with Joy’ message. We had really good people in the locker room and on the coaching staff.
“That can be a really cool environment for people to want to play in.”
It was Raman’s first year at the helm after the Storm parted ways with Noelle Quinn. Quinn coached the Storm for five seasons and went 97-89 (.522).
“I think she did great,” Melbourne said.
“The first time doing anything is never easy. From day one, she wanted to lay the foundation and create a culture for Seattle basketball. The way we stuck together this year – she has her fingerprints all over that.
“She’s a really smart person. She loves numbers, and as someone who didn’t go to college and doesn’t love school, I was pretty overwhelmed by the numbers at the start. But I learned the analytical side of the game through her lens.
“You could see her growth throughout the season, too. We were executing plays beautifully out of timeouts. Her growth, like everyone else’s on this team, was huge.
“I really enjoyed learning from her.”
Melbourne is expected to arrive in Bendigo within the next 10 days to start preparing for WNBL27 alongside Australian Opals teammate Isobel Borlase.
The Spirit face Melbourne’s former club, UC Capitals, in Canberra on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 3pm (AEDT).
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