Michael Brennan wins Wyndham Championship for second TOUR victory
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 09: Michael Brennan of the United States poses with the winner’s trophy after winning the Wyndham Championship 2026 at Sedgefield Country Club on August 09, 2026 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The regular season has officially come and gone.
Michael Brennan took home the final regular season tournament as he emerged victorious at the Wyndham Championship. Brennan finished 22-under which cleared the nearest challenger, Beau Hossler, by a whole three strokes.
This is the second career victory on the PGA Tour for Brennan as he won the Bank of Utah Championship last year. He is the third straight winner under the age of 25 so there is a real youthful renaissance happening out on the course these days.
On the subject of streaks, the Wyndham specifically has a bit of one going with Wake Forest alum. Brennan is the second straight Demon Deacon to win the event as Cameron Young did last year. Incidentally, both were economics majors at the university.
Brennan leapt from 105 in the FedExCup standings to 47 so he has some work ahead. The playoffs get going this week and are certainly going to be interesting to monitor.
Webb Simpson named Presidents Cup Captain’s Assistant
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 23: United States Assistant Captain Webb Simpson on the course during the second round Four-Ball matches of Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow September 23, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
The United States staff continues to add.
We have a month and change before this year’s Presidents Cup gets underway at Medinah and when it does Webb Simpson will officially part of the American contingent.
From Monday’s announcement:
U.S. Team Captain Brandt Snedeker announced today that Webb Simpson will return as the team’s third captain’s assistant for the 2026 Presidents Cup, which will be played at Medinah Country Club’s Course No. 3, Sept. 22-27.
Simpson joins 2024 Presidents Cup U.S. Team Captain Jim Furyk and 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain Keegan Bradley as captain’s assistants for the U.S. Team. Snedeker has one remaining spot available to round out his slate of captain’s assistants.
“Webb embodies everything you want in an assistant,” Snedeker said. “He has competed at the highest level, has represented our country on various teams and he’s earned tremendous respect from players across generations. His experience as a Presidents Cup competitor, major champion and seven-time PGA TOUR winner gives him a valuable perspective. The guys tend to gravitate toward Webb, and I know he’ll have a strong and positive impact in the team room.”
This is the second instance in which Webb will serve as an assistant for a Presidents Cup team as he was a part of the fold at Quail Hollow back in 2022. Webb participated in three Presidents Cups himself and compiled a 5-3-2 record in the process.
Panathinaikos Owner Says He Made Offer To Buy Out Nikola Jokic
Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos said he made a formal proposal to the Denver Nuggets to buy Nikola Jokic out of the final season of his current contract, and believes he can eventually lure the star center to Greece once he becomes a free agent.
“People are going to say, ‘Ok, now he’s joking,'” Giannakopoulos told the Euro Insiders podcast. “I did make a very serious proposal this year both to his team and to him. I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year of a contract.”
Jokic has two years and $121.8 million remaining on his current deal, though the second season is a player option, giving him the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. Jokic became eligible for a four-year, $278 million max extension on June 14 but has chosen not to sign, citing financial reasons while expressing his desire to remain in Denver long term. Jokic will be eligible to sign a five-year, $359.5 million contract with the Nuggets in July 2027, which would set a new NBA record for the largest deal in league history.
Giannakopoulos said the Nuggets rejected his proposal almost immediately, but he intends to pursue Jokic again once he reaches free agency, and encouraged podcast hosts to contact Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, to verify the seriousness of his offer.
“It took a few seconds (for the Nuggets) to say, ‘Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,'” said Giannakopoulos. “But let’s wait until next year.”
Giannakopoulos previously attempted to sign veteran center Jonas Valanciunas away from Denver last summer, an effort that generated confusion at the time before Valanciunas ultimately finished the season with the Nuggets. Valanciunas has since left the Nuggets for Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas this offseason.
The Nuggets signed veteran center Marvin Bagley III and retained reserve wing Spencer Jones by matching a two-year, $12 million offer sheet from the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason. The Nuggets have largely kept their expensive roster intact while continuing restricted free agency negotiations with Peyton Watson.
Don Nelson, Second Winningest Coach In NBA History, Dies At 86
Don Nelson, the second winningest coach in NBA history, a five-time NBA champion as a player and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has died, it was announced Sunday. He was 86.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” Nelson’s family said in a statement, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
In 31 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors (twice), New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, Nelson finished with a regular season record of 1,335-1,063. He retired with the most coaching wins ever, a mark that was broken by the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich in March 2022.
Nelson made 18 playoff appearances as a coach, finishing with a 75-91 postseason record.
The Charlotte Hornets and wing Kobe Stewart have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract. This is a training camp deal for Stewart that is set up for him to join the Greensboro Swarm of the G League after the preseason.
Stewart played in 46 G League games last season split between the Wisconsin Herd, Austin Spurs and Memphis Hustle. The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 7.7 points on 45.5% shooting and 3.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
Drew Brees is emotional looking back on his career as he heads into the Hall of Fame
CANTON, OHIO – AUGUST 06: Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is introduced prior to the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 06, 2026 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Drew Brees story takes its next step in Ohio on Saturday with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brees’s story is one of overcoming, and overcoming on his way to great success.
While “everything is bigger in Texas,” Brees’s home state, that wasn’t true of the soon-to-be gold jacket wearer, who stood at just six feet tall and just over 200 pounds in a time when quarterbacks were always 6’3” or taller with more girth. In a state where football is closer to a religion than a sport, in high school, Brees once thought about quitting football and focusing on baseball as his path forward.
Instead of giving up the sport, an injury to the starting quarterback led him to high levels of success before another hurdle: a torn ACL and MCL late in his junior season. Brees was able to return for his senior season, winning a state title and the biggest awards, but his size and injury led him to be recruited by just two schools, Purdue and Kentucky, despite all of his success.
Not exactly college football powerhouses, but even that was fitting for the Brees story.
Brees chose the Boilermakers as a part of Joe Tiller’s first recruiting class in 1997. Heading into that season, Purdue had 12 straight seasons of losing records. Not only losing records, but only one of those years did the Boilermakers win at least five games. During Brees’ four-year tenure, three as the full-time starter, Purdue strung together four straight winning seasons, with four bowl game appearances, including two Alamo Bowl victories and a Rose Bowl appearance.
In a different era than we see today, Brees was lighting up the box score in the Big 10 like a pinball machine. In three years as the starter, Brees completed over 60% of his passes (leading the conference twice), while throwing for over 3,300 yards each year (leading the conference all three seasons). Tossing (a lot) of touchdown passes to guys named Vinny Sutherland, John Standeford, Chris Daniels, Tim Stratton, and Isaac Jones, Brees was the engine that made things work at Purdue.
Despite his unusually small size for the position, Brees’ success led him to the then-San Diego Chargers, being selected with the top pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft.
While some fans only remember Brees as a part of the New Orleans Saints franchise, his four years as a starter in five seasons in San Diego saw a lot of success. After an 8-8 record in his first year as a starter, Brees led the Chargers to two winning seasons in his final three, throwing for over 12,000 yards as a part of the San Diego franchise.
In those four years, Brees proved that he could overcome his limited height and size to become a successful NFL quarterback. Then, in the 2005 regular season finale, this play led to a dislocated shoulder, a 360-degree tear of his labrum, and the most shoulder anchors ever used in a surgery at that time.
With another obstacle to overcome, Brees entered NFL free agency after having his throwing shoulder put back together with a major surgery. Much like his college recruitment, despite a proven track record, Brees was back to having only a few options for where to play.
Infamously, at least down in South Florida, the Miami Dolphins backed away from their pursuit of Brees due to their concerns about his shoulder’s health. That is when the Saints swooped in, with the backdrop of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, to recruit Brees to help lift their downtrodden franchise in the same way he did Purdue.
And lift it he did.
The Saints’ 2006 return to New Orleans and Brees’ first home game for his new team, after playing away from the city the previous year, was an emotional one for everyone.
The rest, as they say, is history. Impressive history, at that.
As Brees did with the Boilermakers, the Saints started winning football games with a league-leading quarterback. Brees led the NFL in completions, completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns in multiple seasons. New Orleans had seven seasons of double-digit wins, multiple playoff appearances, and, of course, the 2009 Super Bowl championship.
Now, in the birthplace of football, Brees enters the Hall of Fame. Overcoming major injuries, his limited size, being lightly recruited, having to lift struggling teams on his shoulders (one that he now cannot even use to throw a football), and helping the City of New Orleans move forward after the devastation of Katrina, Brees cannot help but get emotional when he looks back.
In an event in Canton, Ohio, the day before he is to be enshrined, Brees talked at a Raising Cane’s restaurant about his emotions as he looks back at his career:
Brees noted to those in attendance that he’s cried no less than 50 times while writing his Hall of Fame speech, one that he promises will go longer than his allotted time. Brees started to tear up as he talked about some of the different people he would be mentioning in his speech.
Showing off his impressive memory as well as his emotional connection to his career, Brees was asked about a favorite play that he remembers well. Brees said he remembers them all. Brees then shared what one of those plays would sound like when he called it in the huddle:
Did you get all of that? Me neither.
While Brees’ story has been one of overcoming, his former head coach, Sean Payton, saw greatness in the future for a Saints team that didn’t have a lot of it. Talking about playing in the Hall of Fame game in 2007, Brees recounted Payton’s message to the team and promise of more gold jackets for players on a team whose primary color is gold:
Despite the shoulder surgery, Brees, along with fellow greats like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, was able to compete at a high level into his 40s. While trying to patiently wait to eat some of the Cane’s chicken in front of him, Brees noted how experience was such an advantage and recounted how he’s told Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford that his best years could still be in front of him:
On Saturday, Brees enters the Hall of Football Immortals in Canton. Beyond that, Brees is still around football as a commentator and coaching his kids on the game. While overcoming obstacles has been a big part of the Brees story, perhaps he’s ready for a smooth ride for a bit. Given his history, if obstacles do pop up, we’d bet on Brees to take them on with all he has.
As for Saturday, we can expect tears and maybe lots of them:
Pato O’Ward on the 2026 IndyCar season and finding where you belong
LEXINGTON, OHIO – JULY 5: #5: Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet on the podium during the NTT INDYCAR Series Honda INDY 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 5, 2026 in Lexington, Ohio. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images) | Lumen via Getty Images
One of the perks of a job like mine is the opportunity to spend time with race car drivers. They are a joy to talk with, and each conversation leaves me walking away with some new knowledge that will help shape my coverage of motorsport going forward.
Every chance to chat with Pato O’Ward, however, takes that experience to a new level.
The IndyCar driver has become a face of the sport with good reason. His infectious personality, incredible charisma, and ability on the track have seen O’Ward become a global sensation and one of the sport’s bigger figures. While the 2026 campaign has seen some difficult moments on the track for O’Ward, he enters this weekend’s OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland sitting fifth in the championship standings, and coming off a recent return to the top step of the podium with a win at Mid-Ohio.
We caught up on Thursday night for a quick chat ahead of this weekend’s race in Portland, and while we did talk about racing, we talked about so much more.
And I walked away with a life lesson that certainly hit home.
Pato O’Ward 2026 IndyCar season
“Glitching.”
That was the word O’Ward used to describe his 2026 season to date when we spoke on Thursday night.
“Unexpected and surprising in a lot of ways, I would say,” elaborated the Arrow McLaren driver. “Obviously, every season is different, right? But what’s been so weird to me is that actually, all the tracks that always have been like my championship savers, I’d say like 85% of them have been completely the opposite of what is expected.
“Like the ovals this year has been the worst year I have ever had.”
Bommarito is one such example. After finishing on the podium at the race a year ago, O’Ward qualified ninth for this year’s installment, and finished down in P11.
“[The year] feels like it’s been glitching, in a way.”
Still, there have been some high points for hte driver who, as noted above, sits fifth in the championship standings. O’Ward returned to the top step of the podium with a win at Mid-Ohio, and the driver pointed to that as the high point of the season.
“It’s got to be the Mid-Ohio win,” said O’Ward when I asked him about the season’s high point. “Just being able to get things back on track where we’ve been strong, but also being able to execute in all cylinders, right?
“The pit stops, the strategy, the car was great, so, it was a nice weekend to put under our belt with like a full-on execution and that’s definitely been the high point this year.”
When asked about the toughest parts of the season so far, O’Ward pointed to a few different road courses.
“I feel like there’s there’s a few races that I would love to have back and I would say road courses because I know we won in Mid-Ohio, but then Road America, we got destroyed by the yellow and we were legitimately in contention to win that race. And then the [Indianapolis road course] we got taken out and we would have also been in contention to win.
“And then Barber, we were just nowhere and, just knowing what we do now, what was going on, it would have been nice to catch the issue first or earlier.”
Pato O’Ward answers reader questions
Every time I am lucky enough to chat with a driver, I ask readers to submit some questions. Some of the best interactions with a driver have come as a result.
Thursday night’s chat with O’Ward was no exception, as we got to talk about food, and life itself.
The first question focused on the brand-new McLaren Racing Center, a new state-of-the-art facility opened by Arrow McLaren in Indianapolis ahead of the 2026 season. One dear reader wanted to know how the facility made a difference in O’Ward’s preparation this season.
He compared it to moving from a starter home, into the top-floor penthouse.
“The vibe of it is completely different,” began O’Ward.
“I mean, where we were, we were at a level one starter apartment, and we took the elevator to the penthouse. It’s a huge difference in just what it feels like to be there. I’m assuming it’s completely different for all the guys and gals as well, working there. There’s more space, and man, you get there, and you’re like ‘[T]his is so cool that I’m a part of this, right?’
“And I think ultimately that just fuels you to be hungrier for success, and for wanting to make things come out the right way and just giving a little bit of the extra, the extra push that will go a long way.”
Another reader wanted to know O’Ward’s favorite IndyCar race, with the caveat that he could not pick the Indianapolis 500.
For not the first time during our conversation, and not for the last, O’Ward’s eyes lit up.
“Dude, Arlington was Badass. Arlington was awesome,” said the driver about the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, a new street race in Arlington, Texas.
“Oh my God, like Arlington … I’m so excited to go back there because the people that were there were so excited for this new event. Obviously, the turnout looked phenomenal on TV. It looked great, even for us in the car. It, it was awesome. So, Arlington definitely takes that one for me.”
O’Ward’s eyes lit up at the next reader question, which focused on the race experience away from the track. What stop on the schedule has the best local food, or restaurant, that he looks forward to each year?
The driver’s eyes lit up again.
“All right, so Saint Pete. Saint Pete’s got good ones. Phoenix has got good ones as well.”
O’Ward then returned to Arlington.
“The Dallas scene is insane. Like, you find everything you want in Dallas.
“And I might be a little bit biased because I love Texas, and I, you know, I spend a lot of time there.
“Actually, in a perfect world, I’d probably be living in Dallas. That’s probably where I would pick to move, maybe I do in the near future, but I do love Dallas and I gotta go with that one, man.
“It’s just, there’s too much at your disposal of whatever food you wanna, wanna look for, and it’s just a cool city.”
The final question dealt with a bit of news O’Ward made this season, when he asked to be released from his Formula 1 duties as a reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 team, and focus on IndyCar. I asked O’Ward how that decision came about, and how it reframed his focus on IndyCar for 2026 and beyond.
A lesson about life itself followed.
“I think it’s probably been a bit of a mix of, you know, maybe maturing a little bit and learning that the one living your life is yourself, and you need to maximize it as much as you can, and you also need to do what’s good for your soul. And by that, I mean, you gotta do what you wanna do,” began O’Ward.
“You gotta be where you are, where you are happy. Where you see a future where you are excited to come back to work every single year and keep going, right?
“Like for me, IndyCar represents all of that. I love the direction that the series is going on, and I do think it’s only gonna get better.
“I love being a part of it.”
O’Ward then turned to life here in the United States.
“You know, I’ve been challenged in America. I’ve been used to living in America, and I love that about my life, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I don’t wanna move anywhere else.
“I’m close to home in Mexico, and I do think there’s so much potential and so much growth that can still happen, that want to be a part of that.
He then concended that the decision was “tough,” as it meant closing the door on a dream.
“So it was a tough decision because you’re basically, like, you’re going against your dream, right?
“The dream that ultimately opened the doors to this situation, and to being here now, but it was a very easy decision for me to be like, you know, ‘[w]hat makes me happy and what do I wanna do?’
“And, you know, I keep getting taken to the same decision every single time.”
Pato O’Ward on the Grand Prix of Portland
O’Ward and the rest of the IndyCar grid is in Portland this weekend, for the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
It is a race where O’Ward has enjoyed success, at least during qualifying, as well as some success early in his career in the Indy Lights series. Last year he put his Arrow McLaren on the front row, qualifying second, and he started first when pole-sitter and teammate Christian Lundgaard took a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. O’Ward entered that race sitting second in the championship standings behind Alex Palou, needing something special to keep the pressure on the leader.
But an electronics malfunction called O’Ward into the pits early in the race, and he finished down in P25. A third-place finish from Palou clinched another title for the Chip Ganassi driver.
Can O’Ward finally taste race success in Portland this weekend?
The driver is hoping so.
“I’ve yet to have this great IndyCar result here for me,” began O’Ward. “I’ve had good qualifying here.
“I think last year is the one that’s most fresh on my mind. And we’ve had pace, but we haven’t had that, like, breakthrough Portland IndyCar weekend like I had the first time I was here in an Indy Lights car; That was a very cool weekend for me.
“I ended up winning the championship, winning both races, and it’s also a track that I really, I truly enjoy driving.
“It’s very old school.
“So, I’d love to break through that and get ourselves, on the podium this weekend.
“That’d be, that’d be fantastic.”
O’Ward begins that pursuit later today with the first practice session ahead of the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
USA Basketball Sending Seven First-Timers To Women’s World Cup Roster
USA Basketball finalized its 12-player roster for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, set to run Sept. 4-13, with seven players set to make their World Cup debuts. Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Jackie Young will all appear in the tournament for the first time, joined by veterans Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson.
Stewart will become just the third player in national team history to appear in at least four World Cups, joining Sue Bird, who has five, and Diana Taurasi, who has four. She is the only New York Liberty player on the roster, with teammate Sabrina Ionescu notably left off.
“We’ll probably have more than half of our team going to the World Cup,” said Stewart, addressing the number of Liberty players expected to compete internationally.
The roster collectively holds 14 Olympic gold medals and nine World Cup titles. USA Basketball women’s national team managing director Sue Bird praised the group in a statement.
“This is an incredibly talented group that has earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin,” said Bird. “Wearing a USA jersey is a privilege, and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go after another gold medal. I can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes together.”
Bird was named the program’s first managing director last May and has overseen coaching staff and roster selections heading into the 2028 Olympic cycle, with her choices approved by the USA Basketball Board of Governors. Duke head coach Kara Lawson will lead the team, assisted by Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts and Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White. Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez and Duke assistant Tia Jackson will serve as scout coaches.
Lawson addressed the difficulty of narrowing the roster to 12 players.
“It’s been a long process to whittle it down to 12 players, and I think that speaks to just the talent we have in our country across the board,” said Lawson. “These 12 have earned it through their play and their consistency. I couldn’t be more excited about working with each of them, and I’ve had a good experience with each of them.”
The U.S. enters the tournament as the defending champion, having won its fourth consecutive World Cup gold medal in 2022 with an 83-61 win over China in the final.
The WNBA season will pause from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16 to accommodate the tournament, with the Liberty resuming their regular-season schedule Sept. 18 against the Minnesota Lynx. Stewart addressed the quick turnaround between competitions.
“It’s really not that many days of practice,” said Stewart. “Going against the best teams in the world is no joke. I think the World Cup is the harder competition between that and the Olympics just from a schedule standpoint. When we get together, we’ll be ready.”
Prosecutor Claim Terry Rozier Co-Defendant Attempted Witness Tampering
Federal prosecutors have accused Deniro Laster, a childhood friend of Terry Rozier and co-defendant in the NBA player’s gambling case, of attempting to tamper with witnesses, including through social media posts featuring a rat emoji. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a Tuesday court filing that Laster has “repeatedly and flagrantly violated the conditions of his release” and asked a judge to revoke his bond and hold him in custody until trial.
Prosecutors allege Laster attempted to contact co-defendants both directly and through intermediaries, a potential violation of his bond terms. They also said Instagram accounts associated with Laster posted rat emojis on at least two occasions, arguing that combined with his reputation for owning firearms and typically carrying a gun, the posts suggested an intent to intimidate witnesses.
“Revocation of Deniro Laster’s bail is the only means of ensuring that he will comply with the Court’s orders, refrain from further criminal conduct, preserve the integrity of these proceedings, and protect witnesses or perceived witnesses,” prosecutors wrote in the partially redacted filing.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment further but noted a status conference for all defendants in the case is scheduled for Tuesday.
While Laster is not a public figure like Rozier, prosecutors allege he played a central role in the underlying gambling scheme. According to the government, when Rozier told Laster he planned to leave a March 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans early, Laster sold that information to bettors to facilitate fraudulent wagers. Prosecutors say Laster and Rozier agreed to a bribe of roughly $70,000 in exchange for the information.
Rozier’s attorneys have pointed to a separate text exchange involving Laster as evidence that Rozier was unaware of the alleged scheme. In a filing last week, Rozier’s attorney cited a message in which Laster wrote, “Dont tell chum bout the bet,” to an unidentified recipient, noting that “Chum” is a nickname associated with Rozier. Prosecutors responded that they have evidence suggesting the exchange “does not relate to sports gambling.”
Rozier and Laster both face charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, with a trial currently scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027. Both have pleaded not guilty, and Rozier’s attorneys have asked a judge to dismiss the charges against him. An attorney for Laster did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.
Recently fired WNBA coach gets new coaching position
MEDLEY, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Noelle Quinn of the Breeze gives instructions against the Laces during the second quarter of the Unrivaled 2026 game at Sephora Arena on February 27, 2026 in Medley, Florida. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn is joining the UCLA women’s basketball team’s coaching staff as an assistant, the team announced on Wednesday.
Quinn attended UCLA from 2003 to 2007 before being drafted fourth overall by the Minnesota Lynx. Her WNBA career included stops with the Lynx, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Washington Mystics, the Seattle Storm, and the Phoenix Mercury. She played in the WNBA until 2018 and became a Storm assistant coach the following season. In 2021, she became Seattle’s head coach.
But, she was let go after the 2025 WNBA season, and spent the subsequent winter as a head coach for Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Now, Quinn will return to UCLA, where it all began.
Led by head coach Cori Close, the Bruins are fresh off a national title. Now, with most of the pivotal players from that roster in the WNBA, Close adds Quinn to the team. The former UCLA standout won a WNBA title as a player in 2018 and as an assistant coach in 2019, and was the leading scorer for the Bruins in the championship game at the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament.
“We are so excited to welcome Noelle back home,” said Close. “She has won championships in college and the WNBA as a player, and she has helped capture a WNBA championship as a coach. Tactically and developmentally, she is elite! But I am most excited about who she is and how she will help us create champions from the inside out. She is as fine of a human as any have met since being at UCLA. I could not be more thrilled to add her to our staff!”
“I’m just honored to be on Cori’s staff, to be able to add value, but also to learn from a championship-level coach whose servant leadership is on full display every day,” she said. “From how she coaches her team, to how she leads with her staff, how she pours into the community, she is one of the best leaders that I’ve seen and I’m just happy to be able to be in her hemisphere every day.”
