Seattle Storm star Ezi Magbegor suffered a torn ACL while playing for Australia at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
Seattle Storm star Ezi Magbegor will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season due to a torn ACL, the team announced on Thursday.
Magbegor suffered the injury on Wednesday while playing for Australia in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. The WNBA season is currently on pause to allow players to participate in the event.
The Storm offered Magbegor their love and support in their announcement of the injury, adding that they will be with her "every step of the way."
At 8-32, Seattle has already been eliminated from playoff contention this season. The Storm have the worst record in the league and are in the mix to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Magbegor's Injury Adds to Difficult Storm Season
It has been a season full of growing pains for the organization, but Magbegor's injury certainly isn't the type of development that helps anybody. The 27-year-old has been a steady presence for Seattle since establishing her role in the league, particularly from a defensive perspective.
She has four All-Defense nods to her name and has finished as high as third in the Defensive Player of the Year race. She is also a one-time All-Star and one-time WNBA champ, as she was with the Storm when they won the title in the 2020 season.
This had already been an injury-riddled campaign for the former first-round pick. She had appeared in just 14 games due to a foot injury and facial fracture. The torn ACL is the latest obstacle, and this one will require a long rehab and recovery process.
Though not exactly known for her offense, Magbegor averaged 15.7 points per contest across Australia’s first three World Cup games. She has shown flashes of that type of offensive production in the WNBA, particularly a couple years back when she averaged 13.8 and 11.7 points per game in back-to-back seasons (in 2023 and 2024).
She will finish this season with averages of 6.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Storm Face Uncertain Timeline for Magbegor's Return
Seattle only has four games left on its schedule. The Storm are likely looking forward to reaching the offseason and evaluating their next steps after a rebuilding year.
Hopefully, Magbegor will be back on the floor in the 2027 season. Unfortunately, it's tough to predict exactly what her timeline will be as she recovers from the setback, and there is a chance her 2027 campaign will be impacted.
She and the Storm are hoping to ultimately return to some better days down the line after the team was a frequent presence in the playoffs in recent years.
