Seattle Storm Unveils Historic All-Women Broadcast Team for 2026 Season

The WNBA franchise is making a bold move to elevate female voices and perspectives in sports media.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 5:40pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a WNBA basketball game broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes in a vibrant color palette, conceptually representing the diverse voices and perspectives of the Storm's new broadcast team.The Storm's all-women broadcast team aims to redefine how fans connect with women's basketball, blending diverse perspectives and technical expertise.Seattle Today

The Seattle Storm is making history by assembling an all-women broadcast team for the 2026 WNBA season. The new lineup features Alyssa Charlston-Smith as the primary analyst, joined by former players Layshia Clarendon and Crystal Langhorne as additional analysts. Veteran play-by-play announcer Dick Fain will anchor the broadcasts, with Shantelle Chand returning as the sideline reporter. The Storm is positioning this as a deliberate effort to normalize female leadership in sports media and provide a richer, more diverse storytelling experience for fans.

Why it matters

This move by the Storm signals a broader cultural shift in sports media, where outlets are recalibrating who gets to speak for and about sports. By elevating women's voices to the forefront of their broadcasts, the Storm is creating a template that other franchises can study and potentially emulate. This could have a ripple effect, leading to more diverse voices, more sophisticated analysis, and a future where the line between journalist, analyst, and fan is blurred in productive ways.

The details

The new broadcast team features a mix of experienced and rising talent. Alyssa Charlston-Smith, a Sammamish native and former Division I standout, will serve as the primary analyst, bringing a blend of technical insight and regional broadcasting familiarity. Layshia Clarendon, a 12-year WNBA veteran, and Crystal Langhorne, a championship-winning player, will join as additional analysts, providing depth of understanding that goes beyond X's and O's. Veteran play-by-play announcer Dick Fain will anchor the broadcasts, and Shantelle Chand will return as the sideline reporter.

  • The Storm will host an all-women broadcast on September 17 for Believe in Women Night.
  • The new broadcast team will be in place for the entire 2026 WNBA season.

The players

Alyssa Charlston-Smith

A Sammamish-native and former Division I standout, Charlston-Smith will serve as the primary analyst for the Storm broadcasts, bringing a blend of technical insight and regional broadcasting familiarity.

Layshia Clarendon

A 12-year WNBA veteran, Clarendon will join the broadcast team as an analyst, providing depth of understanding that goes beyond X's and O's.

Crystal Langhorne

A championship-winning WNBA player, Langhorne will serve as a guest analyst, bringing her experience and expertise to the broadcast team.

Dick Fain

The veteran play-by-play announcer will anchor the Storm broadcasts, providing continuity and reliability to the new-look team.

Shantelle Chand

The returning sideline reporter will add another familiar face to the broadcast, helping to maintain relationships with the team and fans.

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What’s next

The Storm's all-women broadcast on September 17 for Believe in Women Night will be a key test for the new team, as they look to establish a new standard for sports media coverage.

The takeaway

The Storm's bold move to assemble an all-women broadcast team represents a significant step forward in normalizing female leadership in sports media. This shift has the potential to inspire a new generation of young broadcasters and analysts, while also providing fans with a richer, more diverse storytelling experience that better reflects the complexity of the sport.