A Team Player
Serena Sundell Is Already In The Seattle Storm Group Chat
The rising hoops star is excited for her rookie season — but first, she has to graduate.
Serena Sundell is worried she might disappoint people. Not her friends and family, who were elated to see her drafted to the Seattle Storm last Monday, but those who might expect she went wild after leaving the WNBA’s fete at The Shed in New York. “At the end of the night, I was in my hotel bed with their little robe and a burger from DoorDash,” the 21-year-old guard tells Bustle over Zoom.
As she wraps up her time at Kansas State, Sundell is focused on two things: school and packing. “I’m going to get my master’s in May, so that’s been something I’ve been proud of — being able to get my undergrad and my master’s in four years,” she says. Between calls for her capstone project, she’s texting her new Storm teammates — vets and rookies alike — about what to bring to Seattle, and how to prepare for the next phase of her life: “It’s good to just have those people that you can talk to going through the same thing.”
Sundell’s inner circle has grown a lot in the past week — in addition to finding friends among the Storm players, she appreciated the chance to bond with her draft class in New York. “We all follow each other on Instagram, and just having that little network is super cool,” she says. “Those girls are going through the same thing, so if I want to hit up Sarah Ashlee or text Kiki [Iriafen] or whoever it may be, I know I have those people I can reach out to.”
She’s also leaning on her older brother, Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Jalen Sundell, for tips as she transitions from college athlete to pro, and she’s excited to join him in the Emerald City. “What are the chances?” she says, shaking her head. “His advice and his support are going to be extremely helpful to me going through the gauntlet of training camp and that transition from school to playing professionally.” Personally, it’ll mean a lot to be close to her brother as he and his wife welcome a baby in June.
Of all the emotions stirred by the draft, it was his reaction that most resonated with Sundell. “I hadn’t been super emotional yet,” she recalls. “But he sent me a congratulatory video that just brought tears to my eyes.”
As much as she leans on her support system, though, there’s one thing she doesn’t need help with: motivation. “Everything I do, I’m going to try to the best of my ability,” she says of her future in the WNBA. “I only have that fifth gear. That’s just my nature as a player — to give everything in every drill or every rep.”
