Seattle Storm sign recently-waived WNBA veteran, bolstering bench

Tiffany Mitchell, who was waived by the Las Vegas Aces last month, joins the Storm.

Tiffany Mitchell has found a new home in Seattle. The 30-year-old WNBA veteran, who spent most of her career with the Indiana Fever — before stints with the Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun, and Las Vegas Aces — has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Storm.

Mitchell began the year with the Aces, appearing in 16 games, but was waived late last month when the Aces traded for NaLyssa Smith from the Dallas Wings. Now, less than two weeks after she was released by Las Vegas, the former Gamecock star joins another veteran team with championship aspirations.

In her 10-year WNBA career, Mitchell has averaged 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. She spent last season with the Sun, but her season was cut short when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening infection.

The Storm (12-8) currently have the league’s fifth-best record, but have heavily relied on their starting lineup. Seattle is one of just two WNBA teams with three All-Stars; Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Nneka Ogwumike will all be represented at next year’s game.

Diggins has led the Storm in points and assists, tallying 18.5 points and 6 assists per game, while Ogwumike has tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds per game this season. Williams is in the midst of the best season of her career, averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. Veteran guard Erica Wheeler and defensive center Ezi Magbegor round out the starting lineup.

Off the bench, Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke, and Dominique Malonga have gotten most of the minutes. Mitchell will bolster that rotation and provide another guard who can alleviate some of the burden on Diggins and Wheeler. Mitchell has appeared in 282 career games, the majority of which have come off the bench, and should fit in nicely on such a veteran squad.