SEATTLE — Sooner than most expected, the Storm are back in the playoffs.

Think about where they were at this time last year.

Seattle finished next to last in the WNBA at 11-29 following a forgettable season in which they lost the most games in franchise history.

To return to prominence, all they had to do was re-sign star Jewell Loyd and coach Noelle Quinn, recruit coveted free agents Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, build chemistry among five newcomers and six holdovers, reintegrate late-arriving Gabby Williams and adroitly orchestrate one of the greatest one-year-to-the-next improvements in league history.

When you lay it all out like that, it brings Quinn to tears.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” she said dabbing her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it yet.”

Quinn is reluctant to reflect on the past year because she’s focusing on what lies ahead: a first-round playoffs matchup against the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces that starts 10 p.m. ET Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

However, WNBA history says the newly built Storm are ahead of schedule and in many ways playing with house money this week in Las Vegas.

After finishing this season at 25-15 — the third-most wins in team history and just the fourth WNBA team to make a 14-game improvement from the previous year — Quinn had no doubt the Storm would climb so quickly back to championship contention.

“That’s how much faith I have in general,” she said. “My faith in God. My faith in my staff and our organization. I knew who I wanted to target and they’re here and they’re special. It’s something that I don’t take for granted or lightly.

“I’m happy. I’m elated. I’m not content though because the job is not done.”

At times, the 2023 season was painful and embarrassing, especially when the Storm lost 10 straight games and dropped seven of their last eight.

Still, Quinn believes Seattle took important steps forward.

Loyd won the league’s scoring title (24.7 points per game). Promising young center Ezi Magbegor made her first trip to the WNBA All-Star Game. Jordan Horston was selected to the All-Rookie team. And the support from the Storm fans never wavered as Seattle ranked third in the league in home attendance while averaging 8,929.

In the offseason, Quinn and general manager Talisa Rhea formulated a rebuilding plan that featured Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith.

“It’s fulfilling in a way because you have a plan and you put it together and you see it come to life,” Quinn said. “What we did last year was the start of it. I know we didn’t win a lot of games, but we were in a lot of games and that mattered too for the morale of the team, but also to build the pieces that we have.

“I’m proud of where we are. Not by any means satisfied. It’s a hard job. It’s a great organization to play for, but there’s high expectations and I don’t ever want to let people down. I don’t ever want to not go full throttle in what I need to do. We’re in the spot that we’re in because of a lot of hard work.”

It’s important to remember how things tend to work in the WNBA when good teams lose great players.

Exhibit 1: The Indiana Fever.

Led by 10-time WNBA All-Star forward Tamika Catchings, the Fever made 13 trips to the playoffs and won their only championship in 2012 during her Hall of Fame 15-year career spent entirely in Indiana.

When she retired in 2016, the Fever missed the playoffs the next seven seasons before making their return this year under the leadership of rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.

During their playoff drought, Indiana went through four coaches, including Storm assistant and associate general manager Pokey Chatman.

Exhibit 2: The Los Angeles Sparks.

Seven-time All-Star forward Candace Parker and six-time All-Star guard Chelsea Gray partnered with Ogwumike and led the Sparks to a championship in 2016.

After Parker, the 2016 Finals MVP, and Gray left in free agency in 2021, L.A. has churned through three coaches during a four-year playoff drought. This year, the Sparks finished last at 8-32.

Exhibit 3: The Storm.

Four months after Sue Bird retired, Breanna Stewart bolted in free agency to the New York Liberty in January 2023.

Losing arguably the greatest point guard in WNBA history, who was the cornerstone of four championships, and a superstar forward, who was the Finals MVP in 2018 and 2020, sent the franchise into a nosedive.

Hence, the 11-29 debacle.

“I’m young in my coaching experience, but I’ve watched the league since 1999 and I know the history,” Quinn said. “It takes time to rebuild and to get back into even playoff contention, let alone championship contention.

“We’re an anomaly because we did it through free agency. … Shout out to our owners for the facility because that mattered in the offseason to try to get players to come here. It’s very rewarding to know that if you put a plan together, you execute the plan and win, lose or draw, whatever it is, championship or not, we’ve rebuilt this thing in a season and that’s not normal.”

Sunday’s game also marks a return to the playoffs for Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith, whose last visit was in 2021 with the Phoenix Mercury when they beat the Aces in the semifinals.

“We know the environment and the atmosphere is going to be electric and that’s something we look forward to,” Diggins-Smith said. “It’s about our approach. … We know it’s going to take a great game for us and that’s what we’ve been preparing for.”

Ogwumike added: “I spent several years watching these games from my living room and that’s not where you want to be.”

Loyd in, Magbegor out in Game 1

After missing the past three games with a knee injury, Loyd is expected to play Sunday against the Aces.

However, Magbegor, who suffered a concussion on Sept. 13 and sat out the past three games, will miss Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round series.

Seventh-year center Mercedes Russell is expected to make her fourth straight start in place of Magbegor.

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