The WNBA draft was held this week, and UConn's Paige Bueckers unsurprisingly went number one overall to the Dallas Wings. Seattle Seahawks backup offensive lineman Jalen Sundell was undoubtedly more interested in who the Seattle Storm chose with the first pick in the third round. The Storm took Jalen's sister, Serena, with that choice.
In other words, they might consider moving there if the Sundell family had never been to Seattle before Jalen signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The Sundells are initially from Missouri.
Jalen played at North Dakota State, so at least he was somewhat in the same region of the country as the Seahawks. Serena played college basketball at Kansas State, so she was closer to the Denver Broncos than Seattle.
Seattle Storm gives backup Seahawks offensive lineman Jalen Sundell a great gift
The interesting part about Serena and why she might earn a spot with the Storm is that while she led the nation in assists last season (7.3 assists per game), she is 6'2". That is a bit like having Magic Johnson be the point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Serena scores a decent amount of points per game (14.1), but can dish with ease. She might also develop more of a scoring acumen in the WNBA.
Jalen is 6'5" and a lot heavier at around 300 pounds. He is expected to battle for the starting center spot for the Seahawks in 2025. He was an undervalued UDFA, and when given the chance to play last year, he allowed no quarterback pressures in 48 snaps against the Green Bay Packers. Now fully acclimated to the strength and speed of the NFL, he could be Seattle's next long-term UDFA gem.
The Seahawks had great success in that area in the 2010s. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett eventually became a Pro Bowler after coming back to Seattle from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse were key to offensive success in the middle of the decade.
Unless the Seahawks take a center in the 2025 NFL draft, Jalen and Olu Oluwatimi will battle for the starting spot. Oluwatimi has not been atrocious in limited time over the last two seasons, but he is not good enough to know he has automatically earned the job over Jalen Sundell. Maybe Jalen is extra motivated to remain a part of the Seahawks since the Storm drafted his sister.
