Fever outlast Storm 90-86 in Fun Battle

Jewell Loyd's 19-point 4th quarter nearly willed Seattle to victory.

(Indianapolis, Indiana) - The Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever put forth one of the more exciting basketball games this WNBA season. It doesn’t matter that both teams appear bound for the WNBA Lottery and not the playoffs; they played a hard-fought fast-paced game. While the Indiana Fever led throughout most of the contest, there were 16 lead changes and 11 ties over the 40 minutes. In the end, the Indiana Fever escaped with a 90-86 win over the Seattle Storm.

Jewell Loyd led the Seattle Storm with 32 points as she inches closer to Diana Taurasi’s All-Time single-season record (Loyd 780 - Taurasi 860). Loyd was actually bottled up for most of the evening. She had 13 points entering the 4th quarter before exploding for 19 additional points in the final period. When the team needed her the most she willed a spectacular comeback that just fell short.

“I know probably the competitor in her just wants this outcome to be different. Then maybe we can appreciate all that you just rattled off. From my standpoint, I think the way in which Jewell is playing, no one is playing at this level, at that position. Well, I should say for us. A lot of really great performances in this league this particular season but you know Jewell is doing it without a lot of all-stars around her with a team that is very young and inexperienced in a lot of ways and she's still finding ways to be efficient and keep us in games and do whatever she can to will her way, will us to victories or to find some success.” Coach Quinn said of Loyd’s performance.

“Yeah it's a lot of preparation and to me her mental space though she was going through that she was still very confident. It was more so the coverages that she was seeing and knowing that she can attack it but it was timely that she turned the switch on or just got in the groove. She got to the free throw line. It does feel like it's a flip switch but it's preparation for her. Finding her spots.

She’s tired. I’m asking her to do a lot. But for her to will herself to 16 straight through the fatigue is remarkable in my opinion.” Quinn added.

When asked about her 19-point 4th quarter, Jewell Loyd had this to say.

“Just get to my spots. I was seeing things that I could take advantage of all game. I was kind of just waiting for the right time to go in. I probably waited a little bit too late. But, I was just trying to get to my spots. And I was able to make some shots.” Loyd said.

Ezi Magbegor also had a strong game with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. She also had two blocked shots and had the responsibility to keep rookie star Aliyah Boston in check.

Sami Whitcomb added 10 points and a team-high four assists. Jordan Horston contributed with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Unfortunately for Seattle, the team got very little from their bench as the reserves tallied just 12 points total.

The team did outscore the Fever with both points in the paint (32-26) and fast break points (8-6). But they committed too many turnovers that resulted in 22 points for Indiana.

Coach Quinn gave her thoughts after the game.

“I liked our resiliency. I thought that we fought back and a lot of that was carried, ignited by Jewell and what she did on the offensive end. We have to continue to clean up our turnovers. 22 points. Again, that's Indiana's second-leading scorer is our turnovers. We have to eliminate the live ball (turnovers) as much as possible. But when we do turn it over, we have to find ways to limit teams scoring efficiently on our turnovers and the rebounding. The timely rebounds are important. Just the will at the free throw line or even through possessions to find bodies and go get the basketball.” Coach Quinn stated.

Indiana Fever

If you’re a fan of the Indiana Fever you have to be really pleased with this game. While the Storm aren’t a playoff-quality team, this was still an impressive performance.

More importantly, it was the team’s young core that made all of the impact. Kelsey Mitchell (2nd overall pick in 2018) led all scorers with 36 points. Mitchell made 50% (10-20 FG) of her shots including four three-pointers. She also got to the foul line often, especially in the 2nd half where she made 9-13 FTA. That included two critical free throws she knocked down in the final 15 seconds to seal the victory and put Indiana up four.

“Yeah, Mitchell, you know, it's hard to stop her when she gets in a groove. She's in transition tough, half court very tough. She's flying off staggers and actions and obviously 16 free throws. She did an excellent job of putting her head down and getting to the line. She's an all-star for a reason and she showed that tonight.” Quinn said

NaLyssa Smith (2nd overall in 2022) finished with an impressive double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Smith missed the Fever’s last game against the Storm and it was no surprise Seattle won that game easily. Smith’s impact is two-fold. Not only is she a very productive player who can score and rebound but she also takes pressure away from rookie Aliyah Boston (1st overall pick in 2023).

Boston also finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. When the Fever were without Smith for 10 games the opposing teams were able to double and even triple-team Aliyah Boston down low. They can’t do that nearly as often with Smith back in the lineup and inside the paint.

“Yeah, obviously NaLyssa, she didn't play the last game, so knowing that they were both going to be a load (down low). In this game, I think our scheme defensively was to play team defense on both of them. But it’s tough when they do get to their spots. We did a better job of being more proactive in the posts. They are great players.” Magbegor spoke on the Fever’s frontcourt.

Lastly, Grace Berger (7th overall in 2023) gave the Fever a huge lift off of the bench. She played one of her best games this season scoring 14 points on 6-9 FG including a pair of three-point shots. Berger was solid in multiple areas finishing with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

“I thought Berger played strong minutes. Offensively, she got to her spots and was very physical, a lot to the rim, a lot in the mid-range and I know she hit a couple of threes, right? Yeah, two for three. So she was efficient and found ways to impact the game on the offensive end. I liked our matchup (against) her offensively. But we couldn’t find ways to continue to execute. But overall, I thought she was very solid.” Coach Quinn said.

If Berger can start producing like this more frequently in 2024 the Fever will have a legit shot at becoming a playoff team.

Indiana outshot Seattle 43% (28-65 FG) to 42% (28-67 FG). They were also slightly better from beyond the arc at 41% (9-22 FG) compared to 39% (11-28 FG). They out-rebounded the Storm 35-31.

Despite having just one more offensive rebound than Seattle (9 to 8) they were able to do a much better job of capitalizing on those second and third chances. They outpaced Seattle 19-8 in that regard. Between those extra chances and the points off of turnovers, those stats really made the difference in the outcome of this game.

Game Breakdown

Erica Wheeler knocked down an outside jumper to begin the game’s scoring. Ezi Magbegor quickly tied the game up on the next possession. Jordan Horton then made a couple of nice plays in a row. First, she was able to score on a shot near the free throw line. Then she got the ball up the court in transition and made a beautiful pass to Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu who finished at the rim. Aliyah Boston countered with a hook shot on the other end.

Kristy Wallace and Sami Whitcomb exchanged three-point baskets. Jewell Loyd then finished a layup at the rim to put the Storm up four. Then after that, we saw the elusive seven-point possession. Kelsey Mitchell knocked down a three-ball and was fouled. But the refs determined it was a dangerous closeout so it was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Mitchell made the free throw and Indiana got the ball back. On that very same possession, Mitchell hit another three-pointer to give her seven points in five seconds of game action. Reggie Miller, is that you?

Ezi Magbegor hit a corner three to put the Storm back on top but Grace Berger knocked one down on the other end to put the Fever up 23-21. Jade Melbourne checked in and immediately drove to the rim for the AND1. Emma Cannon got fouled on a drive to the rim and sank both free throws to put the Fever up one at the end of the first period 25-24.

Jordan Horston drove to the rim and was fouled. She split the pair of free throws to tie the game. Grace Berger hit another jumper. Joyner Holmes then connected on a wide-open triple. Jewell Loyd checked back into the game and kissed the ball off the glass as her body was fading away towards the baseline.

Aliyah Boston scored four quick points with a pair of free throws and a layup. NaLyssa Smith hit a three-pointer to put the Fever back up 36-34. Horston connected on another midrange jumper to tie the game. Indiana then rallied off seven straight points with Mitchell scoring five of those.

Victoria Vivians stopped a Jewell Loyd fast break by stealing the ball from her before Loyd could make her move to the rim. Vivians then immediately pushed the ball up the other way and managed to score and get fouled to complete the AND1. Indiana outscored Seattle 21-14 in the second period and let 46-38 at the midway point.

Jordan Horston knocked down a three-pointer to begin the third quarter. Horston would hit another three later in the period but it was sadly waved off due to a shot clock violation after being reviewed. We then got four more free throws from Boston and Mitchell. Mitchell and Magbegor swapped triples. Berger hit a jumper and scored on a layup in consecutive possessions.

Loyd got fouled and made both free throws. Sami Whitcomb cut the deficit to three points at 59-56 after scoring on a layup. The Fever closed out the quarter with a paint touch for Emma Cannon and another deep jumper by Mitchell. Seattle outscored Indiana 18-17 in the quarter but still trailed 63-56.

Seattle made a nice push at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Ezi Magbegor and Kia Nurse hit back-to-back three-pointers to make it a one-point game. However, the Fever immediately responded with an AND1 by Kelsey Mitchell and a triple from NaLyssa Smith to push their lead back up to seven.

When things looked bleak as the Storm trailed by nine, Jewell Loyd went to work. Loyd scored 19 of the next 20 points for the Storm. That included 16 straight by the All-Star guard. She hit a three and then got an AND1 for three more. Jewell got back to the foul line for more free throws. Loyd got another layup, a midrange jumper that became an AND1, and then another actual three-pointer. Seattle outscored Indiana 16-9 during this three-minute stretch as the Storm trailed by just two at 80-78.

Ezi connected on a pair of free throws and then Loyd hit another three-pointer. That put Seattle up three with less than two minutes to go in the game. Unfortunately for the Storm, they weren’t able to hold onto that lead. They committed turnovers and gave up multiple offensive rebounds in the final couple of minutes which allowed Indiana to regain the lead.

Kelsey Mitchell scored eight points in the final 90 seconds as the Fever outscored Seattle 9-2 after Loyd put Seattle ahead. At the end of the game, the Fever held on to win 90-86.

Additional Analysis

The Rebuild Process

This is a topic that I’d like to explore more during the off-season but I also felt it was an appropriate time to discuss with Coach Quinn considering the opponent and what the Indiana Fever have had to go through after losing their franchise player Tamika Catchings.

Since Catchings retired at the conclusion of the 2016 season, the Indiana Fever have really struggled. They’ve missed the playoffs six years in a row. The 2023 season will almost certainly be the 7th year in another week or two. Indiana is five games behind the Los Angeles Sparks for the 8th and final playoff spot and they have just six games left on their schedule.

The Storm lost two franchise players this year after Sue Bird retired and Breanna Stewart opted to leave to New York. After losing that much talent in a single off-season, it hasn’t been a surprise that the team struggled mightily this season.

The team went extremely young keeping four rookies on the final roster for the majority of the 2023 season. Those rookies have produced. That production hasn’t come in the form of wins on the court but they are developing and showing promise.

The Athletic put out a Rookie rankings article (subscription required) of the WNBA’s Top 10 rookies for this season. Seattle had three rookies rank in the Top 6 with Jordan Horston leading the way as the third-best WNBA rookie just behind #1 overall pick Aliyah Boston and #2 overall selection Diamond Miller. Ivana Dojkić, while no longer on the team, ranked 5th and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu earned the 6th spot.

Horston and Fankam Mendjiadeu are two pieces the team can hope to build around over the next few seasons. They join the main centerpiece of this next Storm basketball era, Ezi Magbegor. Magbegor has proven she can be that next franchise player as she earned an All-Star nomination this season and is averaging a career-high in points (13.9 PPG) and rebounds (8.0 RPG).

The team likely will own a Top 3 selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft. With that, they should be able to add another talented piece. Someone like Cameron Brink, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, or if they’re really lucky, Caitlin Clark.

But the Indiana Fever should be a reminder to us all. After landing the #1 overall pick in 2023 (Boston) and the #2 overall pick in 2022 (NaLyssa Smith) and hitting on both players, the team is still on pace to lose nearly 30 games this season and finish in the bottom three of the WNBA standings.

These rebuilds can take a long time. Especially, if the team blows some of their lottery picks as Indiana has done over these past seven years.

After Thursday’s game, I spoke with Coach Quinn about what she can learn from the Indiana Fever and their rebuilding process.

“Patience. It takes time to build, rebuild, and go through the ups and downs of a W season, especially with young players. That's the biggest thing I see. Obviously, Boston and Smith are holding it down in the paint and some veteran presence with Wheeler at the helm at that point guard position. But at the end of the day, we said 2017? It takes time. So I think that's the biggest thing is patience.” Quinn stated.

Pokey Chatman

Annie Costabile from the Chicago Sun-Times recently put out an article on why the Chicago Sky should consider Storm Assistant Coach Pokey Chatman for their next head coaching job. The Sky’s previous coach, James Wade, left the team mid-season to take a job with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

Chatman previously coached the Chicago Sky for six seasons between 2011-2016. During that time she did a very good job of rebuilding the franchise. After missing the playoffs in her first two years, she took them to the playoffs for four straight seasons. That included the team’s first-ever trip to the WNBA Finals in 2014 where they ultimately fell short to Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and the Phoenix Mercury.

After being relieved of her duties at the conclusion of the 2016 season, Chatman was hired by the Indiana Fever where she spent three years trying to rebuild that franchise between 2017-2019. She was with the team when they picked up Kelsey Mitchell.

Chatman also led LSU to three straight NCAAW Final Four regional championships between 2003-2006.

I spoke with Coach Noelle Quinn after the game about Chatman’s impact on her and how she’s helped Quinn as a coach.

“What was the quote? ‘You always take the call, but I'm not chasing a chair’, right? I think that Pokey, to me, she's a legend because of what she's done in women's basketball. I played for her, so I know how smart she is, how committed, and how dedicated she is to this game to help her teams and to help people in general. She's helping me tremendously and she can, you know, easily be in the mix for any head coach position, or general manager position. She's done both in this league and she's told me that she's committed to me in this process. I will forever be grateful for that because she doesn't have to stay or be here for me, for us, but she knows how special this is for me and for the Storm organization in general. I think she doesn't get enough props for having to go through a rebuild. I mean what she did with the Chicago team and obviously a part of what happened here in Indy. I think she is a basketball savant. I think her basketball acumen is A1, top-notch for me. I can go on and on about Pokey because that's how dear, near and dear she is to my heart.” Coach Quinn told me.

“But at the end of the day, every single day that I’m able to pick her brain and learn from her, in the games as well. She’s a consummate professional. I am honored to have her by my side.” She added.

Up Next

The Storm (10-24) return to Seattle to host the Chicago Sky (13-21) at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, August 27th at 3:00 PM. The Sky dominated the Storm earlier this week in Chicago. A win against the Sky would help the Storm get closer to locking in the 3rd best WNBA Lottery odds or roughly 18% chance at the #1 overall draft pick.

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