Yo Gabby! Williams leads Storm past Liberty 81-72
Yo Gabby! Williams leads Storm past Liberty 81-72
Seattle sweeps New York 3-0 in the season series.
(Brooklyn, New York) - It was a homecoming for both Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart when they faced the Liberty in New York. But it was Gabby Williams who stole the show as she helped lead the Storm to an 81-72 victory over the Liberty. Seattle swept the season series winning all three games against New York. With the victory, the team improved to 10-6 overall and went 4-1 on their five-game road trip.
“A huge win. 4-1 on the road, we’ll take that! Ending the game in awesome fashion with Sue hitting the basket at the end of the game. I thought we got good contributions everywhere, especially from Gabby. It’s good to see her get going. At the end of the day, this is a New York team trending in the correct direction. This was a good win for us on the road.” Coach Quinn said in her opening statement after the game.
Williams had the most impressive game of her Storm career and one of the best games she’s ever had in the WNBA. She led the team in scoring with 23 points on an efficient 10-15 FG shooting. She nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds as well.
I spoke with Sue Bird about Gabby’s impressive performance.
“We actually talked about this yesterday at breakfast. She has a really unique skillset, right? That skillset is special, there are a lot of special skills within that. But you have to be on a team that’s going to allow her to shine in those ways. And you have to be a system that allows her to shine… I think the first part of the season, we’re trying to figure out how can we get Gabby going? Where can we exploit mismatches with Gabby? And today, she basically told on herself. She showed us what she is able to do. Beyond that, that’s the kind of energy we’re going to need from her in order to have a chance at a championship. She’s a really important piece of the puzzle. That’s a great step in the right direction. Gabby showed a lot today and I hope we can continue to build on that.” Bird answered.
Breanna Stewart finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Her seven points in the 4th quarter were critical in securing the victory.
Sue Bird came home to New York and ended with her hand in the air on her follow-through as she nailed a three in the closing seconds to finish off the Liberty.
Ezi Magbegor scored eight of her ten points in the 2nd half. She also had five rebounds and two blocked shots. Jewell Loyd added nine points and a team-high seven assists but really struggled with her shot, making just 3-16 FG. Briann January added seven points off the bench.
Both teams struggled offensively but Seattle was slightly better 43% (32-75 FG) to 40% (30-75 FG). The Storm had a good edge in fast break points 16-7. They also scored 15 points off 14 turnovers while only committing 10 turnovers themselves.
The New York Liberty
New York had four players score in double figures. Marine Johannès set a new career-high with 23 points including five made three-pointers. Johannès recently joined the Liberty after playing overseas in France. This was just her 4th game this season in the WNBA and her first season since 2019.
Both Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu had double-doubles in this game. Howard scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while getting the defensive assignment on her former teammate Breanna Stewart. Ionescu nearly had a triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
Sami Whitcomb scored 11 points off the bench and hit some key three-pointers throughout the game. Whitcomb was a big part of the Liberty’s bench outscoring the Storm’s 18-10.
New York also out-rebounded the Storm but it was close, 43-38.
Game Breakdown
Breanna Stewart got the Storm off to a great start scoring the game’s first five points. Natasha Howard was able to draw a foul on Ezi Magbegor and split a pair of free throws. Gabby Williams skied up for a rebound, drove down the court, and hit a pull-up jumper. Sabrina Ionescu came down and responded with her own mid-range jumper.
Sami Whitcomb buried a three but the red-hot Gabby Williams responded with her own triple. Williams was much more aggressive offensively scoring seven points in the first quarter. Seattle led 16-9 midway through the first period.
A fast break layup by Magbegor put the Storm up nine points at 20-11. However, Seattle missed their final four shots of the quarter and New York made two threes by Whitcomb and Ionescu to cut the lead to three. The Storm led 20-17.
Jewell Loyd finally scored her first points of the game at the beginning of the second period nailing a corner three. Then January hit her own three. Stewie joined in on the fun connecting on another mid-range jumper to put the Storm back up nine points after New York had cut the lead to just one. New York Coach Sandy Brondello called timeout with Seattle leading 28-19.
After the timeout, New York went on their own 5-0 run to cut Seattle’s lead down to four points. Coach Noell Quinn needed to call a timeout to regroup her team. When the game resumed, Stephanie Talbot buried a three. Marine Johannès hit a three in response. Stewie made a nice little jump hook. But then New York scored back-to-back baskets as Han Xu nailed a jumper and Natasha Howard converted a fast break layup to cut the Storm’s lead down to two.
The Liberty briefly took the lead at 35-34 on a Johannès layup but a Gabby Williams AND1 layup put the Storm back up. New York led in the first half for less than 30 seconds. Williams and Stefanie Dolson exchanged layups to end the first half as the Storm led 39-37.
Jewell Loyd and Sue Bird hit back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to begin the third period that forced Sandy Brondello to call timeout. Seattle used excellent passing to find the open shooters.
Johannès had a beautiful stepback jumper. Gabby grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed shot and put it back in while in midair. Whitcomb and Johannès hit two threes in a row to put New York up one. Then Whitcomb had a nifty reverse layup past her former teammate Magbegor as the Liberty had their largest lead of the game up three (52-49).
Seattle finished the period on a 6-0 run. Gabby got another layup. January was able to draw a foul and sink both free throws. And Ezi drove past Han Xu at the buzzer to lay it in to put the Storm up 55-52.
Dolson scored the first points of the 4th quarter. Magbegor responded with her own driving layup. But Sabrina Ionescu hit a three to tie the game at 57-57. January made another jumper for the Storm but then New York got back-to-back layups from Dolson and Xu to retake the lead.
Stewie drove in and made an AND1 and then another beautiful jumper with Natasha’s hand in her face. Howard responded on the other end with a driving layup that was sealed off by teammate Han Xu. Bird hit a three on the other end to put the Storm back up by four.
Johannès drove past Bird for a layup and then hit a three on New York’s next possession. Stewie hit a jumper in between those possessions and then Gabby was able to drive down the lane for two more.
With Seattle in trouble and the shot-clock winding down, Gabby drove, moved her defender off, found herself near the three-point line, and buried the three.
Sue capped the game off with another three after the team had perfectly used up almost the entire shot clock with under 30 seconds to play. That three put Seattle up by nine (81-72).
I spoke with Gabby about the keys to finishing the game strong as Seattle ended the game on an 8-0 run over the final three minutes.
“Just getting stops when we needed to get stops. Making big buckets. Breanna Stewart she had some tough ones, the step back under the legs right at the buzzer. That’s why she’s the MVP, that’s why she’s the best player in the world because no matter how the game’s going before, in those two minutes when we needed a bucket I was putting the ball in her hands.” Williams replied.
Additional Analysis
A Scoring Gabby Makes a Huge Difference
Gabby Williams has not been an effective scorer for the Seattle Storm through their first 15 games this season. She had not scored in double figures in any of those games. For the season, she’s shooting just 35%, the lowest of her career.
While the Storm’s offensive problems this season go beyond Gabby Williams her struggles haven’t helped. Prior to Sunday’s breakout performance, Williams was averaging a career-low 4.8 PPG.
That’s why this game could be crucial to not only Gabby’s season but the entire Storm team.
No one is expecting Williams to score 20+ points per game. Seattle has Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd for that. But they do need Gabby to be one of the next leading scorers in that next tier. Right now they only have Ezi in that territory. Magbegor is averaging 11.8 PPG. That’s the third-best on the team behind Stewart (21.8 PPG) and Loyd (17.1 PPG). No other Storm player is in double figures and only Sue Bird (8.6 PPG) is even remotely close.
But if this game can give Williams the confidence in her shot, the confidence in her ability to get to the rim it could lead to a lot more success. Gabby is insanely athletic. Sometimes, I watch her and I’m amazed at how high she gets in the air for rebounds. A huge reason she scored 23 points against New York is that she trusted her ability to beat her defender off the dribble and finish at the rim. Her teammates also found her making cuts near the basket. Her athleticism is a gift not many other players have. Once she learns to utilize it more and more to her advantage she can become a consistent double-digit scorer in this league.
If Williams can tap into that potential this season, it could potentially push the Storm into contender status.
“We are more efficient offensively (when Gabby scores like this). We haven’t been efficient from two’s. I think with her ability to get to the rim and finish, it gives us easier looks at the rim. If she can hit a couple of threes that opens us op as well. Her activity, her ability to get downhill into the paint. That ignites our offense as well. It’s not just her scoring, but her ability to be a playmaker. But when she is scoring, the defense has to defend her and our spacing opens up even more.” Coach Quinn talked about how this can improve the team.
Gabby had referenced her mental struggles; beating herself up and getting down for her poor shooting in games.
“I actually had breakfast with Sue yesterday. She asked ‘What do you like to do?’ because they don’t know me as well. I felt like the way we were flowing and moving today helped me a lot. I’m very thankful that my teammates have been very supportive; very positive with me. They’ve been very patient and understanding even when I’m not so much with myself. I credit my teammates for holding my hand and letting me get here.” Williams answered.
I wanted to talk with Coach Quinn about that because a player like Jewell, who didn’t shoot well in this game will not have any problem shooting 15+ shots in the next game. But some players, miss a few shots and then don’t want to shoot at all anymore. I spoke with Noelle about how more players can have a mindset like Loyd.
“You have to block out the noise. I’m not a big social media person or listening to the outside noise. If you feel that and hear that I think as a player it can really impact you mentally. It’s about separating yourself and getting into a space where you continue to get into the gym and get your reps in. Continue to have positive self-talk, watch film, being a student of the game. I can attest to it. She gets her reps in every single day at game speed. It’s not that she’s not doing that. It’s just a matter of having confidence and seeing some (shots) go through during the game. I think, as a player in this league, as a professional - there’s so much going on. So many people judging and having an opinion on these things. That noise has to be blocked out. You have to focus on the unit, the people, the space, and the organization that cares about you and knows how great you can be. Just focus on that. It’s easier said than done. But the mental aspect is important.” Noelle told me.
Impressive Road Trip
Seattle just completed their longest road trip of the season. Over the past 10 days, they played in Dallas twice, at Minnesota, traveled to Connecticut, and finished up in New York. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always pretty. It certainly wasn’t dominant. However, wins are wins. And the Storm won four out of their five road games. No matter how you slice it, that’s extremely impressive!
6/10 - Storm 89 - Dallas 88
6/12 - Storm 84 - Dallas 79
6/14 - Storm 81 - Minnesota 79
6/17 - Connecticut 82 - Storm 71
6/19 - Storm 81 - New York 72
I spoke with Coach Quinn, Sue Bird, and Gabby Williams about the road trip after Sunday’s contest.
“I’m very proud. That was very challenging. One of those games we played without Sue. Multiple games without Cedes. Being on the road, pulling out a couple of one-possession games in Minnesota and Dallas. I think it’s more in the way we’re winning. Earlier in the season, we folded a couple of times. With the exception of Connecticut, we were right in the game. I just thought there was a lot of growth and positives with the wins. Obviously, we still have a lot to improve on. But I am super proud of them and super happy to be going back to Seattle.” Quinn told me.
I asked Gabby what going 4-1 on the road trip said about this team.
“Man, that says so much. I don’t think people understand how hard this is. This state is not small, it’s like traveling in Russia. It’s tough. We’re dealing with illnesses, trying to fight COVID, trying to fight injuries. And the way New York played tonight, it was not easy. I think it was a big confidence booster for us, for our staff. For us to finish this road trip this way.” Williams added.
When I asked Sue about the overall performance of the road trip she was pleased with what her team accomplished and also gave a lot of credit to Connecticut for handing the Storm their lone loss.
“We’re obviously thrilled! 4-1 on a road trip is never easy. What I think we’ll take from it is that we have that in us. We have the ability to win games when they’re tight at the end. The other thing we can take away from it is the team we lost to. I know Connecticut, has kind of been ‘always the bridesmaid never the bride’ type of a vibe. But they’ve really set the standard in what it means to be consistent year after year. And they’ve got chemistry. Sometimes you might look at them and it’s not necessarily flashy stuff. They just do their jobs, they play well together, and they get it done. I think losing to a team like that, I think it’ll be good for us down the road because we’ll learn a lot about ourselves going against that type of team. They really have set a standard in consistency.” Bird answered.
A Fairy Tale Ending
When Sue Bird announced this would officially be her final season in the WNBA prior to the team playing against Connecticut and New York at the tail end of the road trip she specifically mentioned she wanted her friends and family to know and be able to come out and support her. Especially, as it would be her final time playing in her hometown of New York (assuming no playoff matchup between these two teams). With the Liberty game, it was a lot to take in.
They played a video honoring the point guard legend prior to tip-off in New York. The Liberty players also wore shirts that said “Thank you, Sue!” on them. And by the end of the game, the crowd gave her a standing ovation as she made her curtain call.
When media spoke with Bird after the game about what it all meant she had this to say.
“It’s no Kobe Bryant dropping 60. But it feels pretty good. To be honest, it wasn’t about the game. It wasn’t about how I played. It was really about soaking it all in, enjoying the moment; knowing there are people here that have been so instrumental in my journey to get to the journey where I’m sitting right now. Of course, once the ball gets tipped you play to win. I would have taken the win even if I had zero points and zero assists; ten turnovers I would have been thrilled. It wouldn’t have mattered. The fact that I hit that last shot, it can put a smile on my face and everybody’s face that I hit my last shot here in New York.
I joked about Kobe Bryant. Yeah, a fairy tale ending would have been 30 points and 20 assists. But this felt pretty much like a fairy tale so I’m going to take it.” Bird told the media.
“I do want to give a special thank you to the New York Liberty. They were amazing, helping me secure tickets, helping my family feel important today like I feel important today. They were just great all around. Obviously, the video they played was extremely touching. The New York Liberty are a first-class organization so I’m really thankful for that.” She added.
Jersey Count
The Storm were in their black “Rebel” jerseys against New York on Sunday morning. They’ve played quite well this season while wearing this uniform combination as they improved to 4-1. After going 4-1 on this road trip, the Storm remain the 4th seed in the league standings. They remain behind the Las Vegas Aces (13-2), Connecticut Sun (12-5), and the Chicago Sky (10-5).
Records per jersey type this season:
Rebel: 4-1
Explorer: 1-3
Heroine: 5-2
Overall Record: 10-6
Up Next
The Storm finally return home after a five-game road trip. It was their longest road trip of the season. They get some days to rest and practice and then will be back to face the Washington Mystics on Thursday, June 23rd at Climate Pledge Arena.
Notes:
Follow my Twitter (@WNBAStormChaser)
Photo Credits to Neil Enns/Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography Team
Thanks for all the great support! Please tell other Storm fans about my coverage!