How Sweep It Is! Storm win 81-71
Seattle swept the season series (4-0) against the Mercury for the 3rd time in franchise history.
(Seattle, WA) - Seattle has won back-to-back games for just the second time this year by defeating the Phoenix Mercury 81-71 in front of the home crowd. Seattle controlled most of this game after taking the lead late in the first quarter. They dominated most of the first half thanks to the incredible performance from Jewell Loyd who scored 23 of her 24 points in the first twenty minutes.
After the game, Loyd said she wanted to score 24 points for Ezi Magbegor’s 24th birthday.
The birthday girl played a good Robin to Loyd’s Batman, scoring 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds. She also added three blocked shots and two steals. Her aggressive drives late in the third quarter were key to Seattle regaining the momentum after they lost their large halftime lead.
The Storm’s offense looked sharp in this game. They outshot the Phoenix Mercury 52% (32-62 FG) to 41% (31-75 FG). The home team was red-hot from beyond the arc connecting on 47% (7-15 FG) from three-point range. Seattle also out-rebounded Phoenix 38-31, even though they gave up more offensive rebounds.
While the team has struggled defending the paint this year, they outscored Phoenix 44-38 in that category. They also had a 14-10 advantage in fast break points.
The Storm’s bench outscored the Mercury reserves 28-7. With Jewell struggling in the second half, this was absolutely key to Seattle’s victory.
“In this league in particular, every one of these games is different. Even though we had prior success, we didn’t want to approach this game overly confident because Phoenix up to this point had beaten Atlanta, Washington, and Connecticut. Our mindset was very focused. I thought overall during the season, the pace that we play with against Phoenix is to our benefit. We hit the three-ball at a high clip against them. A couple of times, they were without BG. Overall, I thought we matched up decently against them and that’s why we were able to find some success.” Coach Quinn stated after the game.
Jewell chimed in with her thoughts on sweeping the Mercury in all four games this season.
“It doesn’t happen too often. It’s really hard to beat a team once, to be honest. For whatever reason, whether it was matchups or timing. We seemed to play well against this matchup but it’s never easy. We don’t take the win for granted. I’m just so proud of how we came out and how we finished.” Loyd added.
Phoenix Mercury
Sophie Cunningham led the Mercury with a game-high 25 points. She was also very efficient shooting over 50% (9-17 FG). Cunningham (drafted one selection after Ezi Magbegor in 2019) has really turned into a quality WNBA player.
Cunningham is averaging 11.1 PPG this year after averaging a career-high 12.6 PPG last season.
I spoke with Coach Quinn about her development in recent seasons and what she’s seen from Sophie.
“I think last season in particular when she was playing the four for the majority of the season. That opened up a lot for her with her confidence. You saw what she can do as far as her versatility in who she defends, and also how she plays/how she spaces the floor. She’s a competitor. She plays hard no matter who she’s on the floor with she’ll be the same. She’s going to cut hard, scree hard, knock down open shots, and not back down. She’s found her way in this league because she’s stuck to exactly who she is. She is tough and obviously, she can shoot the ball.” Coach Noelle Quinn said about Cunningham’s performance and improved play.
Brittney Griner had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds but was not a major factor in this game. She did do a good job of getting Phoenix a bucket when they absolutely needed it but the Storm’s defense held her in check throughout most of the game.
Moriah Jefferson played well as the only other player to score in double figures for the Mercury. She got to the rim and made some nice hustle plays while also hitting a few outside jumpers. Jefferson finished with 14 points on 7-12 FG shooting.
Diana Taurasi was limited to just five points on 2-10 field goal shooting. While DT can still light it up, she is definitely showing her age where those performances are less and less frequent at age 41.
Game Breakdown
The Mercury got the ball into Brittney Griner who immediately scored in the low post. Ezi Magbegor took two defenders to the rim; she missed the shot but Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu was there to clean it up for the easy layup.
Phoenix would score six straight points with effective cuts to the rim and points in the paint. Seattle battled back with a couple of baskets from Jewell Loyd and one from Magbegor. Sophie Cunningham then scored five straight with a fast break layup and a three-pointer from an offensive rebound.
Sami Whitcomb then hit a three-ball and Loyd made two more shots to tie the game. The latter shot was an AND1 to put the Storm on top 16-15 after an 8-0 run. After a Michaela Onyenware basket, Loyd hit another three. A beautiful pick-and-roll with Magbegor and two more free throws capped off a 15-2 run by Seattle to put them up 23-17.
Cunningham hit a deep jumper and then scored on a layup to end the first period. Seattle led 25-21 at the end of the opener.
To begin the 2nd quarter, Sophie split a pair of free throws and knocked down another three-pointer. On the other end, Joyner Holmes was able to score in transition and was fouled. She made the free throw. Loyd then scored six straight. A couple of those jumpers were of extreme difficulty and she made them look simple. She was definitely in the zone scoring 23 points in the first half.
Brittney Griner made two straight baskets. Magbegor connected on a shot from beyond the arc and Mercedes Russell had a beautiful left-handed floater off the glass. Seattle finished the first half on a 21-8 run. Jewell got another AND1. Kia Nurse drove to the rim and found Russell for the easy two. Nurse also scored on a layup and hit a three on a broken play to end the first half.
Through the first two quarters, the Storm led 51-35. Seattle outshot Phoenix 63% (20-32 FG) to 40% (16-40 FG). They were also considerably better from the three-point range where they made 40% (4-10 FG) compared to the Mercury’s 15% (2-13 FG). Seattle also got to the foul line five more times and was a plus-six from the charity stripe. The Storm out-rebounded the Mercury 19-15 in the first half as well.
After such a great start in the first half, the Storm were very sloppy to begin the third period. They committed multiple turnovers including passing to players that weren’t looking for the ball. Jordan Horston scored her first points of the game working her way down low against Diana Taurasi. She would score again on a nice dribble pull-up down the baseline.
As they did in the first period, Phoenix did a much better job taking quality shots. They got open three-pointers from Sophie Cunningham and Sug Sutton. While Moriah Jefferson and Brianna Turner finished layups. Diana Taurasi split a pair of free throws and Sophie Cunningham hit another triple. In seven minutes, the Mercury had erased Seattle’s 16-point halftime lead. Moriah Jefferson hit a jumper to tie the game at 57-57.
A layup by Ezi and a pair of free throws from Jade Melbourne put the Storm back up four points. Magbegor would score again in the final seconds to give Seattle a six-point lead heading into the final period (63-57).
Ezi scored again to begin the 4th quarter. Then Joyner Holmes knocked down a three forcing the Mercury into a timeout. The Storm went on a 13-0 run between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth periods.
I asked Ezi about the team’s poor third quarter and how her team responded in the fourth.
“(Not) being able to lock in defensively coming out of halftime. But I think that also shows our growth, being able to not let their comeback get to us. I think we did a great job to stop that and counter that. And stay poised and together in that moment. It showed our growth.” Magbegor said.
Brittney Griner finally scored for Phoenix to stop the bleeding. She would score again and Cunningham would add another jumper.
Kia Nurse continued to provide a nice spark off the bench knocking down another triple and scoring inside the paint.
Cunningham and Taurasi each scored on layups to cut the Storm’s lead down to seven at 78-71 with roughly two minutes left in the contest. Mercedes made a short hook shot in the paint and Loyd split a pair of free throws in the final minute. Taurasi missed two more shots and Griner missed a three-pointer in the last few seconds.
Trailing by 10 with less than 24 seconds left in the game, the Mercury opted not to foul and allowed the Storm to dribble the clock out. Seattle won the game 81-71.
After scoring 23 points in the first half, Jewell Loyd was limited to just a single point in the second half. But in this game, her teammates responded to secure the victory. Jewell talked about that after the game.
“I have all the confidence for everyone on the team. Regardless if I’m scoring or not I know I’m able to be a screener, I’m able to still play defense, I’m still involved. I’m relying on everyone else. Everyone stepped up. We’ve seen that before. It’s nice to know regardless if I’m hitting or not, I’m taking good shots. That’s what happened in the third quarter, we got a little stagnant. For us, we just had to make sure we continued to play defense and that’s what we did.” Loyd explained.
Additional Analysis
The Growth of the Young Veterans
Seattle also got a nice boost off the bench from Kia Nurse and Mercedes Russell. Russell continued her improved play in the second half of this season. Cedes finished with eight points on 4-7 FG shooting and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Her rebounding was very noticeable while I was observing the game. She was really getting in a good position most of the game which allowed her to gather those rebounds. Russell used her height and length to defend the paint and limit Brittney Griner from doing too much damage against Seattle.
Kia Nurse led the reserves in scoring with 10 points. It was one of her best games in recent memory. It started off a little rocky with a couple of badly missed shots early. But she was still playing well defensively, gathering rebounds, and doing the other little things that gave her grace to keep playing until she found her shooting touch. Kia led Seattle in scoring in the 4th period earning five of her 10 points over those final 10 minutes.
The improvement and continued development of players like Nurse and Russell are incredibly important for the Storm’s future. Both of these players are still in their 20s and should really just be entering their prime right now. They are also two of the four players on the roster with protected guaranteed contracts in 2024. That means they are locked into next year’s roster. Knowing this, instead of giving up on them when they’ve struggled the team and coaches must find ways to get the most out of them.
I spoke with Coach Noelle Quinn about not only the importance of developing her young rookies but also some of these younger veterans like Nurse and Mercedes.
“It’s important because we’re moving in a direction where we are reimaging our roster and understanding what it takes to build and get back to championship ways. Mercedes is a champion. I know she’s young but she knows what it takes to play at a level and sustain at that level. Early on in the season, going through the ups and downs of getting her back. It’s good to see games like this for her. This is what we expect from her every single game because she can do it.” Quinn told me.
“And then with Kia coming into a new system and coming off an injury, there is some grace there. Even though she’s not new to the league, she’s new to the team, and it takes some time to get comfortable. In games like this, when they are both rolling, I’m going to continue to keep them on the floor. I thought they both did an amazing job of just staying poised and staying locked into the scout. They executed very well.” Quinn added.
I asked Jewell about the importance of not just rookies but the veterans continuing to work to improve their game.
“Every day you have to want to get better. Not just for yourself but for your team. We’ve seen that from everyone on this roster. There is a want and a desire to get better. Cedes has been in this league and knows her role. We believe in her. She has more confidence and we have more confidence in her. Same with Kia as well. We’ve had different lineups, we’ve had different personnel. Regardless of what that looks like, they want to get better. They’re always in the gym. That’s what you want. You get the results when you put in the work.” Loyd told me.
Playoffs!? Don’t Talk About Playoffs
Don’t look now but the Seattle Storm have won five out of their last seven games. They’ve really turned some things around. It’s likely a combination of leaning more heavily on the veterans (Whitcomb starting). The rookies continue to improve their game and get more comfortable. And the fact that their schedule of opposing teams has been a bit easier compared to the first half of the year which was one of the most difficult schedules of any WNBA team.
During this stretch of wins, the Storm have gone from having the worst record in the league up to the number 10 spot in the WNBA standings.
The Los Angeles Sparks sit right above Seattle with a 12-18 record. The Chicago Sky are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot as the 8th seed. They also have a 12-18 record.
The Storm are currently three games out of the playoffs with 10 games left to play. It’s not impossible to overcome those odds, but it certainly wouldn’t be easy. They’d have to climb above both the Sparks and Sky in the standings. Interestingly enough, Seattle still plays both Chicago and Los Angeles two more times each. If Seattle were to go 4-0 in those four games it could start to raise a few eyebrows.
Realistically, the team probably dug themselves too large of a hole to overcome. But if they were to win five out of their next seven games. Then all bets are off.
To help the future of the franchise the most if Seattle could knock off Chicago in both of their games without moving into the playoff seeding themselves. If both the Storm and Sky miss the playoffs, the Storm would move to the third spot in the lottery. That would not only increase their chances of getting a Top 3 WNBA Draft pick but also would nearly double their odds of landing the #1 overall pick (from 10% to 18%).
After the game, the media asked Coach Quinn and Jewell Loyd about the team’s strong play resulting in multiple wins lately.
“I think we are finding ways to weather a lot of storms. Earlier in the year, we found ourselves down. We were fighting but we couldn’t quite get over the hump. We were up, we lost leads, and couldn’t get over the hump. Jewell is getting trapped and we couldn’t find ways to score. I think right now, we are just learning and growing up. And playing at a high level and we’re very positive with each other. Understanding the roles and what we need from each other. The wins and losses, that’s for you guys (the media) to keep track of. But for me and us as a staff, to see the growth, I think that’s very important for this team.” Coach Quinn stated.
“A lot of it is just time. We obviously talked about wanting to finish this season strong and competing every single game. When you have a young team, a young roster, and a lot of new people it just takes time to find your rhythm and find your groove. We finally just clicked. Obviously, we wish it would have clicked earlier but at the same time, you don’t want to rush anything. For us, we just want to continue to compete. Just keep it super simple and not overthink anything. Go out there and play basketball.” Loyd added.
Up Next
The Storm (9-21) get some extra time off to practice and rest. They will host the Minnesota Lynx (14-16) on Friday, August 18th at 7:00 PM at Climate Pledge Arena. The Lynx have won the previous two meetings against the Storm earlier this season. After their third year in a row with a poor start, the Lynx turned things around in late June and July. They are currently the 6th seed and should make the playoffs this year.
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