Indiana Fever stun the Storm 90-84 (Free Edition)
The Fever's rebounding and 3-point shooting were too much for Seattle to overcome.
(Bradenton, FL) - Seattle’s nine-game winning streak was ended on Thursday evening as the Indiana Fever shocked the WNBA world with a 90-84 upset victory over the top-seeded Seattle Storm. Indiana really came out and earned this victory. There was nothing cheap about it. They played exceptional defense on Seattle holding the Storm to just 44% shooting (28-64) but more importantly limiting Seattle to 24% (5-21) from beyond the three-point line.
This game came down to two major differences. The Indiana Fever outrebounded the Storm 46-30; including 14-5 on the offensive glass. And Seattle got most of those offensive rebounds in the 4th quarter as they had just one through most of the game. That was huge for the Fever, they limited Seattle to one and done on the offensive end and on a night when the Storm weren’t shooting well, especially from long distance.
Indiana just executed their offense so much better during this game. They played within themselves and knocked down their open threes; something we’re used to seeing Seattle do. The Fever shot 50% (12-24) from beyond the arc. That was seven more threes than Seattle hit, a point differential of 21.
It was very reminiscent of the loss to the Washington Mystics. The Mystics shot 47% (15-32) from three in that game while Seattle only manged 20% on 5-25 shooting.
The Fever were led in scoring by Kennedy Burke who had a new career-high 23 points on 7-13 shooting. The Fever had several players contributing in this game which was a stark contrast to the Storm. They played just eight players and five of them scored in double figures. Seven of the eight scored six points or more.
Kelsey Mitchell got hot in the 2nd half and scored 17 points. Rookie of the Year candidate Julie Allemand added 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Natalie Achonwa was extremely effective in limited minutes scoring 14 points, gathering six rebounds, and dishing out four assists in just 16 minutes off the bench.
Jewell Loyd was tremendous in this game. Just absolutely fantastic! She literally did it all for the team. It was really fun to watch because you saw how dynamic of a scorer she is and can be. Loyd scored a new career-high 35 points on 12-19 FG shooting (63%). She did it in a variety of ways too! Knocking down three treys, attacking the basket with speed and ferocity, and getting to the foul line frequently (going 8-9 on FT).
For the complete in-depth breakdown of each quarter, including all the best plays, commentary on the Storm’s performance, concerns about Sue Bird’s injury, impressions on the job Marianne Stanley has done, and quotes from Storm coach Gary Kloppenburg, Jewell Loyd, and Natasha Howard make sure you check it out at the link below!
Full detailed analysis on the Seattle Storm’s loss to the Indiana Fever.