Loyd's 39 points not enough as Mystics beat Storm 93-86

Seattle blows an opportunity to pick up a win against a very injured Washington team.

This game did not play out like I expected it to at all. The Washington Mystics were without stars Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin who were out with injuries. On paper, this looked like a strong opportunity for the Storm to pick up their 5th win of the season. But instead, we saw the Mystics’ role players step up and dominate Seattle. Despite a fast start by the Storm that saw them lead 8-2, the Mystics would take the lead at the end of the first period and never looked back. Washington led by 25 points late in the third before the Storm made a last-ditch rally in the 4th quarter. Once again, they dug themselves too big a hole and fell to the Mystics by a final score of 93-86.

Jewell Loyd was once again spectacular. She finished the game with 39 points on 50% shooting (11-22 FG). Even more impressive was her three-point shooting where she connected on 56% (9-16 FG). The nine-made triples tied a WNBA record. She had a chance to break the record on the game’s final possession but her final three-pointer just rimmed out.

“I felt good. I was just trying to be patient. Just really stay balanced. I missed a big free throw that we needed. And two timely threes that I felt could have helped. I was just trying to get to my spots.” Loyd told me after the game.

She also spoke about what went wrong for the team to get down by 25 points.

“Our turnovers. That’s been our Achilles heel all season is the turnovers. It’s hard to win games when you turn the ball over against really good teams who can score and like to push. I think there was a stretch where Sykes had three fast break layups. It was our turnovers. We have to clean that up a little bit. We want more possessions and good possessions so we got to be able to keep track of the ball.” Jewell stated.

I asked Coach Noelle Quinn about Loyd’s impressive performance as well.

“Did she talk to you about the missed free throw to get her 40? I tried to get her another three at the end. Offensively, it’s just a joy to watch when she’s able to hit shots consecutively. She has carried a huge load of our offense this year. Defensively, I didn’t think she was sharp on a couple of possessions but then she picked it back up which is great. When her offense is clicking and her defensive awareness and intensity are on point it helps us tremendously. But offensively, she’s continuing to play at a high level and hit big shots. Be money when we need it. It’s just amazing to watch the growth and journey of Jewell.” Coach added.

Rookie Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu in her second consecutive start, continued to impress. She had another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ezi Magbegor was solid with 12 points and nine rebounds. But the majority of the other players didn’t contribute enough for the team to win.

“Dulcy, I’ll continue to reiterate. She works so hard! She works hard in practice, she works hard after and before practice. What we’re seeing is the hard work paying off. She is very active. Her activity helps. The 5-O boards, she’s the reason why our rebounding is improving. But also her ability to finish around the rim because she sets such good screens. She plays within herself. She understands what her role is and doesn’t play outside of that role. And she gives 100%. It’s good that a rookie, at this stage of our season, can continue to give us consistency where we lack. Especially, with her physicality. I’m super excited about her continued growth.” Quinn stated.

At one point, midway through the fourth quarter, I checked the box score. Jewell Loyd had 27 points. Some of the other point totals I saw for Storm players - 0, 2, 2, 3, and 3. Five other players scored a total of 10 points for Seattle. Four out of those five players played at least 11 minutes.

Gabby Williams played in her first game back since signing with the team. She played 20 minutes but did not score. Williams, Kia Nurse, and Sami Whitcomb combined to shoot 11% making just two of their 18 field goal attempts.

I spoke with Coach Quinn after the game about not getting enough from other players besides Loyd.

“Yeah, it’s a balance, right? Sometimes it’s seeing Jewell is on fire and finding the hot hand. But the balance is getting our ball movement, our offense moving, our bodies moving, our cuts, and our screening. Especially, when we’re going up against defenses that aren’t as aggressive as far as trapping. We need our others to lock in and step in and hit shots, making layups. They need to have confidence and we’ll continue to address that. Part of that is getting better ball movement, moving, and just being a good teammate; setting up your cuts, setting good screens, and when you get open shots - taking our time knocking them in and have confidence.” Quinn answered.

Both teams were very even throughout the contest. Each team had 31 rebounds. They both had 32 points in the paint. They both had 10 fast break points. The Mystics had a slight edge in assists at 19-18. The Storm had a slight edge in steals at 9-8.

“I thought there was growth down the stretch. We’ve been in this situation before with Washington where we were down and we came back in the game. Our Achilles heel is still our turnovers and our timely ones. I think that needs to continue to be addressed. Where there is growth and progress, I think our rebounding is a lot better. (Early) with our schemes, we weren’t into bodies, and giving up wide-open shots. But I thought in the 4th quarter we did a good job.” Coach Quinn said in her opening statement.

Washington Mystics

With EDD, Shakira Austin, and Kristi Toliver all out of this game with injuries other players were forced to step up. Even more so after Ariel Atkins injured her left ankle in the first half and didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

Brittney Sykes was exceptional scoring a team-high 26 points on 67% (12-18 FG) shooting. She did a bit of everything pulling down five rebounds, dishing out three assists, and snatching three steals.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough also came up huge for the Mystics, scoring a season-high 16 points off the bench. Tianna Hawkins added 13 points and six rebounds. Natasha Cloud contributed with nine points and eight assists. Li Meng also added nine points.

The Mystics were very efficient knocking down tough shots throughout the game. They made 54% (36-67 FG) and 38% (9-24 FG) from the three-point line. Their bench outscored the Storm reserves 34 to 15.

Credit to the Mystics’ defense for forcing Ezi into a few early turnovers to rattle her.

Game Breakdown

Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu made a quick impact by getting an offensive rebound on the game’s first possession. She immediately put the ball back in the hoop. Seattle got a stop on one end and Kia Nurse knocked down a three-ball to quickly put Seattle up 5-0.

Myisha Hines-Allen was able to score on back-to-back possessions for the Mystics. Jewell Loyd was able to connect on a triple. Brittney Sykes knocked down her own three and scored another basket on a hard drive to the rim.

Both teams were effective from beyond the arc early. Tianna Hawkins and Li Meng hit triples for the Mystics. Ivana Dojkić hit one for Seattle and a few plays later Sami Whitcomb made one as well.

Shatoria Walker Kimbrough finished at the rim to put the Mystics up 21-20. Li Meng was then able to perform a dribble hesitation move past Jordan Horston. Horston fouled Meng trying to recover on defense. Meng hit the free throw to complete the AND1 play. Then Walker Kimbrough knocked down a deep jumper to end the quarter.

The Mystics led 26-20 and finished the period on a 9-0 run.

Ezi Magbegor scored over the smaller defender for her first points of the game early in the 2nd quarter. Walker Kimbrough hit another three-pointer to put the Mystics up seven at 29-22.

Horston had a nice offensive rebound and floater back in. The Mystics' red-hot shooting continued as Ariel Atkins and Walker Kimbrough hit back-to-back three-pointers. It was their 5th and 6th triple of the first half. Another layup by Atkins put D.C. up nine at 39-30.

Jewell and Sami made a nice play in transition where Loyd pushed the ball up to Whitcomb and as the defender raced out to stop Sami she fed the ball back to Jewell who knocked down the three-pointer.

Tiana Hawkins made a nice veteran move against Ezi. Instead of challenging Magbegor right at the rim. She let Ezi go by her and then connected on the short shot with plenty of space away from her defender.

Fankam Mendjiadeu cut the deficit down to four on a layup. However, the Mystics finished the half scoring the final four points; two from Queen Egbo and a pair of free throws for Hines-Allen. The Mystics led 47-39 at the midway point.

D.C. outshot the Storm 53% (18-34 FG) to 41% (15-37 FG). Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the Mystics with 10 points in the first half. Jewell Loyd and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu each scored 10 points for the Storm.

Things went from bad to worse to begin the 2nd half. Hawkins drilled a three-pointer to put the Mystics up double-digits. Seattle then immediately turned the ball over on their first possession. Then Brittney Sykes aggressively blew past Kia Nurse for an easy layup.

Loyd tried to rally the team by hitting a jumper and then getting to the free throw line multiple times. However, Washington continued to be the aggressor. Sykes then scored six straight points over two minutes including jumping the passing lane and racing down the other end for two.

The game got away from Seattle after this point. The Mystics outscored the Storm by 12 points in the third period 27-15. The Storm trailed by 20 entering the final frame 74-54.

Jade Melbourne made a couple of nice plays to begin the 4th quarter. She was able to attack downhill to the rim for a layup. Then she got a steal and forced a foul trying to finish. A few plays later she led another fast break that resulted in a Jewell Loyd three-pointer.

Loyd had such an impressive second half where she tallied 29 points over the final twenty minutes. She knocked down nine three-pointers in the game. It was her 7th game scoring 30 points or more this season.

The Storm went on an 11-0 run to cut the Mystics’ 25-point lead down six at 84-78. That was as close as Seattle would get.

Sykes made a couple more baskets with the game on the line to cull the Storm’s furious 4th quarter rally. Seattle outscored D.C. 32-19 over the final 10 minutes. Washington did just enough to hang onto the 93-86 victory.

Additional Analysis

Jewell Loyd Iron Woman

I am truly amazed by Jewell Loyd. She badly rolled her ankle on Saturday against the New York Liberty during the 4th quarter and did not return to that game. She looked to be in tremendous pain when it happened. I thought for certain she would have to miss at least a game or two. If not two to three weeks to heal up. I was beyond shocked to see Loyd listed as “PROBABLE” on the Injury report on Monday.

And sure enough, Loyd started against the Mystics. She played 35 minutes in this game and, oh yeah, she scored 39 points on 50% FG shooting. INCREDIBLE. INSPIRING. AMAZING. What other adjective do we want to use?

Loyd’s on-court skills are elite. The best of the best. But her ability to take contact, get hit, take hard fouls, and remain durable is a quality that oftentimes can go overlooked. So I just wanted to take a moment to write about that fact. To praise Jewell for her ability to fight through pain and injuries and continue to battle.

It would be SO easy to look at how this season is playing out. Look at the Storm’s record and where they sit in the WNBA standings and say, “Yeah, I’m gonna need some time to rest.” And no one would blame her for it. But not Jewell. Loyd battled with everything she had and nearly willed her team to victory.

After the game, I spoke with Coach Quinn about Jewell’s gutsy performance.

“It says a lot. She’s taking care of her body in a major way especially coming into this season. We worked these couple of days. Brittany did an amazing job, our trainer, made sure she was ready to go. She was very diligent in her rehab. The process, we had a couple of days to figure out what we can do. She was ready to go today. Obviously, dealing with a little bit of fatigue as well as an ankle injury. It didn’t seem to bother her. But for her to be on the floor, it’s about her effort, her will, and the example she’s setting for her teammates. That she wants to show up and be the best version of herself every single day in spite of what she may be going through physically.” Quinn told me.

More Jade Melbourne?

Jade Melbourne is the youngest player in the WNBA this season at 20 years old. Jade has not seen a ton of in-game action up to this point as she’s generally been behind Ivana Dojkić, Sami Whitcomb, and Yvonne Turner on the point guard depth chart throughout this season.

With the Storm trailing by 25 points late in the 3rd quarter, Melbourne was given an opportunity to come into the game. Once she got in, she stayed in for the remainder of the contest. She played quite well during her 12 minutes of action.

She brought a spark off the bench for Seattle. Jade quickly scored to begin the fourth quarter. Melbourne finished the game with eight points on 3-4 FG. She added three assists with zero turnovers. And she had quick hands collecting four steals.

Coach Quinn complimented her youngest rookie.

“When they came into the game, especially Jade. She was able to get downhill, find players; not turn the ball over, and be really steady with the ball. Get us into a flow and some early drag. She was pretty solid defensively to me. That’s a good indicator on whether I can keep her on the floor or not. Understanding that there needs to be some growth in that process and reps in the process. A lot of her reps are in practice. Know that if she’s sharp and locked in there that she can play some big-time minutes.” Quinn stated.

Loyd also praised her rookies.

“They come in and play with energy every night. Regardless of who we are playing against. They know their jobs, know their roles, and they come in and do what they’re told to do. We’ve seen that in practice and in training camp. I’m glad you’re seeing that now. All their hard work is coming to light. It’s just a testament to them.” Jewell added.

If Jade can continue to play like this during her limited minutes she will likely earn more playing time as the season progresses.

But that is not a given. Yvonne Turner, who at one point was starting, is no longer receiving many minutes if any at all. And it’s not like Ivana Dojkić is playing poorly. Ivy looked sharp in the first quarter scoring five points. But didn’t look for her offense after that.

Sami Whitcomb was the team’s best player in New York one game ago. She still needs to get solid minutes off the bench and will fill in at both guard positions. And with the addition of Gabby Williams, that’s another guard/wing player Melbourne will have to compete with for playing time.

Jade may not get as much playing time as some would hope. But at least Coach Quinn is putting her into certain games to gain experience. Any and all experience she can get this season is only going to be a tremendous benefit to her as the season moves forward. This is just year one for the 20-year-old.

Need More From Ezi

It was just a few games ago, I wrote that Ezi desperately needed more help from other post players. Since then, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu has entered the starting lineup and is averaging a double-double. In turn, Ezi’s production has dropped off a bit.

Magbegor has still been solid. But she scored 12 points on Tuesday and just 10 points against New York on Saturday. That was after averaging around 15 PPG prior to those games. She’s getting more help which in theory should open up her production but it hasn’t.

And it’s not like Dulcy is a player similar to Breanna Stewart or Tina Charles that is going to take 15-20 shot attempts per game that would take many opportunities away from Ezi. Dulcy has scored in double figures in the last two games taking nine shots or less each game.

I expected Magbegor to dominate in this game against the Mystics with both Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin not dressed for action. Washington did not have a legit rim defender in their lineup. And I was surprised to see Ezi not look to score more frequently.

I spoke with Coach Quinn after the game and asked her if she felt Magbegor was aggressive enough in this game.

“I don’t think that she was. I think those early turnovers really impacted her. I think when she had Hawkins on her, we talked about it throughout the course of the game, that’s a mismatch and to be ultra-aggressive there. Ezi kinda looked a bit fatigued as she should be because she’s carried a heavy load on both ends of the floor. We are just trying to push through some mental and physical fatigue with her. I hope her teammates pick her up and offset what we’re seeing. I do agree with you, I didn’t think she was aggressive enough.” Quinn answered.

Magbegor earned her first All-Star appearance this year in her 4th WNBA season. She has continued to improve her game now extending her offense beyond the arc. The next step in her maturation process will be learning how to take over games; learn how to dominate players when she is more skillful than the opposition, as she should have in this game.

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (4-15) immediately turn around and play the Atlanta Dream (10-8) on Wednesday, July 12th at 4:00 PM PDT. After the Atlanta game, the team will have 7 days off as the All-Star game will take place this Saturday. Then they return to face the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in Seattle on July 20th.

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