Magbegor shines in Storm's 74-71 victory over the Chicago Sky

Seattle holds off Chicago to pick up an important win.

(Seattle, WA) - Ezi! Ezi! Ezi! Oi! Oi! Oi! The 22-year-old Australian PF/C continues to shine in a more prominent role with the Storm this season. Forced into a starting role with the injury to Center Mercedes Russell, Magbegor continues to grow each and every game. She finished with a game-high 21 points as Seattle held on to defeat the Chicago Sky 74-71.

“We’ll take the win. It was good to have Stewie and Piph back on the floor. Ending the game in a defensive possession just shows the growth of our team. The amount of confidence we have to be in games and sustain us defensively shows again. Even through the slippage of our offense, we were able to sustain and walk away with a hard-fought victory, so I’m encouraged.” Coach Quinn told the media after the game.

While Seattle’s offense continues to struggle they have put together two really incredible defensive efforts over the last two games. Defensively, they’ve been very good in three of their first five games. That’s a great sign because when the offense is not working and right now it is definitely not. The best teams can hang their hat on their defense and it’ll keep you in every single game.

“It’s very important as we find chemistry in our offense and find rhythm in our offense. The pieces that we added as they find the comfort in their offense, what will sustain us is our defense. One thing that we know is that we have pieces that can play defense. We have pieces that are growing and learning in our systems. This is why we have the pieces here. When our offense isn’t clicking or carrying us, relying on our defense and hanging our hat on that, having the personnel do that and people that actually want to do that (play defense). It’s cliche but they say ‘Defense Wins Championships’. I think a lot of elite teams, yeah they score at a high clip, but the way they defend. They’re at the top of all categories. That’ll continue to be important to us. We’re five games in, it’s good but I don’t think it’s as good as we’ll be in a couple of months so I’m encouraged by that.” Quinn responded to my question on the importance of defense.

“We know our defense is going to be extremely important now but even more later this season. Building that trust and confidence that we know someone always has our back. I think you guys can see that it’s developing from the first game until now. Our defense is great and now we need to get our offense going. We gotta make some shots and get the looks that we want.” Stewie added

Breanna Stewart made her return from the WNBA’s Healthy & Safety protocols after being quarantined in Phoenix until Tuesday, May 17th. While Stewie didn’t quite look her normal self she was still able to play for nearly 30 minutes and was the only other Storm player besides Magbegor to reach double figures with 13 points. She also had five rebounds and four steals.

“(Last) Wednesday, I found out my Covid test was positive at 5 O’Clock. We were about to go to the game, I was dressed. I was having some symptoms, I had a test the day before and it was negative. We found an Air BnB, we were in Phoenix. I was in Phoenix until yesterday afternoon. I did all the things to get cleared to play and here I am. I said it after the game, Covid is real and still a thing. We just need to make sure we’re all taking precautions to keep yourself safe and one another safe. I am very happy to be back and cleared to play …(she was later asked what she did while quarantined)… My symptoms were pretty mild, mostly chest congestion. I was doing mild workouts. Pool workouts, pilates, etc. I had to get moving a little bit. I did like 8 sprints. Anything that I could get the most out of it but not go crazy because I was still sick.” Stewie spoke about her health after the game.

Both teams had similar stats across the board. Seattle had the edge in rebounds 35-30. Chicago had the advantage with points in the paint 42-36. Both teams tied with fastbreak points at 9-9. Both teams had more turnovers than they wanted with Chicago committing 19 total and Seattle 17. Each team also had 26 assists.

Really the biggest difference in the game was the Storm’s bench (a theme we’ll likely see all season). Seattle’s reserves outscored Chicago’s 22-12. Stephanie Talbot and Epiphanny Prince each had six points all from three-point field goals. Jantel Lavender added five more.

The Chicago Sky

Four of Chicago’s starters scored in double figures in this game but only Azurá Stevens had more than 11 points. Emma Meesseman, Candace Parker, and Courtney Vandersloot each chipped in with 11 points. Stevens finished with a team-high 18 points. She was really impressive connecting on 8-13 FG (62%) including 2-3 from beyond the arc.

Emma Meesseman looked really strong in the first half knocking down some really difficult contested shots. But she only scored four points in the second half and zero in the 4th quarter.

Candace Parker was held to just three points through the first three quarters but picked it up late scoring eight of her 11 points with the game on the line. Her last points came off a great hustle play by both teams. Courtney Vandersloot appeared to have an open layup but Gabby Williams tracked her down with what may end up being the best block of the entire season. However, Parker was rewarded with good hustle by following the play. CP3 was able to collect the rebound and put the ball back in the basket to cut the Storm’s lead to just three with 35 seconds left in the game.

WNBA @WNBA

What a play! @gabbywilliams15 with the block off the steal, @Candace_Parker with the basket 😱

It should be noted that while Seattle was without Mercedes Russell, Chicago was without 2021 WNBA Finals MVP and All-Star Guard Kahleah Copper. Russell plays a big role for Seattle but I think not having Copper was an even bigger loss for Chicago in this matchup.

Copper had still been busy playing overseas but it’s been reported that she just returned to the United States. She should be eligible to join the Sky very soon. When these two teams face off again it’ll be interesting to see if that balances the scales in favor of Chicago.

Game Breakdown

Seattle got off to a great start with Ezi Magegor knocking down a jumper, Jewell Loyd getting a steal, Gabby Williams getting an offensive rebound, and Sue Bird draining a three to take a 5-0 lead.

Chicago kept finding mismatches when Seattle was switching on defense and their post players were able to capitalize with multiple baskets in the paint.

Beautiful plays on both ends with Ezi getting an extended scoop layup and Courtney Vandersloot scoring on a backdoor cut down the baseline. Allie Quigley’s three-pointer on the right wing tied the game at 11-11.

Magbegor continued to score baskets in the paint including a beautiful pass down the court from Sue Bird for the transition basket. Ezi had 10 points in the first quarter.

Epiphanny Prince checked into the game and immediately hit a three-pointer.

Both teams shot over 50% in the first period with Seattle connecting on 10-19 FG (53%) and Chicago 10-18 FG (56%).

Azurá Stevens led the Sky with seven points and Emma Meesseman added six more. The Storm had a one-point lead at 23-22 at the end of the first.

On the Storm’s first offensive possession of the second quarter, they grabbed two offensive rebounds and eventually scored on their third attempt, a layup by Jantel Lavender.

There must have been something on the scout that Chicago saw and wanted to take advantage of as they were consistently able to find mismatches down low. Most often it was a small Storm guard trying to defend Azurá Stevens and Stevens took full advantage time and time again.

Seattle built a six-point lead at 32-26 but Chicago went on a quick 5-0 run to cut the Storm’s lead to just one (32-31) forcing Coach Noelle Quinn to call time.

After the timeout, the Storm finished the quarter on a 14-3 run. Magbegor, Bird, Stewart, Loyd, and Williams all scored during that run.

Ezi continued to do work down in the paint. Her speed appeared to be a problem for Candace Parker who struggled to keep Magbegor from converting her baskets in the paint. Magbegor had eight of her 21 points in the third quarter.

Chicago wouldn’t go away though. Allie Quigley scored multiple jumpers in the period and Ruthy Hebard converted an AND1 layup opportunity to cut the Storm’s lead down to single digits. Hebard got fouled again and connected on one of two free throws to cut the lead to eight at 55-47.

Seattle did not score from the 4:48 mark of the third quarter until the 52-second mark left in the period. Stewart made a mid-range jumper and was fouled to break the scoreless streak.

The Storm’s defense kept Chicago at bay. The Sky were able to cut the lead to seven but Seattle also forced them into multiple turnovers and shot-clock violations.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Epiphanny Prince and Stephanie Talbot pushed the Storm’s lead to 15 points at 64-49 with 8:17 left in the game. Chicago would finish the game on a 22-10 run giving Seattle fans a heart attack in the process.

Dana Evans hit a jumper and Stevens slipped to the rim on the next possession to cut the lead back down to 11. Coach Quinn had seen enough and called timeout.

A beautiful pick and roll from Candace Parker cut Seattle’s lead back down to nine points.

Gabby Williams connected on a huge three to put the Storm up 12 again at 74-62. Those would be the final points the Storm would score with 2:28 left to play.

Chicago pushed the pace and upped their defensive intensity. Stevens immediately knocked down a corner three of her own to make it 74-65. Courtney Vandersloot found Candace Parker for easy uncontested layups in back-to-back possessions. They burned Seattle on the same play two times in a row to make it 74-69 with about a minute left.

With around 40 seconds left in the game, Courtney Vandersloot had what appeared to be an open lane to the basket but Gabby Williams raced down the court to catch up with Vandersloot and beautifully rejected the ball in one of the more athletic plays you’ll see. Parker was right there to get the offensive rebound and score the layup to make it a one-possession game.

Two turnovers and three missed shots by Seattle in the final 148 seconds of the game nearly cost them the win. Fortunately, their defense held strong on the final possession, preventing Chicago from even taking a three-point attempt that would have sent the game into overtime.

When it was all said and done the Storm had won a thrilling contest 74-71 between the last two WNBA Championship teams.

Additional Analysis

Mercedes Starting Job in Jeopardy?

Mercedes Russell earned a starting job with the Seattle Storm in 2019 when Breanna Stewart was out with a torn Achilles. Russell outplayed Crystal Langhorne that season and started 30 of 34 games that year. In 2020, with Stewart back she returned to her role off the bench. And in 2021, once Natasha Howard was traded away, Russell was reinserted into the starting lineup starting 28 of 30 games.

Depending on when Mercedes Russell is able to get back with Seattle and the playing condition she is in, I think there’s a good chance Russell will be coming off the bench.

That theory will only continue to grow if Ezi Magbegor can continue to play the way she did in Wednesday night’s game against the Sky. At just 22 years of age, Magbegor was the best player on the court. That’s a court she shared with Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Emma Meesseman, Allie Quigley, and Azurá Stevens.

Not only did Ezi lead all scorers with 21 points. She had an impact on all facets of the game. Magbegor was highly efficient shooting the ball at a 69% clip (9-13 FG). She had six rebounds which were second on the team next to Stephanie Talbot (seven). When the defense collapsed on her, she was able to find other open players for four assists. Maybe most importantly, her defense continues to impress. The more she learns how to play without getting in foul trouble the better defensively she’s going to be because of her size and especially her length (wingspan). Ezi had two more blocks in this game and a steal while only committing one personal foul.

When asked about her thoughts on Ezi after Wednesday’s performance Coach Quinn had this to say.

“(I think about) How proud I am of her. She’s so deserving of the moments that she can show the world what we see every day. She works extremely hard, she’s very humble, and she’s an amazing teammate and human being. Besides that, she wants to be a great basketball player. It’s nothing but hard work and dedication to her craft. I’m proud of moments like this because these are the things we tell her every day that she’s capable of. When she’s able to see it …. it’s not just the points, it’s the energy, coming over to block shots, plugging (defensive) holes. Just continue to pour into her every single day not just from me but from everyone. The amazing part about it is we are just 5 games in and she’ll still continue to grow and learn. She hasn’t even scratched the surface of where we think she can be.” Quinn told us.

Breanna Stewart talked about Ezi’s performance during the post-game press conference.

“When Ezi is aggressive everybody else plays off of her. With her taking on a bigger role, realizing that, and embracing that, it’ll help her continue to grow in her career. Whatever Ezi wants to do on the court she can do. And she knows that I’m going to read off of her, Sue is going to read off of her, and Jewell’s going to read off of her because we know the type of player she is and is going to continue to be. When Ezi plays like she did tonight, it’s going to only help our team.” Stewart stated.

I asked Ezi if her experience leading her Australian team, the Melbourne Boomers, in scoring helped her adjust her mindset to taking on a larger role in the Storm’s offense especially as her role increases with Mercedes Russell out with an injury.

“A little bit, yeah. That does give me a bit of confidence but with this team, it’s been more ‘Next Woman Up’ mentality with ‘Cedes out, with Stewie and Piph out the last couple of games. You just need to step up, everyone has that mindset. It does give me a little more confidence coming into this season.” Magbegor told me.

Point Guard Heir

It’s way too soon to start talking about what’s next for Seattle if Sue Bird does indeed call it a career after this season. But I don’t think there’s any doubt on who should be one of the Storm’s top targets if that does indeed happen. She played her high school and college career in Washington State, she’s from the area, and she’s arguably been the league’s best pure point guard over the past few seasons.

Courtney Vandersloot signed a one-year deal with the Sky to return to Chicago this year. Prior to that happening, Holly Rowe had a report that said the initial contract offer to Vandersloot from the Sky was “highly disrespectful”.

We know Vandersloot is obviously playing with the Sky this season and she’s looking to help Chicago repeat as WNBA Champions. After this year, things are up in the air for both Bird and Vandersloot.

Chicago and Seattle play extremely similar. Both teams like to push the pace, spread the floor, shoot a lot of threes, and take advantage of their bigs down low when they have mismatches.

The similarities in how they play were a big reason I wasn’t shocked that Chicago was able to upset the #1 seed Connecticut Sun in the playoffs last season. Seattle proved to be a difficult matchup for Connecticut which was on full display during the Inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Chicago’s similar style provided the Sun with the same challenges in the playoffs.

I bring this up because I feel the transition for both Vandersloot and the Storm would be a relatively easy one if they decided to pair up for the 2023 WNBA season. It’s certainly something to think about once we get into the offseason.

Almost a Collapse… Almost

This gamed got eerily familiar as it was winding down. Back on August 27th, 2021, the Storm lost a home game against the Chicago Sky 73-69. Seattle led the entire game but collapsed in the final minutes and was outscored 22-14 in the 4th quarter.

For a moment, I thought the same thing might happen again. It was déjà vu. I asked both Breanna Stewart and Coach Quinn about that after the game and if that ran through their head at all as this game was winding down.

“No. I blacked that out of my memory. I actually don’t remember that. If you look at the box score in the 2nd half they outscored us in both quarters. We had a lot of different factors this past week, (including) us being stuck in Phoenix. The biggest thing is getting the win. Now having time to collect our thoughts and get in the gym together so we can get ready for LA.” Stewart said with uncertainty.

While Stewart says she blacked that game out, Coach Quinn didn’t forget. I asked her if that popped into her head late in this game.

“Yes (it did). The biggest thing I remember is Quigley got loose. It was very similar in that our offense didn’t sustain and got a little janky. The ball gets loose. Gabby gets a Lebron-chase-down block but then the ball travels and (Chicago) gets the bounce. Things like that happened kinda like last time. It wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t executed well. But what we grew from is defending in those situations. Getting into three-point shooters, Ezi I think got her hands on the shot. Being a lot more attentive to the personnel when it gets a little crazy. Making sure to get to the three-point line because that’s where they burned us last year.” Quinn told me.

Jersey Count

The Storm picked up their first win of the season while wearing their White “Heroine” uniforms. Seattle will have a chance to get back to a .500 record if they can beat Los Angeles on Friday.

Records per jersey type this season:
Rebel: 1-1
Explorer: 0-1
Heroine: 1-1
Overall Record: 2-3

Up Next

The Storm continue their 8-game homestand this Friday, May 20th at 7:00 PM, against the Los Angeles Sparks. It marks the return of former Storm players Jordin Canada and Katie Lou Samuelson. As well as the LA debut of Liz Cambage!

Notes: Thanks for everyone’s support, it’s greatly appreciated! Please refer all your friends who love the WNBA and enjoy in-depth coverage of the Storm and the league overall.

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Photo Credits to Neil Enns/Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography Team.