4th quarter barrage by the Mercury buries Seattle 94-78

Seattle was outscored 34-13 in the final period.

(Phoenix, Arizona) - In what was likely the final time that Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will play against one another in their historic careers it was Taurasi’s Mercury team that wound up on top. Phoenix blitzed Seattle in the 4th quarter turning a five-point deficit into a 16-point victory as the Mercury outscored the Storm 34-13 over the final 10 minutes. A game that was extremely competitive throughout with 25 lead changes and 13 ties ended up being anything but by the final buzzer. With the win over Seattle, Phoenix swept the season series 3-0 this year.

Breanna Stewart once again led the way with an impressive double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds. However, most of her stats came in the first half where she had 16 points and 10 rebounds. She had just six points and four rebounds over the final two quarters. Jewell Loyd added 15 points and was tied with Sue Bird and Gabby Williams for a team-high five assists. Tina Charles in her first start with the Storm also had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Outside of those three, Williams had a solid game with eight points, five assists, and four rebounds. But surprisingly, she really struggled to defend Skylar Diggins-Smith.

“A tough one. Especially in the 4th quarter. (We) didn’t score for a while. We couldn’t get stops. We played decent up to that point. It kind of got out of hand in that 4th quarter. Some positives to take away from it. We have a quick one on Sunday, so we’ve got to move forward.” Coach Noelle Quinn said in her opening statement.

As a team, Seattle did some things well. Most notably they rebounded the ball very well overall and out-rebounded Phoenix 39-34. They also had 17 offensive rebounds which really jumped off the game film. They definitely took advantage of Phoenix being without Brittney Griner and playing with a small-ball lineup for most of the game. Seattle also did a good job scoring in the paint (mainly Stewart and Charles) as they outscored Phoenix 34-26 inside the key area. The reserves also outscored Phoenix’s group 17-2 but that had more to do with the fact that the Mercury’s starters scored 92 points!

After a disappointing rebounding performance against Chicago where Stewart had just three boards, she spoke about having to be better. After pulling down a season-high 14 rebounds I talked with Stewie if that was on her mind going into this game.

“That was a big focus of mine to make sure I was able to help my team on a rebounding end. Obviously, being aware that they were playing small and knowing that I can get offensive and defensive rebounds. We out-rebounded them but it wasn’t enough. 20 more shots than them is kinda crazy. We just couldn’t execute.” Stewart replied.

One positive from the game is that Breanna Stewart did set a new WNBA record as the fastest player to score 3,500 points and pull down 1,500 rebounds in her career. Per the Storm broadcast, Stewart broke the previous record held by Lauren Jackson. She did it in 18 fewer games than LJ.

The Phoenix Mercury

It was truly a three-headed monster for Phoenix as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Diana Taurasi, and Sophie Cunningham all took turns shredding Seattle’s defense. Diggins-Smith tied her career-high with 35 points (12-19 FG), six rebounds, and six assists. She got to the rim every time she wanted to whether Gabby Williams, Stephanie Talbot or other Storm players were guarding her. If she didn’t score at the rim she was fouled and sometimes she scored and was fouled on the same play. Her nine free throw attempts were a game-high and nearly tied Seattle’s entire team (11)!

Taurasi was essentially just as good. DT looked like the prime Taurasi of 5+ years ago and was just as intense and spitting-mad as she ever was. Whether it was because this was the last time she’d face her rival or because the Mercury are desperately battling for a playoff spot, you could tell Taurasi was laser-focused to come away with the victory. She finished the game with 28 points including 6-10 FG from beyond the arc. Diana also had a game-high seven assists and a team-high seven rebounds.

“She got off to a good start. And I think when you play against Dee and she gets going early you’re in for a long night. When she is in a flow and then Skylar gets going. They’re two very talented players but with Dee specifically, that’s what makes her great. She’s infectious. There’s something contagious when Dee’s flowing like that and hitting shots. It gets her team going. It allows her team to build off of that and that’s what you saw as the game progressed.” Bird told me.

While speaking with the two legends I asked Diana how dangerous the Mercury can be as they fight for one of the final playoff spots towards the end of the season.

“You play with a different level of desperation. We know where we’re at in the standings and how important every game is especially down the stretch. You try to find a little more energy and a little more hunger. But at the end of the day, you have to play the game the right way. When we’ve been able to do that for long stretches we’re pretty good and when we don’t, we stink! It’s a battle of teams and what you can bring to the table every day. If we can be a little bit more consistent we’ll have a good chance.” Taurasi told me.

If that wasn’t enough, Sophie Cunningham continues to have a strong season now in her 4th year in the WNBA. Cunningham scored 19 points in this game including making 5-10 FG from three-point range. Because of the threats on the court of Taurasi and Diggins-Smith, Phoenix was able to make that extra pass multiple times which led to several wide-open shots for the former Missouri star.

As Phoenix has gone to a more small-ball lineup with Cunningham playing the four (Power Forward) she has found major success. She has reached double-figures in 10 consecutive games including scoring a career-high 36 points against Minnesota on July 12th.

The Mercury shot considerably better than Seattle but their three-point shooting was particularly deadly. They made 46% (30-65 FG) and 45% (14-31) from beyond the three-point line. They also held Seattle to 37% (30-82 FG) and 29% (8-28) from beyond the arc. Phoenix had a 6-0 edge in blocked shots with Taurasi and Brianna Turner each having two. Taurasi had one where she rejected Gabby Williams, then smacked the ball out of bounds and talked some trash afterward.

Coach Quinn talked to me after the game about the challenges they present to Seattle’s defense.

“They take a lot of threes. When they get their threes going they’re hard to guard. You have to pay so much attention to Skylar and Diana and they’re able to be a playmaker and get downhill to make the right reads. The other aspect is they’re just tough. They go hard in everything that they do. When they’re cooking from the three-point line it’s really hard to stop that.” she stated.

I asked Stewie the same thing.

“The fact that they have Sky, Dee, and Sophie. When you have three players score 20+ points, that’s a lot! Giving up 14 threes. I think our defense can just be better. They play small so it’s a little bit different from what we see from other teams. I don’t really have a great answer for you. I don’t know. Whatever it is, we need to be better.” Stewart said with disappointment.

Game Breakdown

Tina Charles got the surprise start and was the first to score in the game off an offensive rebound. Stewart then made back-to-back layups and Seattle was quickly out to a 6-0 lead.

Then the Mercury scored eight quick points. Sophie Cunningham got them on the board with a three-ball. Skylar Diggins-Smith was able to draw a foul and connected on both free throws. Then Diana Taurasi hit a triple after badly missing one earlier.

Charles was able to grab an offensive rebound and put the shot back up over Taurasi’s head. DT hit another three. But Stewie was able to respond with her own and she was fouled for the very rare four-point play. This put Seattle back up by one, 15-14.

Diggins-Smith got another layup, then Shey Peddy was fouled and made both of her free throws. Stephanie Talbot converted a layup on the other end.

Diggins-Smith hit a three in transition on a fast-break to put the Mercury back up two (21-19).

Because Ezi Magbegor picked up two fouls in about thirty seconds Jantel Lavender checked into the game for the first time in a while. Lavender was able to hit a pair of free throws to tie the game up 21-21 at the end of the first period.

On one of the first possessions of the second quarter, the Storm collected multiple offensive rebounds. It eventually resulted in Epiphanny Prince driving to the rim and drawing a flagrant foul. Prince split the two free throws.

Taurasi was able to draw a foul against Talbot beyond the arc and knocked down all three of her shots. She would hit a nasty step-back three a couple of plays later.

Stewie went up and down with the ball in what should have been called a jump ball. But the refs fell asleep on the job and allowed the play to continue. As the Mercury players looked around confused, Stewart put the shot back up and in. She also made a layup on the next possession.

Ezi picked up the rebound and drove the entire way until she got into the paint. She found Stephanie Talbot in the corner who splashed it in.

Sue Bird checked back in and hit one of her patented pull-up jumpers. It was the only shot Bird took in the entire game. Diggins-Smith answered back with another three to tie the game at 35-35. Stewart and Shey Peddy exchanged layups. Peddy got hers after Taurasi picked Bird’s pocket in the backcourt and fed Peddy for the uncontested layup.

Loyd found Gabby Williams in the left corner and Williams was able to convert a three of her own.

Just as the first quarter finished with both teams tied 21-21, halftime was also tied at 42-42. Neither team shot the ball well with Seattle edging the Phoenix Mercury 38% (16-42) to 37% (13-35). The Mercury did knock down eight three-pointers in the first half making 38% of their attempts which helped keep them in the game. Seattle had a small rebounding advantage of 23-20. Phoenix committed seven turnovers in the first half with most of those coming in the opening minutes of the game.

Diggins-Smith scored the first points of the 2nd half by getting to the foul line again. Gabby Williams drove and missed her layup but luckily Tina Charles was there to get another offensive rebound and put it back in while in mid-air.

Loyd was able to get to the foul line for two points but then Cunningham made a triple on the other end to put the Mercury back up 49-48. Diggins-Smith continued to speed past Gabby Williams for another layup. Williams, normally an excellent defender, was struggling to keep up with the All-Star guard.

Loyd started to get hot after taking an elbow to the head from Briann Turner. Loyd hit a step-back and then back-to-back three-pointers to give Seattle their largest lead of the game 60-53.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to capitalize on it as Sophie Cunningham hit another three. And then Taurasi and Diggins-Smith made four consecutive free throws to cut the lead back down to two (62-60).

Epiphanny Prince made an off-balanced three to give Seattle the 65-60 lead as the team’s entered the final period.

The Mercury scored five points immediately to begin the 4th quarter. Taurasi hit a three and then drew all the defensive attention and found Cunningham cutting to the rim for an easy open layup. That was only just the beginning as Phoenix would continue to pour it on.

Back-to-back jumpers from Diggins-Smith and Taurasi would put the Mercury up four at 73-69 and forced Coach Quinn to call a timeout. Stewie would make a layup with just under six minutes to play to cut the Mercury’s lead down to four at 75-71.

This is when the game got completely out of control. From the 5:56 mark of the 4th quarter until 1:08 left in the game the Phoenix Mercury went on a 17 to NOTHING run. Play after play you could see the Mercury’s confidence growing. The crowd aptly named the X-Factor, got louder and louder. Seattle started forcing bad shots and committing turnovers and on the other end, Phoenix scored at will.

Diggins-Smith had 12 points and Taurasi had 11 points in the fourth to put the game out of reach.

With the victory, combined with the Dallas Wings’ loss to Chicago on Friday, moved Phoenix into the 8th and final playoff spot.

“There definitely was a momentum shift. At the end of the day, they made more shots in the 4th than we did. They got more stops in the 4th than we did. They separated from us.” Loyd said of the 4th quarter.

“We had an opportunity to fight back and we weren’t able to. They were able to hit shots and we didn’t. We had some untimely turnovers. It was really frustrating giving up that many points in the 4th quarter. We need to be better!” Stewart said of the team’s 4th quarter performance

I spoke with Coach Quinn about the Phoenix Mercury crowd and how that made a difference for them in the 4th quarter and also discussed the importance of Seattle’s home crowd during the team’s final three home games.

“I thought this atmosphere was amazing. The fans knowing the magnitude of the game for Dee and Sue. It was great to be a part of that. (The noise) did impact it in a positive way for (Phoenix). Even during timeouts, it was loud for me. When they went on runs, everything was more amplified because of the sound and the noise. Every little thing they did the fans were behind it and it really helped. I’m looking forward to our crowds being our 6th woman/6th person to help push us and propel us. To give us energy in specific parts of the game where we’ll really need it.” Quinn told me.

Additional Analysis

Starting Lineup Changes

One of the biggest surprises came right before the game started when it was announced that Tina Charles would replace Ezi Magbegor in the starting lineup. It was an interesting decision as the team has played well with Charles coming off the bench. Prior to Friday’s contest against the Mercury, the Storm had won six of their eight games since acquiring Charles.

Seattle’s bench unit has really struggled at times this season. Charles had helped turn that unit around and provided a much-needed offensive punch with the reserve unit. Stewart had recently talked about Charles giving that entire unit more confidence. Not just the confidence Tina has in herself but what she can do for others as well.

The decision to change things up was a peculiar one so I spoke with Coach Quinn about it after the game.

“It was just time. Getting Tina acclimated into our systems. Knowing who she is and what she can provide some offensive firepower. Just wanting to get off to a good start.” Quinn explained.

Ezi also hasn’t really looked her normal self these past couple of games. She’s scored just four points against Chicago and four against Phoenix on Friday night. Two of those came in the final minute of the game in garbage time. So I asked if she felt Magbegor was hitting a wall that young players often encounter.

“I hope not. I think today was just the foul trouble. That wasn’t characteristic of her recently. It got her out of rhythm. No one knows, but she was under the weather and she pushed through that. Taking those two things into account, those are anomalies in my opinion. I think she’ll be ready to rock and roll moving forward.” Quinn added.

Assuming Ezi is healthy on Sunday, I’m going to be very curious to see if she returns to the starting lineup. I think Magbegor is a better fit for the starting lineup than Tina is. Ezi will be more productive playing with Sue and Jewell as they’re able to find her on slips and pick and rolls to the basket. Meanwhile, I think Tina is better off coming off the bench where she doesn’t have to play second or third fiddle to Stewart and Loyd as much. Charles is more likely to lead the second unit than expecting Ezi to be able to score 10-15 points off the bench while playing with the other reserves.

I don’t feel Seattle loses much with Tina coming off the bench. Yes, Charles had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in this game as the starter. But she’s put up similar numbers coming off the bench for Seattle. I’m confident she can continue to put up strong numbers even as a reserve.

Whereas I feel Ezi’s numbers will drop considerably if she’s primarily playing alongside January, Prince, and Lavender.

End of the Rivalry?

Outside of a potential playoff rematch between these two teams, this was the final game that Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will ever play against one another. And if it is indeed their final game the rivalry was everything anyone could have ever asked for.

In 46 regular season games, Bird won 25 games and Taurasi won 21 games. DT had the edge in playoff wins 8-6. In total, Sue Bird and the Storm won 31 games against Diana Taurasi and the Mercury and Phoenix won 29 games. It truly doesn’t get much more even than that.

It is because these two women have been the face of their respective franchises for two decades that these two teams have become incredible rivals. Rivalries are one of the best things about sports and this has been one of the best in the WNBA.

After the game, I got to speak with Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart about the rivalry, being a part of it during their careers and being a part of this final game between the two.

“I’m a part of history and our team is a part of history. It’s not so often you get to play against and with Hall of Famers. I’m lucky to be friends with both of them. I’ve experienced some great times. Obviously, it’s been an honor to share the court with them.” Loyd said of the historic last clash.

Stewart then went on to say.

“We know every time we play Phoenix it’s going to be tough whether it’s here, away, or home. There’s just a lot of history between us. There’s respect. At the same time, to have Sue and Dee’s last regular season game. It’s great to be around. Obviously, we’re on Sue’s World Tour, where she gets appreciated and gets her flowers. Also, Briann, her last game here as well. If anything, that’s the good thing to take from today. The way that they were appreciated and celebrated.” she added.

But I do wonder if the rivalry will remain once Bird and Taurasi are no longer playing in the WNBA. This is Bird’s final season and while this game made it look like DT could play for another 5 years, you have to imagine her time will be coming to an end sooner than later. Once it does, will the rivalry between Phoenix and Seattle still exist?

Will Jewell carry it on with the likes of Sophie Cunningham, who like Taurasi, has a spit-fire attitude and isn’t afraid to get under your skin?

It’s something that’ll be interesting to keep an eye on over the next handful of years.

Over-Reliance on Aging Veterans

If there’s one large concern I’ve had with this season it’s been how the roster was constructed to heavily rely on older veterans that are at or near the end of their playing careers. The Storm have had a history of keeping veteran players on their roster well past their prime. And while it’s true that the Storm won two out of the last four WNBA Championships, they’ve primarily done that with their younger core they built through the draft and through trades. Seattle won the titles in 2018 and 2020 because they had Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, and Natasha Howard. And surrounded them with other young talented pieces like Jordin Canada, Mercedes Russell, Sami Whitcomb, and Ezi Magbegor.

Bird helped guide this young group to these championships. And if it wasn’t for Sue, they don’t even make the Finals in 2018. But overall, it was the young talent that pushed them over the top.

Seattle’s roster is filled with veterans that have more than 10 years of experience in the league. That list includes Sue Bird, Briann January, Epiphanny Prince, Tina Charles, and Jantel Lavender. Of this group, only Charles has been a consistent contributor, and sadly that includes Bird whose play has clearly dropped off this season. This is only the second time in her career that she’s scored less than 10 PPG and in 2020 she was at 9.8 PPG. This season she’s only around 7.5 PPG, is shooting under 40%, and also isn’t looking for her shot at all.

When Bird officially announced her retirement she stated that “When you know it’s time, it’s time.” to end her career. And for portions earlier this season, it felt like she could play for another two or even three seasons. But as the season has dragged on, the dip in her play has been more and more noticeable. As someone who’s watched Bird’s entire career, it’s apparent she’s not the same player she once was. And the question will be whether she has enough left in the tank to lead this team one more time to the title.

Back to the topic of Seattle’s aging veterans. Compare Seattle to the other top teams in the WNBA. The Chicago Sky are the only ones remotely close as they have three players in their regular rotation that have more than 10 years of experience (Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, and Courtney Vandersloot).

The Las Vegas Aces don’t have a single player on their roster with more than 10 years of WNBA experience. They’ve built their team through the draft and rely on A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Dearica Hamby. They’ve finished with the best record and second-best record in the WNBA the past two seasons.

Connecticut has two players on their roster but really just one because Jasmine Thomas is out for the season. DeWanna Bonner is the only other player with more than 10 years of experience. Otherwise, they’re relying on Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and Brionna Jones to get the job done. It led them to the best record in the WNBA last year and is currently the third-best this season.

And the Washington Mystics, like the Aces, also don’t have a single player on their roster with more than 10 years of WNBA experience. Alysha Clark is their oldest veteran playing in her 10th season this year. But they’ve built their team around Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen, and most recently Shakira Austin.

In Seattle’s losses this season, it often looks like they’ve run out of energy. That they haven’t been able to keep up with the younger legs of their opponents.

This feels most notable when Briann January and Epiphanny Prince are out on the court. January gave the team some really good moments very early on this season but for the most part, has been a disappointment. The 2nd unit has really struggled through most of this season with her running the point.

The free agent signing to pay January more than they likely would have had to pay to retain Jordin Canada will likely go down as the biggest miss of this past off-season. While Canada struggled with her outside shot, she did a better job of running the point than January has. She also brought a lot more speed, energy, and dribble penetration than what they’ve gotten out of January. And while January is a better outside shooter, she hasn’t been good enough of one to counter the other negative drawbacks.

For Prince, she’ll still dazzle with the occasional high-difficulty shot but they are becoming few and far between. More often than not, she hasn’t been able to provide a solid spark off the bench for the team this year. A lot of times those difficult shots result in missed shots and allow the opposing team to make a run on the other end.

To a lesser extent, Jantel Lavender hasn’t provided as much of a spark as early-season contributions would lead one to expect. This isn’t entirely her fault as her role has diminished significantly since the acquisition of Tina Charles (as it should).

Dating back to training camp, I don’t blame the Storm for signing Lavender and keeping her over younger players like Kiki Herbert Harrigan or Elissa Cunane. I’m sure they would have loved for one of those two to really shine and be undeniable to make the roster. But Lavender was clearly better than both. It honestly wasn’t even close.

Overall, outside of Tina Charles and occasionally Sue Bird, Seattle’s other older veterans aren’t getting the job done. Their play feels like it’s below other replacement players. And you can question whether the team would have been better off going younger in those spots.

If Seattle is ousted early in the playoffs it’ll likely be because they didn’t get enough from the oldest veterans on this team.

The good news for General Manager Talisa Rhea and the team’s front office is that next off-season they will have essentially a blank canvas to put together whatever team they want. Jewell Loyd and Mercedes Russell are the only two players under contract for 2023. The Storm will have a ton of salary cap space to make some moves and work to re-sign Breanna Stewart and add some new faces.

Jersey Count

The Storm were back in their Green and White “Heroine” uniforms Friday night against Phoenix. Coming into this game they had the most wins of any of their jersey combination but the loss now makes them 9-4 on the season while wearing this set. Overall, the Storm fall to 17-10 and are trending in the wrong direction as the regular season winds down. Seattle is currently 4th in the WNBA standings behind the Chicago Sky (21-6), Las Vegas Aces (19-8), and Connecticut Sun (18-9). They are also just 1/2 game ahead of the Washington Mystics (17-11). Seattle must stay ahead of Washington if they want to hold onto homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. This now makes the two-game series on the road at Washington at the end of this month (July 30th and 31st) the two most important games remaining on their schedule. It’ll be extremely difficult to catch Chicago but if the Storm are able to put together a long winning streak there’s still enough time to move up to the 3rd or 2nd overall seed.

Records per jersey type this season:
Rebel: 6-2
Explorer: 2-4
Heroine: 9-4
Overall Record: 17-10

Up Next

The Storm return home to Climate Pledge Arena this Sunday for one of their final home games of the season. They will host the Atlanta Dream at 3:00 PM on July 24th. These two teams have split the season series with each winning on their home court. Seattle won 72-60 back on June 7th and lost 90-76 on July 9th. Atlanta, similar to Phoenix, is battling for one of the final playoff spots this season. Seattle must prepare to match their intensity which is something they did not do in their last meeting.

When asked what the team has to do moving forward to regroup after back-to-back losses, Coach Quinn had this to say.

“Stay even-keeled through everything. Understand where we need to grow and continue to get better. We know teams are going to continue to zone us. We need to be able to be efficient in that aspect of it. With our defense, we can’t give up 94 points. We’ve been so solid this year. We know that when we get stops we can run, and we can play some good offense. We can’t have any game slippage, our margin of error is very slim. Make sure we look at the film, get better, and pay attention to every single aspect of our game.”

I asked Stewie the same thing.

“We have to get better. This is a part of the journey. Obviously, we’re not where we want to be. We need to make sure in the next nine games that we are getting better, we’re learning, we’re understanding the mistakes that we made early in the season are not mistakes we can make late in the season and going into the post-season. We have to continue to develop, to understand the relationship with one another, how this team plays, and that starts with everybody looking themselves in the mirror.” Stewart added.

Notes:
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