Shorthanded Storm Lose to Aces 85-72

Las Vegas is clicking at the right time!

(Seattle, WA) - Without Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor, the Seattle Storm couldn’t keep up with the two-time defending WNBA Champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Las Vegas blitzed Seattle right out of the gate and took a commanding 29-18 lead through the first 10 minutes. The Aces led 44-26 midway through the second period. The Storm used a 14-4 rally to end the first half and outscored the Aces by six in the third quarter to claw their way back into the game. Unfortunately, without two of their starters, they ran out of steam in the final quarter where Las Vegas outscored them 22-11 to win the game 85-72.

By doing so, Las Vegas wins the season series three games to one. And is now guaranteed home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Las Vegas is guaranteed to be at least the 4th seed in the standings with an outside chance to still claim the 3rd seed. Seattle is locked into the 5th seed and will have to travel on the road to start the playoffs. They will either head to Las Vegas or Connecticut depending on Thursday’s outcomes.

Skylar Diggins-Smith talked about Tuesday’s game after it was over.

“We spotted them 29 points in the first quarter. That was the first problem. This is the two-time defending champions. And so you spotted them 29 points to start. And so that's what happens. And then we turned back around and turned it into a 19-point quarter. Anyway, we started playing our brand of basketball. I felt like defensively we started being more physical. We started getting stops and we were able to make our run. We were sharing the ball, we got it moving, but it all started from defense to get on that run. We had a chance to make it a two-possession game going into the quarter. And when you play against a team like this, you can't make a lot of mistakes. And I thought we did that in the first half. It's tough to beat them straight up anyways, but to be down by 18 points, and to come back and get a lead. Yeah, it took a lot out of us being shorthanded. We appreciate the effort. We did a few different things today, preparing or whatever the case may be, some different coverages, and different schemes. And we just gotta go back and look at the film and get ready for Phoenix.” Diggins-Smith said.

Coach Noelle Quinn shared her thoughts as well.

First, on what happened with the team’s defense when they gave up 29 points in the opening quarter.

“We were supposed to start the game a certain way defensively, and we did not. So that set the tone for us. And I just feel like it felt like it was 5-0 out there. They're moving the ball. There's no resistance. There's no physicality. We're not cleaning our coverages. But once we locked into that, I thought that was a shift in the game. A team like Vegas, you cannot spot them 29 points. You can't.” She said.

And then on how the game ended.

“I think there were a couple of possessions that became deflating and the possessions in which you can't fumble against a team like the Aces. And it was ATO or the defense, we compiled that. And then we just didn't have enough good energy built up to get over the hump. But I'm proud of the group for even having done that with two starters out. The energy that it takes to come back from that amount of points is great, but I thought that we were very determined, and it's good to see the resiliency from the group.” Quinn added.

Seattle had three players score in double figures. Nneka Ogwumike led the way with 19 points on 9-15 FG attempts. She also led the team with six rebounds. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 17 points on 50% (6-12 FG) shooting and dished out a game-high nine assists. Gabby Williams added 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists to round out the group.

I spoke with Nneka after the game about her positive performance.

“(Skylar) passing it to me and me making the shot, really. I try my best to make myself available because she's always finding me and I want to be able to be efficient. I've had to kind of let go of that a little bit as I've gotten into the latter years of my career. Sometimes I don't, and sometimes I can get a little bit hyper-focused on being efficient and it causes me to hesitate on good shots, but she encourages me to take good shots. The coaches tell me what shots are going to be open. I think that even still with the shots that I took today, there were a couple that I still passed up that they were encouraging me to take. I see myself a little bit more as a facilitator, but leaning more into just taking my time is something that's helped me be able to convert all of the ways that she and my teammates find me.” Ogwumike told me.

Joyner Holmes and Mercedes Russell had solid games as well. They each scored eight points on 50% field goal shooting or better. But without Jewell and Ezi, there wasn’t enough scoring from everyone to beat the defending champs.

Las Vegas got the better of Seattle in most areas. Seattle outscored them in the paint 42-38. They also had the edge in fast break points 9-4.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces’ stars played just as you’d expect. A’ja Wilson finished with 21 points on 9-18 FG. She also had seven rebounds. Even though she was relatively held in check compared to her standard, it was still more than enough to beat Seattle with the help of her teammates.

Kelsey Plum was fantastic. She also had 21 points and seven rebounds. Plum made 64% (7-11 FG) of her shots including 5-7 FG from beyond the arc. Jackie Young finished with 16 points on 70% FG shooting. She also had a team-high six assists. Chelsea Gray scored 13 points and hit a couple of killer shots. Tiffany Hayes made a big impact in the 4th quarter scoring six of her 10 points over the final 10 minutes.

Las Vegas outshot Seattle 53% (32-60 FG) to 48% (30-63 FG). More notably, they were significantly better from the three-point range. The Aces made 45% (9-20 FG) compared to just 22% (2-9 FG) for the Storm. The seven extra three-pointers resulted in an extra 21 points from beyond the arc for Las Vegas.

“I wanted to win this game tonight. I wanted to win it for the fans. I wanted to win it for us. I don't do moral victories. We respect the hell out of Vegas and everything that they got over there. We don't fear them. And it's looking like what it's looking like right now. It's a possibility, a strong possibility we'll see them again. I think the takeaways are kind of yet to be seen. I'm still kind of processing the game, but that's really what stuck out to me. Like, we were fine on the boards. We got out-rebounded a little bit on the boards. That's something that we definitely have to improve on. 21 assists. Turned them over, scored 42 points in the paint compared to their 38 points in the paint. Three-point shooting, obviously that's something that I'm looking at. And so in that game, that's the glaring difference to me there.” Diggins-Smith explained.

The Aces out-rebounded Seattle 31-29. Their bench outscored Seattle’s reserves 14-10.

Game Breakdown

A’ja Wilson scored with a drive to the rim. Gabby Williams responded with a pull-up jumper. Chelsea Gray buried a three-ball. Sami Whitcomb got inside past the defense for two. Wilson scored again and then Jackie Young hit a pull-up jumper as Las Vegas led 9-4 early.

Nneka Ogwumike got the ball inside and scored. Vegas found the mismatch down low with Gabby guarding A’ja and Wilson easily scored. Mercedes Russell made a layup for Seattle.

Skylar banked a shot off the glass. After that, the Aces went on a 10-0 run. Kelsey Plum hit a couple of three-pointers, A’ja Wilson scored again, and Plum scored inside. Nneka hit a midrange shot to end the run. Las Vegas responded with free throws from Tiffany Hayes and a layup by Sydney Colson. Diggins-Smith was fouled on a jump shot and made both of her free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Aces led by 11 with a score of 29-18.

Mercedes Russell scored on a jump hook to begin the 2nd quarter. Chelsea Gray responded with her second three-pointer. Gabby Williams got inside the lane for two. Alysha Clark scooped in a layup. Joyner Holmes finished in mid-air for two. Las Vegas responded with two baskets from Jackie Young and another three-ball from Gray. Then Jackie Young hit another triple. That put the Aces up 44-26 and forced Coach Quinn to call another timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Storm went on a 14-4 run. That included a jumper from Joyner Holmes. Two free throws from Gabby Williams and an AND1 opportunity for Nneka Ogwumike. Another jumper from Nneka and a fast break layup by Sami Whitcomb. Seattle cut the Aces’s 18-point lead down to six but Kelsey Plum scored at the halftime buzzer. At the break, Las Vegas led by eight at 48-40.

Nneka Ogwumike scored to start the third period. The Storm forced Jackie Young into a turnover and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored past Kelsey Plum. Seattle’s defense continued to hold strong keeping the Aces scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter. They weren’t able to fully capitalize as Seattle scored just six points through the first five minutes of the period. Kelsey Plum drilled a corner three to reactivate the Aces’s offense.

Skylar responded with a three at the top of the arch. Plum then made another triple from the opposite side. Diggins-Smith was fouled and made the basket for the three-point play. Jackie Young scored at the rim. A’ja Wilson then buried a jumper to put the Aces back up six at 58-52. Jordan Horston was fouled on a tip-back and made both free throws.

Tiffany Hayes was fouled on the other end. Nneka continued her hot shooting as she made another jumper. Joyner Holmes scored on a two-on-one fast break. Gabby split a pair of free throws. Jackie scored an AND1. Gabby responded with a layup. That cut the Aces’s lead down to two. Las Vegas led 63-61 to end the third period.

Skylar Diggins-Smith tied the game at 63-63 on a jumper to start the 4th quarter. The Storm took the lead briefly on a Diggins-Smith jumper. A’ja Wilson forced a foul and made both free throws. Joyner turned the ball over and Tiffany Hayes finished on the other end to put the Aces back up three.

Chelsea Gray hit one of her patented dribble pull-ups. Tiffany Hayes was then fouled on another drive and made both of her free throws to put the Aces back on top by seven. Gabby scored on the other end. But Hayes scored on an incredible layup moving up and under the rim. A’ja Wilson scored on a layup out of a timeout by Las Vegas. The Aces got another stop and Kelsey Plum drained a three-pointer. Chelsea Gray easily got past the defense for two. That put the Aces up 16 points.

Seattle got a nice basket from Mercedes Russell down low and a three-ball by Gabby Williams but it was far too little, too late. Las Vegas was able to dribble out the clock and won the game 85-72.

Final Box Score

Additional Analysis

Aces are Locked In

The Las Vegas Aces are on a roll. They have won eight out of their last ten games and four games in a row. Las Vegas has won seven out of their first eight games in September. That includes wins against playoff teams Phoenix, Connecticut (twice), Indiana (twice), and Seattle. They have a very high chance to go 8-1 in the final month of the regular season.

They really look like they are primed and ready for the playoffs. Las Vegas struggled at times this season. Their 13 losses are the most they’ve had since the 2019 season. They haven’t been as dominant this season compared to these last two years. And yet, right now I don’t think anyone wants to see them in the playoffs. Not even New York.

If Las Vegas plays as strong as they have in the month of September, they’re going to have a real legitimate shot to become the first team to win the WNBA title three years in a row since the Houston Comets (1997-1999).

Bet on the Aces

If the Aces and Storm match up it’ll be a significant challenge for Seattle. Las Vegas swept Seattle last season and won three out of the four games this season. They won two of those games by double digits.

More importantly, Las Vegas is the defending champion. They have that experience together. They’ve been through playoff losses, playoff wins, losing in the Finals, and winning the whole thing. Twice.

Las Vegas is going to be a tough out no matter who matches up with them. You never underestimate the heart of a champion.

The big advantage the Aces will have in a playoff matchup is their experience and their consistency. A’ja Wilson is going to give them 20 and 10 every single game. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young are going to get their 15+ points. That alone is probably enough to get them wins in the post-season. I don’t envision a scenario where the Storm hold Plum and Young to single-digit scoring. A’ja Wilson is more likely to score 30 points than she is to be held to 15 points or less.

Seattle is a bit streakier. Nneka has been the most consistent but it doesn’t feel like it’s as much a guarantee that she’ll put up 19 points or more in the rematch on Sunday (if these two teams meet). If Jewell Loyd is healthy, she could score 20+ against Las Vegas. But she was also held to just one point against the Aces earlier this season.

A younger player like Jordan Horston can’t yet be relied on every single game. Horston has scored over 15 points in two of her last five games which is great. But in the other three games, she’s scored just two points in each contest. Horston is still growing and developing. Just as both Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young had rough seasons or inconsistencies during their rookie or early seasons. They are both significantly more consistent now that they’ve played in the WNBA for five years or more.

Even Gabby Williams is a player who is still developing that consistency on a game-to-game basis. Gabby has scored in double figures in six of her last seven games. But she has struggled with her offensive consistency in the past as well.

Ezi Magbegor is another player who might give you 15 points and 10 rebounds or might just give you 6 points and 5 rebounds.

There seem to be too many uncertainties or question marks going into a playoff matchup against the Las Vegas Aces to believe the Storm will be able to beat them twice in a three-game series.

One thing we do know if they’re going to find a way to get it done. They’ll need to be healthy. Coach Quinn talked about that.

“(We) learned that we need Jewell and Ezi on the floor. Period. (The Aces) are at their best and we have to be at our best. We have to be healthy in order to combat a lot of what they have. There are different things that we saw in the four different looks that we put out there. We'll look at the film and talk as a staff to see if that's something that we could go to. In fact, if we do play them on Sunday, but in order for this thing to happen for us, we have to be healthy.” Quinn said.

They’ll also have to find better ways to counter the Zone Defense. Las Vegas went to a Zone defense throughout the game and specifically went back to it in the 4th quarter where they limited Seattle to just 11 points.

“And just we have to be sharper in our zone execution. New York did it to us, and it is very clear that teams are going to continue to do it to us. So yeah, we know that we're not a high three-point percentage team, but if we see zone, I think we need to be more focused and locked in and sharper in our execution there.” Quinn added.

Up Next

The Storm (24-15) travel to Phoenix to play the Mercury (19-20) on Thursday, September 19th at 7:00 PM. The results have no implications for either team. With this loss to Las Vegas, the Storm are locked into the 5th seed. They will face either the Las Vegas Aces (most likely) or the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs. The Phoenix Mercury are locked into the 7th seed no matter what happens on Thursday and will face the Minnesota Lynx in the opening round.

Notes:
Photo Credits to Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography
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