Storm Beat Dallas 79-71, Part 2

More thoughts and more quotes from Seattle's win over Dallas.

The Seattle Storm (1-1) picked up their first win of the 2025 WNBA season by beating the Dallas Wings on the road by a final score of 79-71. You can read my full game recap of their win here. In Part 2, I’m going to discuss Coach Quinn’s usage of her bench, quotes from the post-game press conference, the team’s improved offense from Game 1, and thoughts on Paige and Arike.

Quinn’s Bench Usage

I found it a little funny and a little ironic that the Storm’s social media team posted the picture above emphasizing Seattle’s reserves, and then Coach Quinn proceeded to barely play any of them in just the second game of the season. We might as well slap that picture on a milk carton because those players were Missing in Action.

Quinn technically played eight of her 10 players, but Dominique Malonga, the #2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, played just one minute at the very end of the first half. And did not see the court again. For all intents and purposes, Seattle played with seven players in this game. Li Yueru saw the most time off the bench, playing 13 minutes. A lot of that time was spent battling against 6’7” Center Teaira McCowan. McCowan certainly won that battle as she finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Yueru finished with 0 points and two rebounds. However, we have seen McCowan damage the Storm much more than that in the past, so that’s something at least.

Erica Wheeler played 11 minutes and finished with three points. Wheeler played just enough to give Skylar and AC the tiniest bit of time off.

Four of Seattle’s five starters played 35 minutes or more. Gabby Williams essentially played the entire 40 minutes. The box score says that she played for 39 minutes, but I don’t believe it ever rounds up, so she might have been off the court for 30 seconds. Skylar and AC each played 36 minutes, and Nneka played 35 minutes. Ezi Magbegor was the only starter who didn’t play above 30 minutes, but still logged 28 minutes. And that was likely due to having some early foul trouble in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Wings played five players off their bench. Although similar to Malonga, rookie JJ Quinerly played just one minute. Even still, three of Dallas’s reserves played 15 minutes or more, with Maddy Siegrist logging 29 minutes and Ty Harris playing 22 minutes.

To no surprise, the Dallas Wings’ reserves outscored Seattle’s 24-5. But probably more importantly, is that they were able to develop, get live game reps, and Dallas nearly pulled out the victory, cutting the Storm’s 17-point lead down to just three points in the 4th quarter.

Seattle’s offense struggled in the second half, scoring just 10 points in the third period and 13 points in the 4th quarter. And while it’s still early, you have to wonder if the starters were getting tired after playing so many minutes in this game and if that impacted the team’s offense.

I think it’s safe to expect the starters to play 30-34 MPG because the best starters in this league often do. But I do think there is a pretty big difference between playing 32 minutes versus doing what Gabby did on Monday, playing 39 minutes in the game.

If I had to speculate a bit, I think whether it was the starters or fully Coach Quinn’s decision, I think the team was embarrassed and disappointed by their performance on Saturday against Phoenix, and they were dead set on leaving Dallas with a win. Even if it meant playing the starters 36-40 minutes.

It’ll be interesting to see the next handful of games and how the reserves are used. Two games are not a large enough sample size.

Coach’s Quotes

When asked about the game. Coach Quinn said.

“Wins on the road are hard to come by in this league, and for us to have some good offense to begin the game and then know that when things got a little shaky that our defense could sustain. I think that shows some promise and shows a lot of growth in the 40 hours that we had to prepare for this game. You know, we talked a lot about our vets and the matchups before the game. And I love how our vets showed up and willed us through possessions. And I think that there's a lot to build and grow from.”

On getting the big contributions from Gabby Williams.

“Yeah, it's big. Gabby's activity, her defensive presence, and her athleticism really ignites a lot of what we do on the defensive end. She has tough assignments every game, and she takes the challenge with great pride. And she's not just a good defensive player. She's a really good offensive player. And I know we've had glimpses of her showing that within this league, but to have her here for an entire season, I think we're going to really see her blossom. And I think she thrives when she's confident. And I'm going to continue to pour into her confidence no matter what. Whether you go one for nine or seven for 13, Gabby's going to impact the basketball game. Her teammates know that. We know that as a staff. And she was huge for us in her minutes guarding Arike, but also her other assignments.”

On whether there have been any noticeable differences in how Nneka and Skylar have approached this season compared to last season when they first joined the team.

“Their standard is always the standard. The way that they work, the way they take care of their bodies, the way that they prepare physically, mentally, to really go to battle. They don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They're really good examples of how to be elite and not just in basketball, but in life. And this year, for them, there's a lot of comfort, not having to come into a new environment and learn a system on the fly and not have a couple of things happen simultaneously. Now they're settled in, they're leading us in the locker room and on the court. And my ask for them is to be 100% authentically themselves. Nneka is presidential in every way, but she's also still very elite in what she does. And Sky, just leading by example, and being the ultimate competitor. I'm not going to ask them to be anybody but themselves, to continue to give all of themselves. Our theme this year is all in all the time. And even when things don't feel good and when they do feel great, the approach doesn't change. The standard remains the standard.”

On what she saw from her team during their 56-point first-half performance.

“Two things we talked about from our first game is our organization. We were a bit dysfunctional on offense in our first game. And so we addressed that, our spacing, just where we're supposed to be. And the second thing is the ball movement. We have players that thrive in our system when the ball is popping and moving. And so we saw a lot of driving kicks, some sprays, and corner threes. But that's because we were properly spaced and we were very intentional. Also, what I'm probably going to be a little bit more committed to is sometimes slowing down, sacrificing some pace for some intentional execution, and so I thought that we were really good. When our defense is locked in and getting us easier buckets, deflections, leak-outs, and transition, like that's what we're going to consistently live in. When we get the ball moving from side to side, I think things open up a little bit more for us.”

On putting Skylar in more off-ball movement and sets where she’s not the primary ball-handler.

“Yeah, very intentional. With Gabby on the floor, Gabby can initiate a lot of offense, as well as E. (Erica Wheeler). When those two are on the floor with Sky, it opens up what we can do on the backside of things or even our first actions, trying to play in the middle third with Sky a little bit more, making her be a playmaker and a decision maker. Just another level of comfort for her, like knowing what I want within our space and in our system. But the complementary pieces that we have to where she doesn't always have to be on the ball, I think it really helps to get her in space and to find some rhythm in different spots of the floor.”

On Skylar and Nneka’s leadership qualities.

“Yeah, Sky and Nneka are our leaders, adding AC to the mix as a three-time champ, that she also holds the standard. She knows what it means to be in a locker room full of competitors, but also how we work and what that encompasses every single day. And then E (Wheeler), she's one of her roles is connector in chief. She's been the connector on and off the floor, and her voice matters as well. And when we talk about our vets, they're leading by example, but also they're coaching each other. And for me, it's beautiful to see because that means there's respect there, there's accountability there, and the level of communication that's happening is in real time, and they're able to adjust and really encourage each other to play at a high level. So I love our vets. I love our connectivity. You know, I even have to throw Ezi in there. My challenge to her is to lead a bit more with her voice. We know what she can do on the court, but the leadership aspect is coming from a variety of different people, and it feels really good at the moment.”

Her thoughts on Paige Bueckers.

“Solid. Watching her, playing college, and coming into the W. She's so balanced on her jump shot. She's not rushed. Her size allows her to see a lot of actions, and defensively, she's been solid, too. I think that there's a good combination she has there with Arike. She's able to play on or off the ball, but her decision-making is really top level, and her ability to score in the mid-range… I'm old school, so the mid-range ain’t dead to me. And for her to be able to play in that area of the floor, I think it's going to really create some problems for other teams.”

Improved Offense

The Storm’s offense looked so much better in the first half against Dallas compared to their game against Phoenix. It was putrid in the game against the Mercury. They didn’t score above 16 points in any of the four quarters in the opener. On Monday night, they put up 31 points in the 2nd quarter against the Wings. It’s possible and frankly probable that we won’t see the Storm shoot 9-11 FG from the three-point line in any other half of basketball over the next 42 games. However, it was great to see Nneka, Skylar, Gabby, and AC all knock down three-pointers in the first half.

Alysha Clark has been a good three-point shooter for a long time now, and it was good to see her hit a couple. Side note, there is just something right about seeing AC play basketball in a Storm jersey again.

Nneka Ogwumike has worked tremendously hard on extending her range and developing her three-point shot over the past two seasons. Last year, she set a career-high with 30 made three-pointers. She took 74 attempts and shot nearly 41% from long distance. This season, with the extra games, she’s on pace to take nearly 90 three-point shots.

They spaced the floor better in this game, and they moved the ball around a lot more. It certainly helped that Nneka Ogwumike didn’t get into foul trouble early like she did against Phoenix.

I spoke with Skylar after the game about their offense.

“We were aggressive and everybody was on their front foot playing, and we're making the right reads. They were showing at the nail, but it was a little flat. And so I was able to get some, one pass away, and when we're shooting the ball like that, making extras. I thought we got some of the same looks (in the 2nd half), maybe law of averages, we didn't knock them down at a 60% clip, but I thought we got some of those second looks, and law of averages, they started making a few. It's the W we know it's going to happen, and in that third, we talked about playing with our lead as far as playing not to lose. And they were the aggressors in that third quarter. And I thought the fourth quarter it was just a battle of who can make plays. This is the WNBA. Everybody's trying to win. And they were trying to protect home court. I really heard a lot from our bench. Dominique, Lexie, Zia, Li, Erica, everybody was just talking to us on that sideline. And so it was great communication by our team. I was proud of the way that we executed throughout the games. And at the end of the day, we just landed the plane,” Diggins told me.

Paige Bueckers and Other Rookies

Paige Bueckers struggled a bit in her WNBA debut against the Minnesota Lynx. She finished that game with 10 points on 3-10 FG shooting, seven rebounds, and two assists. She played much better against Seattle, scoring 19 points on 7-14 FG, with eight rebounds, and five assists. But she’s not the only rookie to shine so far this season.

It’s very early, but the Washington Mystics look like they might have hit big with both Sonia Citron (3rd overall pick) and Kiki Iriafen (4th overall). The Mystics are surprisingly 2-0 to start the season with wins over the Atlanta Dream and the Connecticut Sun. They had to rally in both games to come out on top, and their two rookies both made an impact. Citron finished with 19 points on 6-7 FG shooting in her WNBA debut. Iriafen added 14 points and four rebounds. In their second game, Iriafen had a very impressive double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds! She also shot 70% (7-10 FG) in their win over the Sun. Citron had 15 points, including nine in the final period. She made 5-5 FT in that quarter, including a pair to seal the win for the Mystics.

It’ll be very interesting to watch how those two players progress through this season and their WNBA careers. Seattle could have selected either with the #2 overall pick if they had wanted to. Some argued that they should have taken Citron because she filled a more immediate need as another guard/wing who could potentially step into Jewell Loyd’s spot in the starting lineup.

I didn’t think that was likely, as Citron arguably has the lowest ceiling of the top four prospects in the draft, even if she has the second-highest floor after Paige. I did think Kiki Iriafen was a legit option for the Storm because she has had a very productive college career and she is very athletic and moves well for a big with a solid mid-range jumper. Iriafen’s ceiling isn’t as high as Dominique Malonga’s, but she may have the better professional career in the WNBA. I did not think she would have 17 points and 14 rebounds in just her second WNBA game. I’ve really enjoyed watching the Washington Mystics play over the weekend. They are young and scrappy, and their rookies are playing very well.

It’s disappointing that Dominique Malonga has played just 11 minutes total in her first two games, but we have to remember she is just 19 years old. Bueckers is 23 and Iriafen is 22. Surprisingly, Citron is only 21 and doesn’t turn 22 until late October. Either way, this is a steep, steep learning curve for Malonga this first season. Hopefully, by mid-June or July, she is earning the trust of the coaches to get out there and play 15-20 MPG.

Malonga has so much potential, but the Storm and fans alike will just need to be patient, as it could be a couple of years before her impact is really felt.

Wings Fans Turn on Arike?

As someone who works in media and has to independently promote my work through social media, I have to keep track of that throughout the WNBA season and beyond. Maybe I pay too much attention to social media, but I have to say, I’m very curious to see how this season plays out in Dallas.

The team is 0-2 to start the year. It’s early and it’s possible that their first two opponents (Minnesota and Seattle) will both finish in the Top 5, but I’m already seeing a lot of frustration from Dallas fans regarding Arike’s performance.

Last season, “The Arike Tier” got popularized on social media to categorize players who are inefficient to the point of hurting their team’s offense. Sadly, Jewell found her way into that tier often as well last year.

Like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers is going to bring a lot more eyeballs to her WNBA team than ever before. The Dallas Wings will be under the microscope a lot. That will be tough on Ogunbowale, as I feel the social media comments won’t be kind. Especially, when she has a performance like the one on Monday night, where she made just 2-14 FG and arguably cost her team the game.

Arike’s inefficiency will probably be highlighted even more by comparison to Bueckers, who was one of the most efficient scoring guards in the country throughout college basketball.

The Dallas Wings are Arike’s team, but for how much longer?

Notes:
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