Storm Crush Lowly Mercury 97-74

Seattle blew past Phoenix towards an easy victory on Saturday night.

(Seattle, WA) - In a game that featured the two teams with the worst records in the WNBA, the Seattle Storm easily dispatched the lowly Phoenix Mercury by a final score of 97-74.

It was a great performance by the home team in front of a raucous crowd. Seattle used a 30-19 second quarter to distance themselves away from the Mercury. They never trailed after that point and led by as many as 24 points in the second half.

Jewell Loyd led the way as she does in just about every game. Loyd finished with a game-high 24 points. She also had a team-high seven rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

Four Storm players scored in double figures. Ezi Magbegor finished with 15 points. Sami Whitcomb and Joyner Holmes gave Seattle a huge lift off the bench. Whitcomb finished with 14 points including four three-pointers. Holmes added 12 points and six rebounds in her best game of the season. Joyner stepped up in a major way with the absence of Jordan Horston who missed the game with a shoulder injury that she aggravated against the Indiana Fever on Thursday.

In total, the bench outscored the Mercury’s reserves 36-31.

“(The bench) gave us a huge contribution! Especially, Joyner coming in with her activity level. Her stretching the floor and hitting a couple of threes. Her rebounding really gave us a boost. Sami coming in hitting those threes. I thought Vonnie (Yvonne Turner) also had a very good game. Her minutes were really good. Her poise, her pace, and she gave us a good defensive effort. Those three in particular came in and did exactly what we needed them to do. We had some efficiency on the floor and got some stops. It was good to see us get back to us.” Coach Noelle Quinn said in her opening statement.

After Seattle shot under 30% against the Indiana Fever they bounced back by shooting over 47% (32-68 FG) against Phoenix. They also hit 41% of their three-pointers (13-32 FG). And they shot 91% (20-22 FT) from the Free Throw line. Nearly reaching the coveted 50-40-90 line.

I spoke with both Loyd and Coach Quinn after the game about the team’s improved offense.

“We were just moving the ball. We were able to penetrate, drive and kick. Everyone is really versatile on this team, so it can be pick your poison. Our focus coming in was to get to the third side, move the ball, penetrate, and play fast. Those were our keys and we executed on that tonight.” Loyd responded to me.

“I just feel we were screening better for one. I got on Ezi about screening and Mercedes as well and I thought they were doing that. When we do that, the floor opens up and the ball was not sticking. We were moving it to the second and third sides at times. There was synergy between our defense and our offense. We were playing in pace and in transition. I thought our shot selection was way better today.” Quinn stated.

They outplayed Phoenix in almost every category. They out-rebounded the Mercury 33-28. Seattle edged Phoenix in assists (23-15), steals (9-3), and blocks (3-2). The home team had more fast break points (12-4) and second-chance points (17-9).

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix is a really, really bad team. That’s my first observation. They have the worst record in the WNBA now at 2-10. Diana Taurasi is showing her age at 41 years old. At this point, she really doesn’t play defense at all. And even on offense, she doesn’t seem to have the energy, aggression, or ferocity that she used to play with for many seasons.

Taurasi finished the game with 13 points on 50% shooting (4-8 FG) and four rebounds in roughly 20 minutes of action. Now those numbers don’t look too bad. Most players would love that type of production. But this is Diana F’n Taurasi we are talking about. Some claim her to be the Greatest of All Time. At this point, she looks like a shell of her former self.

Brittney Griner returned to Seattle for the first time since she was locked up in a Russian Prison. BG received a wonderful reception and lots of love from the Seattle crowd. Griner, returning from a hip injury after missing a few games, added 11 points and six rebounds.

Speaking with coach, I talked about the keys to keeping Griner in check.

“First and foremost, our pick-up point with her. Not letting her get deep (in the paint). We were trapping her but being mindful of how to trap her because if she faces up she will pick you apart. Being conscious of what we do when we bring disruption. The biggest thing is being fully aware that she is still a load down low. Our closeouts to shooters were important.” Noelle answered.

I also spoke with Jewell about what it meant to have Brittney Griner back in Seattle playing WNBA basketball.

“It’s awesome! We wanted her home. She’s home. The W has done a great job of making sure she’s with her family and friends. BG is family to me. She’s done a lot for me. She’s a big sis and she knows that. I’m so glad she’s here.” Loyd replied.

Moriah Jefferson scored 18 points off the bench. Michaela Onyenwere added 14 points as well for the Mercury.

As a team, they shot fairly well. They made 46% (26-56 FG) of their shots but less than 24% (4-17 FG) from beyond the arc. The Mercury also committed 21 turnovers and the Storm scored 25 points off of those turnovers. That was a big key in Seattle’s victory.

After the game, I spoke with Coach Quinn about the importance of winning the turnover battle.

“It’s vital. It’s a key every single game to value possessions and value the ball. When we get efficient shots on goal and we are able to play with a pace. As much as we want to run and have an uptempo game - to have less turnovers it means we are being sure. We are being fundamental. For our team, it’s super important for us to stay locked in on that.” Quinn told me.

Game Breakdown

Michaela Onyenwere was able to drive under the rim and finished with a reverse layup to score the game’s first basket. Ivana Dojkić was able to score in transition to tie the game. Unfortunately, Dojkić picked up two quick fouls barely two minutes in and had to sit the rest of the quarter. Sophie Cunningham knocked down a pair of free throws.

Both teams struggled with their shots to begin the game. But they were able to get some points from the free throw line. Moriah Jefferson was able to drive into the paint and draw the foul to complete the AND1. Joyner Holmes made a nice pass into the paint where Ezi was able to finish against the smaller defender. Then, Holmes got a steal on the defensive end and drove the length of the court to draw another foul at the rim. Holmes was able to sink both free throws to put the Storm back on top at 10-9. Then Joyner knocked down a three-pointer after Jennie Sims scored on a layup for the Mercury.

Seattle would use a small run to extend their lead to six at 19-13. Yvonne Turner hit a couple of free throws and Mercedes Russell was able to tip in a missed shot. Onyenwere hit two more free throws for Phoenix. 13 of the 34 total points scored in the first period were from the charity stripe. After one, the Storm led 19-15 over the Mercury.

Brittney Griner scored her first basket of the game to open up the scoring in the second period. Kia Nurse then hit a corner three-ball and Jewell Loyd followed that up by scoring four quick points. This put the Storm up nine at 26-17.

Magbegor briefly put the Storm up double-digits with a three-pointer but Michaela Onyenwere matched it on the other end. Then Jefferson buried another triple to cut the Storm’s lead back down to five at 31-26.

Turner made a nice hustle play where she raced to track down a rebound. She wasn’t able to come up with the loose ball but her hustle led to the ball being deflected where it wound up right in the hands of Ivana Dojkić under the rim. Ivy finished the easy layin.

Seattle would explode for an 11-2 run late in the second quarter. They got six points from Loyd including a corner three and an AND1 opportunity. Ezi scored on a fast break layup and then Sami Whitcomb buried a triple forcing the Mercury into a timeout.

In total, the Storm finished the first half on a 16-6 run and led 49-34 at the midway point. The Mercury outshot the Storm overall making 46% (13-28 FG) compared to 43% (15-35 FG) for Seattle. The home team had a significant edge in free throws connecting on 13-14 FT (+7 over Phoenix) through the first twenty minutes.

Loyd talked about the keys to success from that second period.

“Defensively, we were in our coverages. We were locked in on that side which allowed us to get some breakaway layups. And some transition shots which we are really good at. On the offensive side, we were moving the ball really well tonight. We were able to penetrate, drive, and kick. People knocked down shots. That opened things up for our shooters.” Jewell said in the post-game press conference.

Coach Quinn also spoke about the positives that broke the game open.

“The biggest thing that stood out was our ball movement. I just remember, getting stops and our pace was up. The ball wasn’t sticking. We found open teammates and we knocked down open shots.” Quinn added.

Kia Nurse sank a three-point from an offensive rebound to begin the 2nd half. Phoenix worked to get Griner more involved and she scored five quick points. Taurasi made a layup and on the Mercury’s next possession she got bumped but the ref called it an offensive foul on her teammate who screened Nurse into Diana. DT was furious about the call and picked up a Technical Foul.

Jewell knocked down another mid-range jumper and then Joyner hit her second three-ball of the game to put Seattle up 17 points at 60-43. Holmes then had an emphatic rejection a few plays later that resulted in a transition three for Loyd. Jewell then knocked down another stepback triple forcing Phoenix into another timeout. Loyd did a little happy swagger dance as the two teams went to their respective benches.

https://twitter.com/seattlestorm/status/1672794482348298241

Taurasi was able to score a couple more times late in the period. At the end of the third, both teams had played evenly each scoring 23 points. Seattle took a 15-point lead into the final frame up 72-57.

Just as she did to start the third quarter, Nurse hit a three-ball to begin the fourth. Phoenix went back to what was working which was more BG inside the paint. Nurse then made a couple of mistakes fouling two different three-point shooters in quick succession. The Mercury made five out of the six free throws.

Yvonne Turner made a couple of nice drives to the rim and scored on multiple layups. Sami also found a cutting Magbegor for two more from an out-of-bounds play. Whitcomb turned around and gave the Mercury bench a big smile.

With the Storm leading by 20+, both teams went deep into their bench. For the Storm, Arella Guirantes, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, and Jade Melbourne checked into the game with about four minutes remaining.

Sami made a nice hustle play late deflecting an offensive rebound back to her teammate. Whitcomb received the ball back and knocked down her third three-ball of the evening.

Megan Gustafson and Moriah Jefferson each scored five points in the 4th period for Phoenix.

Whitcomb hit another three-pointer and scored eight points in the quarter to lead the Storm over their final 10 minutes.

Fankam Mendjiadeu added four points and four fouls in four minutes of action. For a moment, I was wondering if she was going to foul out of the game but she ran out of time.

When it was all said and done the Storm walked away with a 97-74 victory.

Additional Analysis

Lottery Odds

Up to this point of the season, the Seattle Storm and the Phoenix Mercury both find themselves out of the playoff hunt and in the lottery sweepstakes. If either team were to secure the #1 overall pick it would greatly enhance their future. However, due to the fact that the WNBA bases their lottery odds on a two-year record, it’ll be very difficult for the Storm to end up with the best odds at the #1 pick in 2024. The rule that actually helped the Storm win the right to select Breanna Stewart in 2016 might cost them the chance at landing Caitlin Clark in 2024.

Funny enough, I consider this two-year rule the Brittney Griner rule so it’s only appropriate that the Mercury find themselves in position to possibly land the top selection in 2024 as well.

The reason I call it the “Brittney Griner rule” is because the Phoenix Mercury had long been a very competitive playoff contender before they were able to draft Griner #1 overall. The Mercury had already won two WNBA Championships before Griner and were consistently reaching the Western Conference Finals or the WNBA Finals before the 2012 season. Diana Taurasi missed most of the 2012 season and Phoenix ended up with the #1 overall pick. Once they added Griner they were back to making deep playoff runs and winning another WNBA Championship.

The two-year lottery rule is to help teams that struggle for multiple WNBA seasons. Not a team that contends every year but tanks one specific season.

Now looking ahead, the four current lottery teams are.
9th Indiana Fever (5-8)
10th Minnesota Lynx (4-9)
11th Seattle Storm (4-9)
12th Phoenix Mercury (2-10)

However, if you combine their two-year records the order changes.
9th Seattle Storm (26-23)
10th Minnesota Lynx (18-31)
11th Phoenix Mercury (17-31)
12th Indiana Fever (10-39)

If you’re pulling for the Storm to land either the #1 or #2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft you want to be rooting for a few things.

1. The Indiana Fever to make the playoffs

2. The Chicago Sky to miss the playoffs (currently the 8th seed)

3. It would help if the Dallas Wings missed the playoffs (very unlikely)

4. You want the Minnesota Lynx to finish with at least 8 more wins than Seattle

5. You want the Phoenix Mercury to finish with at least 7 more wins than Seattle (very unlikely)

Caitlin Clark to the New York Liberty!?

Wait WHAT!? So hear me out. I think there is a very good chance that Caitlin Clark does NOT enter the 2024 WNBA Draft and instead decides to stay in Iowa for her 5th season. She is eligible for an extra year of college because she was in college during the COVID season.

Clark took the Iowa Hawkeyes all the way to the NCAA Championship game last season before ultimately losing to the LSU Tigers. She was the talk of the women’s basketball world. With NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) now a factor where college athletes can get paid, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her stay all five years in Iowa.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with the New York Liberty, let me explain. The Phoenix Mercury are a very bad team. We’ve established that. Well, they also made a risky move by making an off-season trade to acquire Michaela Onyenwere.

As part of that trade, the New York Liberty acquired the rights to swap first-round draft picks with the Phoenix Mercury in 2025. Similar to Seattle’s trade with Minnesota back in 2018 that landed Natasha Howard with the Storm.

There is a very high chance that the Phoenix Mercury will finish the 2023 season with the worst record in the WNBA. Diana Taurasi isn’t likely to retire because she’s signed to a super-max contract through the 2024 season. If DT looks like a shell of her former self in 2023, how good do we expect her to be in 2024?

From where I sit, I think there is a high probability that the Mercury will finish with the worst record in 2023 and 2024. If they do, that’ll give them the best odds of landing the #1 overall pick in 2025. However, because the New York Liberty own the rights to swap draft picks that means we might end up seeing Caitlin Clark join Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Courtney Vandersloot in New York.

How would you feel if that happened?

Stepping Up When Your Number is Called

One of the best stories from Saturday’s game was seeing both Yvonne Turner and Joyner Holmes step up with big production when the team needed them the most. As mentioned above, Jordan Horston did not play in this game due to a shoulder injury. Ivana Dojkić picked up two fouls roughly two minutes into the game and had to sit for a long period of time.

When their numbers were called, Turner and Holmes stepped up big. They produced energy, points, rebounds, and strong defense.

I spoke with Joyner after the game about being able to step up in this moment.

“This group, they make me feel so comfortable. Just our team in general, I’m not tense. I feel free. They have confidence in everyone. We are learning which shots we should shoot in the flow of our offense.” Holmes stated to the media.

“They call it next woman mentality. Vonnie has had that. In the last couple of games, she hasn’t played. I’ve experienced that. I’ve been in that position. When you get that opportunity, you go all out. You give everything you’ve got. I think she did that tonight. She is a huge spark for us. (Turner) is fast as hell! I just saw it tonight for myself but we need that. We need everybody! I think it was good contributions from everyone.” Joyner told me.

Coach Quinn praised Joyner’s efforts after the game.

“(It takes) Mental Toughness. She is that. She is very tough-minded. Coming in with not a lot of practice time. Being in a position to play and give some contributions, takes a mentally tough person. To sit and watch and know what we need and when you step on the floor, provide that. She is super athletic. She’s able to defend multiple positions. She got some blocks today. She’s able to rebound. At that position, to be able to play like a guard where she can handle and pass. It’s a clear advantage.” Quinn said.

I also chatted with Noelle about Turner’s hustle plays and production off the bench after not playing for a few games.

“We talked about it the other day. The thing is, our players will get playing time and there are people on our roster that don’t. We have to care every day about what we do. Vonnie is an amazing individual. She never lacks in leadership through those DNPs (Did Not Play). Her professionalism and her encouragement remain the same. We have stay-ready games (in practices) for this exact moment. In those moments, when she wasn’t getting playing time she was staying ready in practice. She’s always going to be ready because she’s a consummate professional. She’s constantly helping Jade. Constantly encouraging everyone. That is a very difficult thing to do. You have to be a special individual to not play and then come in and contribute. That is what she embodies. That is her work ethic every single day. Staying the course and understanding it is a long season and we’re going to need everyone! I know at any point I can count on her.” Coach Quinn told me.

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (4-9) travel to Minnesota to face the Lynx (4-9). They play on Tuesday, June 27th at 5:00 PM local time (PDT).

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