Storm Play Massive Spoiler in 72-61 Win Over LA

With the victory on Thursday, Seattle has currently knocked Los Angeles out of the playoffs.

(Los Angeles, California) - The Seattle Storm aren’t heading to the playoffs this season. But after an upset victory over the Sparks, Los Angeles might not be headed there either. Seattle got off to a hot start and rarely looked back. They led by 10 points at the end of the first period and held the Sparks to just 29 points in the first half, before ultimately pulling away in the 4th quarter to win the game 72-61.

This has been a very bad week for Los Angeles when it comes to their playoff chances. After winning six games in a row, the Sparks had gone from the 9th overall seed all the way up to the 7th seed. However, they have since dropped their next three games to Connecticut, Chicago, and now Seattle. The latter two are especially damaging to their playoff hopes as they need to finish the season better than the Sky. This has knocked them back down to the 9th seed and because Chicago now owns the season-series tiebreaker the Sparks no longer control their own destiny. LA will have to finish a full game ahead of Chicago to make the playoffs. If both teams tie, the Sky will be the 8th seed.

In this game, Jewell Loyd once again led the Storm in scoring with 25 points. But for a while, that didn’t look to be the case. Los Angeles really threw traps and multiple defenders at Loyd throughout the game but was especially aggressive with that early on. They held Loyd to just two points in the first quarter. However, she used this opportunity to distribute the ball possibly better than she’s ever done. Loyd did an excellent job of reading the defenses and her teammates were actually moving and cutting without the basketball. This allowed Loyd to find multiple teammates for five assists in the first 10 minutes of the game.

During Seattle’s last game against Chicago, I called Jewell out a bit in my article because she was held scoreless in the 4th quarter in a game the Storm really needed to win and a game the team should have won. They had led Chicago throughout the entire contest and fell apart late. When they needed their leader to step up, she wasn’t able to.

But credit where credit is due. On Thursday night, Jewell absolutely stepped up. She put the team on her back and scored 13 of their 20 points in the 4th quarter with the game on the line. The Sparks had rallied all the way back to make it a one-point game midway through the final period. Loyd scored 11 of the team’s final 15 points to help Seattle secure the victory. Jewell also had a game-high seven assists and pulled down seven rebounds to help her team in a variety of ways.

After the game, I asked Loyd if this type of performance was a better recipe for team success. To get her teammates involved early and then take over when needed.

“Honestly, it just depends. Like you said, they were trapping me so I tried to loosen up the defense a little bit early; find my teammates. For our team, we didn’t shoot the ball great. We know that. I don’t want to wait too late to get going in case I need to get going. But just staying the course, take the shots I’ve been taking all season, and find ways to get to the line. Knockdown free throws when we’re not shooting well. That was our emphasis to get to the line. I try just to understand the game plan, test the defense early, based on the situation, I’ll change my adjustments.” Loyd told me.

“I thought she was doing an excellent job. I think she was 1-8 FG at one point but the assists were high and I thought her reads were really good. I know a couple of those possessions (the Sparks) got to the ball and trapped her a little bit more. For the majority of the game, the poise through the traps, her reads, and making sure she stayed the course through. Not really shooting at a high clip but also the aggressiveness to get to the free throw line. Finding another way to score and be impactful in the game. Defensively, being locked in. I thought she did an excellent job overall staying committed to the process.” Coach Quinn added her thoughts on Loyd’s performance.

Outside of Jewell, Sami Whitcomb was the only other Storm player to score in double figures. She finished the game with 14 points, three assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Whitcomb scored all 14 of her points in the first half helping keep Seattle in front while Loyd struggled to put points on the board early on.

Rookie Jordan Horston was on pace to earn another double-double but fell just a little short. She finished with nine points, eight rebounds, and two steals. Unfortunately, in the third period, she reaggravated her injured shoulder again. That led to her playing just one minute in the fourth quarter. This is something that has clearly been bothering Horston all season and hopefully, she can either get surgery (if necessary) or just rest and rehab once this season comes to a conclusion. I spoke more on that during my post-game report podcast which was sent out earlier and will be linked below.

“We’ve been asking her to guard some really tough players as of late. I think she’s been really stepping up and locking into that. That’s been really great. When she’s playing loose and free and aggressively, that’s such an added bonus for us. I just think game to game, her growth has been really significant for us. I think that’ll be a big focal point for these last four games as well.” Whitcomb said of her rookie.

Neither team shot the ball well but overall Seattle was better. The Storm connected on roughly 39% (21-54 FG) while limiting the Sparks to just 30% (20-66 FG). More importantly, they out-rebounded Los Angeles 45-26. They had a 6-1 edge in blocked shots. Free throws also played a critical factor in the victory. The team made 25-28 FT including a perfect 12-12 FT from Loyd. They were a +10 in Free Throw makes compared to the Sparks (15-16 FT).

“I thought our defense set the tone for us. Obviously, not perfect but allowed us to stay in the game. And sustain throughout when our offense was up and down. I liked the rebounding. We were very attentive to that especially late, I thought Ezi had some big rebounds. Through the bad turnovers, I thought the resiliency to stay the course and grow up a little bit on the road.” Coach Quinn said after the game.

Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks really struggled in this game. Nneka Ogwumike led the team with 11 points and seven rebounds but was often an afterthought throughout the game. At no point did she take over the game like we are so accustomed to seeing. Seattle really did an excellent job limiting her opportunities.

“We were trying to be aggressive on the ball. Take Jordin’s pace (away) a little bit. I thought our bigs were a little more active. We were able to get some deflections and I think we were more focused on our positions because we knew what our activity level had to be. I think we clogged up the paint and we were on point with our coverages. Nneka is an amazing player. To be very focused on the coverage, I thought we did an excellent job there!” Coach Quinn told me.

“We just wanted to be as principled as we could. Show bodies and clog up the paint. You can’t guard (Nneka) with one player so we had to show bodies and make sure nothing was easy. To hold her to 11 is important in getting a win against LA because she’s so prolific offensively.” Sami Whitcomb added.

Karlie Samuelson gave them a good effort earning the start. She finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Jordin Canada, who has been playing the best basketball of her career, did not play particularly well. She finished with 8 points and four assists with two steals. But shot just 2-9 FG and was held in check by the much taller Jordan Horston.

Rae Burrell scored a career-high 10 points off the bench. I believe she’s on a hardship contract so that’s good to see for her. As I talked about with Joyner Holmes (included in the podcast), this is an opportunity for players to show off their talents to hopefully sign a new contract for the 2024 WNBA season.

Lastly, Zia Cooke did give the Sparks a good lift off the bench scoring eight points and playing a large factor during Los Angeles’s run to cut the Storm’s 13-point lead down to a single point. Cooke, who was drafted one selection after Horston, did not shoot the ball well at all going 1-10 FG from the floor. But she was very aggressive in her attacks to the rim and knocked down all six of her free throw attempts. As Loyd proved in this game, you don’t always have to shoot the ball well to have a strong offensive impact on your team.

LA’s reserves outscored Seattle’s bench 24-15. The team had a 9-6 advantage in fast break points. And they forced Seattle into 22 turnovers scoring 20 points off of those turnovers. That was the only reason this game didn’t end up being a 20-point blowout in favor of the Storm.

Game Breakdown

Azurá Stevens rolled in a short shot just inside the free throw line. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu turned the ball over on the next possessions but made up for it on the next play by grabbing an offensive rebound and drawing a shooting foul. After another Stevens layup, the Storm would score six straight. Sami Whitcomb connected on a midrange pull-up. Jordan Horston grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the court, turned the corner past Karlie Samuelson, and finished at the rim. Ezi Magbegor set a screen for Loyd to free her up for a pass. As both defenders went to guard Loyd she found Magbegor for the easy two.

Seattle would double up Los Angeles at 16-8 midway through the first quarter on a nice fast break assist from Loyd to Horston who finished at the rim. Mercedes Russell made back-to-back baskets both times receiving nice passes from Loyd. Sami Whitcomb was also in a giving mood as she whipped a no-look pass to Joyner Holmes who finished at the rim to put the team up 12.

The Storm played one of their best quarters of the season through the first 10 minutes. Outside of missed coverage against Karlie Samuelson on the last inbounds play, they defended very well. At the end of the first, they led 22-12.

The LA Sparks responded with a quick 6-0 run to begin the second quarter. Rae Burrell drove to the rim for the layup. Stevens and Burrell each scored again as they quickly cut Seattle’s lead down to four. Horston countered with four straight points including a pair of free throws.

Whitcomb’s points from the foul line put the Storm back up 11 but layups from Karlie Samuelson and Nneka Ogwumike quickly brought it back to single digits. Dearica Hamby then buried a three-ball to make it a four-point game. Whitcomb quickly responded back with her own shot from beyond the arc.

Both teams shot more free throws to end the first half. Through the first twenty minutes, Seattle led 38-29.

Jordin Canada made a nice drive to the rim to score the first basket of the third period. Seattle had a poor offensive possession that resulted in Jewell Loyd chucking up a badly missed shot at the shot clock buzzer. On the next play, Canada tried to drive again but Jordan Horston denied her at the rim. Jordan was then able to drive all the way down the court and draw a foul at the other end.

Loyd and Samuelson swapped three-point baskets. Ezi Magbegor then scored one of her only baskets of the game on a driving layup.

Unfortunately, Jordan Horston hurt her shoulder again on a defensive play trying to stop Jordin Canada. Canada made both foul shots.

Jewell Loyd sank an elbow jumper and Kia Nurse connected on a pair of free throws to give the Storm their largest lead of 13 points at 52-39.

Rae Burrell knocked down a corner three and then Zia Cooke connected on a pair of free throws to cut the Storm’s lead down to single digits. At the end of the third quarter, the Storm led 52-44.

Too many turnovers were committed by Seattle early in the fourth. Jade Melbourne, Sami Whitcomb, and Jordan Horston all committed costly turnovers in the first few minutes of the final period.

Azurá Stevens hit a short jupmer. Zia Cookie scored six points including four from the free throw line. Rae Burrell then connected on another corner three, this time from the opposite corner from her first made triple. With that, the Sparks had gone on a 12-3 run and cut Seattle’s lead to just one at 57-56. During that span, Kia Nurse did hit an incredible 34-foot three-pointer from the LA Sparks’ logo!

Loyd stepped over the next few minutes. She was able to draw a foul for two made free throws. She then blocked Zia Cooke and drove the ball against Cooke, where she was able to force contact, get fouled, and make the runner for the AND1. A play or two later, Loyd raced past Karlie Samuelson for two more at the rim. In total, Loyd would score 13 points in the quarter including 11 more once it became a one-point game.

Los Angeles had their chances but they just fell apart late. They managed to score just five more points over the final five and a half minutes of the game. It was similar to Seattle’s poor fourth quarter against Chicago in the previous game. The Sparks missed several shots, made some costly turnovers themselves, and allowed Seattle to grab multiple offensive rebounds in the final minutes of the game.

At the final buzzer, Seattle had won the game 72-61.

Additional Analysis

Playing Spoiler

The Seattle Storm are no longer eligible to make the playoffs this season. But one thing they can do is play spoiler against other teams. Whether it’s knocking the Sparks out of the playoffs entirely or possibly knocking a team like the Dream down a seed or two in the playoff ladder, Seattle can still do some damage to other teams over their remaining four games.

Of course, as I’ve written about plenty, I’m not exactly certain it’s the best thing for the franchise. Knocking the Sparks out of the playoffs in favor of the Sky hurts the Storm a lot more than it helps them. In regards to lottery odds to land the #1 pick or finish with a Top 3 WNBA Draft selection. With that said, I don’t expect coaches or players to not give their all. And it’s usually more concerning when you see that happening compared to a team still playing with heart and hustle.

After the game, I spoke with Coach Quinn and Sami Whitcomb about playing the spoiler role to finish out the season.

“We’re just worried about ourselves. Just getting better any chance that we get. Our season is coming to an end shortly but in the last couple of weeks just wanting to play the best basketball that we can. Be super competitive in doing that and if that nets positive results and wins, we’ll take that. Our crew is just focused on trying to get better.” Coach Quinn told me.

“We talked about that as a group. It’s not our main focus but it’s part of the motivation for us to get up for every game still. But we also spoke about how we wanted to finish this season with a bit of momentum leading into next year where we are building something. We’re trying to lay the foundation moving forward for next year as well. Finishing as strong as we can and continuing to grow and develop as a group is really important. Getting to play that spoiler is a little added motivation for us too.” Sami Whitcomb added.

Trusting Jordan Horston

Another interesting topic that has really stood out this season is watching the defensive assignments given to rookie Jordan Horston. At 6’2” Jordan has excellent size for a guard or perimeter player (SG/SF). However, early on she was tasked with playing the Power Forward and had to go up against players like A’ja Wilson, Candace Parker, Alyssa Thomas, and Breanna Stewart.

As the season progressed, Jordan was moved to her more traditional position at the wing. This now resulted in her being tasked with guarding some of the opposing team’s best wing players like Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, and on Thursday against Jordin Canada.

It’s pretty funny that the same player that was tasked with guarding 6’4” A’ja Wilson, one of the strongest post players in the WNBA is the same player responsible for being tasked with keeping up with speedy 5’6” PG Jordin Canada. But that goes to show you the trust and belief that Coach Quinn has in her rookie.

I spoke with Horston’s teammates and coach about this after the game.

“She’s playing against a lot of really great players defensively. Today, she’s guarding Jordin Canada. You guys have seen throughout the season, she’s guarded post players and other prolific scorers. She’s getting a taste of getting what it takes to be an elite defender. I thought she was really focused through the first part of the game. Staying in Jordin’s space, staying down, and not fouling. Offensively, in transition is her bread and butter and she gave us a boost there. When she can do that early, we’re better because they can’t focus on Jewell as much and we can spread the ball around more.” Coach Quinn stated.

“It says a lot about my faith and trust in her and what she can do and be in this league. To get these reps early as a rookie, it’s not always normal for rookies to be able to do that. Just imagine now, all the experience she’s had this year defending amazing players in this league, the growth process for her off-season, and preparation for her second season. I think she’ll take a big jump because now she actually knows what to do. It’s not just instinct. It’s putting everything together. I think the sky is the limit for her.” Quinn added.

“She came in and always said she loves defending and it gets her going on the offensive side. Her ability to guard 1-4, sometimes five, helps us a lot. She’s capable of that. Her athleticism helps her in a lot of ways. She’s super active and long and she just wants to play defense. When you have a person that is hungry to play defense and wants to learn how to be a better defender. The best way for her to do that is to go against the best. Her ability to do that, we trust her. There are times where she’s going to make mistakes but we all do. She bounces back and she enjoys the challenge!” Loyd told me.

Chasing Taurasi

Jewell Loyd continues to chase WNBA history at the conclusion of this season. In this game, Loyd became just the fourth player in league history to score 800+ points in a single season. After scoring 25 points, Loyd moves all the way up to 2nd place in league history with 824 points. She now trails Diana Taurasi by 36 points with four games remaining.

However, Loyd is not the only player chasing this record this season. This past Monday, Breanna Stewart became the third WNBA player ever to eclipse the 800-point mark. And then on Thursday night, shortly after Loyd became the 4th player to hit the mark, A’ja Wilson became the 5th player to do so.

A little over a week ago, A’ja Wilson scored 53 points against the Atlanta Dream tying Liz Cambage for the All-Time WNBA Record for most points in a single contest. That performance has helped catapult her into this serious competition. Wilson finished with 26 points on Thursday night in the Las Vegas Aces’s 84-75 victory over the Washington Mystics. Wilson is currently eight points behind Loyd and 44 points behind Taurasi’s record. She is on pace to also topple the record.

Meanwhile, Stewart is at 805 points and counting. She is 11 points behind A’ja Wilson and 19 points behind Jewell Loyd. However, it should be noted that Stewart has the most games remaining. Wilson and the Aces now have three games remaining on their regular season schedule. Jewell Loyd and the Storm have four. While Stewie still and the Liberty have five.

No matter what happens, the end of this season is going to be a lot of fun to scoreboard-watch and see which players break the record and who comes out on top. Honestly, if Jewell has a legit chance to beat Taurasi, Stewie, and A’ja heading into the final game of the year I honestly wouldn’t mind a Kobe Bryant retirement-type game. Bryant scored 60 points on 50 shot attempts! Let Jewell go out there and shoot 35-40 times and see if she can put up 40 points. Why not!?

Up Next

The Storm (11-25) continue their road trip as they head to Las Vegas where they’ll face the Aces (31-6) on Saturday, September 2nd at 6:00 PM. Las Vegas has dominated the season-series winning all three previous meetings by a large sum.

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