Storm's 4th Quarter Rally Stuns Dream 68-67

Seattle used a 21-7 final quarter to steal a victory away from Atlanta.

(Seattle, WA) - There haven’t been many times this season when the Storm Crazies have been able to celebrate a big win at home. Heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Dream, Seattle had only won two times in their 15 home games. But that hasn’t discouraged the fans from showing up to each and every game and celebrating their team. Finally, they were rewarded with an incredible come-from-behind victory as the Storm beat the Dream 68-67.

“The fans have been amazing! They understand what this year is for us. From the events that we have and the feedback that we get. It’s always very positive. Loving how this team plays. For our fans to continue to support us knowing we are building in a way with young pieces. It’s amazing. I’ve been a part of Seattle for a long time now as a player and now I’m coaching this team. We have the best fans in the WNBA without question. Through the ups and downs, they stick with us! We really appreciate that.” Coach Quinn told me after the game.

I also got to speak with Jewell Loyd about the fans.

“It was our ‘Thank You!’ to them in a sense. We know that this hasn’t been the season we all intended it to be. But at the same time, we understand who we are and what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to accomplish as this group gets better and better throughout the season. Tonight was one of those games where it didn’t feel good. It didn’t look pretty. At the same time, we stuck together and we were able to accomplish a big one for us.” Loyd added.

Seattle erased a 15-point 4th quarter deficit to stun the Atlanta Dream. They outscored Atlanta 21-7 in the final period. That included a seven-minute stretch where the Dream were held completely scoreless. After Haley Jones's basket with 9:07 left to play, Atlanta wouldn’t score again until Allisha Gray hit a seven-footer with 2:04 remaining. During that time, the Storm used a 16-0 run to claw their way back into the game.

“Defense! That’s where we locked in on. We were getting good looks and they just weren’t falling. Jordan came in and gave us great minutes. She forced big steals, big plays, and rebounds. For all of (my teammates). Cedes came in, I told her that she kept me so engaged. Her voice is so heard in our huddles. Throughout any of our defensive stuff, her voice is heard. She really got us through. Everyone came in and was ready to go. That’s what we needed.” Loyd added.

Both Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor took over the game late. Each player scored nine points in the final period. Magbegor finished with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Loyd added 19 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, I asked Magbegor if taking over games late was the next phase of her evolution. She downplayed that.

“No, I think honestly it’s everything before that. Everyone doing what they could to keep us in the game. Obviously, it’s not just Jewell and I. We knew going into the 3rd quarter that we were still in the game. Knowing how to capitalize on the plays offensively. It was a team game tonight. Being able to get to a point where we are capable of winning. It was great.” Magbegor replied.

I spoke with Coach Noelle Quinn after the game on her team’s impressive fourth quarter outburst.

“First, our defense. Holding them to seven points in the quarter is an amazing defensive effort against a team who has a lot of firepower from the perimeter and in the paint. I thought we were executing well offensively. Some big and timely buckets from Jewell and Ezi. It was just fun to watch and be a part of that and see our group grow up in the way that we did today.”

Neither team shot the ball well. Seattle outshot Atlanta 33% (21-63 FG) to 32% (23-73 FG). Both teams had 45 rebounds each. The Storm had a small edge in assists (14-12) and blocked shots (5-4).

This was 6th time in franchise history the Storm shot 33% or worse and won the game. Funny enough, it’s the second time this season it has happened. They did it back on June 6th when they beat the Los Angeles Sparks 66-63.

Atlanta Dream

Rhyne Howard led her team with 20 points. She also had six rebounds and three steals. Howard did not shoot the ball well connecting on just 6-20 field goals. However, she did hit four three-pointers that had a big impact on the game.

Allisha Gray finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. She did get into a bit of foul trouble in the 2nd half that limited some of her impact.

Aari McDonald scored 10 points off the bench. She made 4-5 FG from the floor but missed her two most important shots late.

Game Breakdown

Allisha Gray scored the game’s first basket from an offensive rebound. Nia Coffey then sank a three-pointer off of another O-board. Seattle missed their first six shots and trailed 5-0 before Sami Whitcomb was able to drive hard to the rim and draw a foul. She missed the first free throw that caused the home crowd to let out a disappointing groan as the Storm had gone scoreless for the first four minutes of the game. The crowd cheered loudly in support as she sank the second free throw.

Seattle gave up another basket from an offensive rebound. Things started to turn around for the Storm after Ezi Magbegor connected on a three-point attempt. Rhyne Howard immediately knocked down one on the other end to double Seattle’s score at 10-5.

Both teams really struggled with their shot in the opening quarter. The Dream shot 30% (6-20 FG) and the Storm were even worse at under 17% (3-18 FG). Atlanta benefitted from several offensive rebounds in the first quarter and scored nine second-chance points.

Rookie Jordan Horston got the start in this game replacing the injured Gabby Williams and made a couple of nice plays. She converted an AND1 on a layup over two defenders. She also collected an offensive rebound and was able to immediately draw a foul. Horston split the pair of free throws.

Jewell Loyd was able to draw a foul at the end of the period and made both free throws. At the end of the quarter, the Dream led the Storm 17-13.

AD Durr knocked down a triple to begin the second quarter. Mercedes Russell did a good job of following her shot and scored on her own second-chance opportunity. Rookie Jade Melbourne made a couple of nice plays. First, she was able to get out in transition and drew a foul against Rhyne Howard. She then scored on a quick putback after gathering an offensive rebound.

Howard made another midrange shot and Russell countered with a nice hook shot. Sami Whitcomb then had a beautiful reverse layup on an assist from Melbourne.

Atlanta pushed their lead to ten (34-24) as Seattle continued to struggle on offense. Danielle Robinson scored on an AND1 and Rhyne hit another three-ball. A few plays later Aari McDonald made her own three-pointer.

Ezi scored on a nice pick-and-roll to the basket and Sami split a pair of free throws to end the first half. As the two teams headed to the locker room, the Dream led the Storm 34-27.

Both teams shot poorly in the first half. The Dream outshot the Storm 32% (12-38 FG) to 27% (9-33 FG). Where Atlanta really separated themselves was from beyond the arc where they connected on 43% (6-14 FG) compared to just 20% (1-5 FG) for Seattle. Atlanta also damaged Seattle with their offensive rebounding, They had eight O-boards in the first half and scored 10 additional points.

Neither team was particularly good at protecting the basketball. Both teams had more turnovers than assists in the first half. They each had nine turnovers but the Dream scored five more points off of Seattle’s mistakes.

Cheyenne Parker was able to score on a roll to the rim to begin the 2nd half. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu scored inside the paint. Each time the Storm were able to score the Dream had a response.

Atlanta extended their lead to 14 after a pair of free throws from Allisha Gray. Seattle briefly cut the deficit to single digits after points from Russell and Magbegor. But as they had done all quarter long, the Dream consistently had answers. Rhyne converted an AND1 and McDonald sank a midrange jumper to put Atlanta back on top by 14 points (50-36).

Both teams played evenly over the final minutes. Loyd scored on an athletic drive to the rim and later made a pair of free throws. Russell had another strong basket down low. Howard and McDonald continued to score for Atlanta. At the end of the third, the Dream led 60-47.

Seattle’s defense clamped down on Atlanta holding the Dream to just two points through the first five minutes. The Storm went on a 7-2 run to cut the lead down to eight at 62-54. Magbegor scored six of those points.

The home team would go on a 9-0 run and take the lead on an Ezi Magbegor layup. Loyd made a three and was fouled to complete the four-point play right before that. Allisha Gray put Atlanta back on top with a nice pull-up jumper. Seattle missed their next three shots. An open three by Ezi, a contested layup by Loyd, and another tough midrange shot by Jewell.

Aari McDonald missed both free throws when the Storm were forced to foul. That gave Seattle one last opportunity to win the game. They called upon their leader, Jewell Loyd, and she delivered.

Jewell got downhill fast and went aggressive to the rim. She was able to score the layup and was fouled by Monique Billings. After making the free throw, Seattle led by two at 66-64. Atlanta turned the ball over on the next possession trying to get to a corner three. Sami Whitcomb then made both of her free throws to seal the victory.

Additional Analysis

When Jewell isn’t Scoring…

When Jewell Loyd isn’t scoring this team struggles so much on offense. It certainly doesn’t help that the team lost Gabby Williams and her 8.4 PPG and play-making ability (nearly 4.0 APG). But Jewell has always been this season’s most important player. When she’s at her very best, the team can at least be competitive. When she really struggles to score, the team’s offense is bowling shoe ugly.

This leads me to another debate. In 2024, will the Storm be better with or without Jewell Loyd? It seems like an absurd question, right? But how good can a team be if they constantly rely on one player to do all the scoring?

Really, it could go one of two ways. Either, the team continues to struggle to score consistently. Their offense is significantly worse than the 2023 team; now without Loyd in the lineup. The other players don’t pick up the slack and the 2024 Storm team goes on to lose a ton of games while scoring less than 75 PPG each night.

On the other hand, maybe the other players do take the opportunity to step their games up. Maybe the team has to function more as a unit, cutting to the rim, setting screens, running more pick-and-roll action, moving without the ball, etc.

The Storm are primed for a lottery pick and if they miss the playoffs again in 2024 they’ll likely end up with the #1 or #2 overall pick in 2025. The debate is whether Seattle will be a better overall team with or without Loyd.

Ultimately, I think the team will be better if they can keep Jewell around. But they would certainly need to change a lot of things. The Storm won two WNBA Championships when Jewell Loyd was a strong scoring option but not the ONLY reliable scoring option. Having Breanna Stewart there to also consistently score 20 PPG alleviated so much. When Jewell is asked to score 25 PPG for the team to even have a chance at winning, she’s likely going to have to shoot 20-25 field goal attempts every game. That’s a recipe for a losing season.

Loyd is shooting a career-high 19.5 FGA per game. Nearly 20 shots a game! It’s not a coincidence that she’s also shooting a career-low 37.6% from the field. Jewell Loyd leads the WNBA with 24.1 PPG. Seattle also has the second-worst record in the league at 8-21. It’s not a winning formula. Her teammates have relied too heavily on Loyd to do all the scoring.

I spoke with Coach Quinn after the game about this. As Loyd was struggling through the first three quarters of this game, her entire team could barely score any points. They had less than 50 points into the 4th quarter!

It often feels like if Loyd is out on the court the other four players are looking for her to take all the shots. I asked Quinn if the rest of the players rely too much on her.

“Nooo. I think that she has carried us in a way. Obviously, it stands out when her scoring isn’t very efficient. We have had contributions from other players in those moments. Sometimes today, even the others who (normally) contribute - they were off in that way; not in a good rhythm. Jewell has worked herself in shape to carry us in an amazing way through the good and the bad. Our offense is built to get to second side and to get to next actions. We just have to grow and continue to get better when she isn’t efficient. But when we needed a big shot, who hit it? When we needed a big stop, who was on the floor? She is our superstar and we’re going to roll with her.” Noelle answered.

If the team is able to keep Loyd in Seattle they will need to re-work the offense next season. Ezi Magbegor was named a WNBA All-Star this season and has become the Storm’s second-leading scorer. Magbegor is averaging a career-high 13.8 PPG on a career-high 10.9 field goal attempts per game. Tonight, she had 13 FGA and scored 17 points. Her shot attempts need to continue to go up. Ezi should be taking closer to 15 shots per game.

Currently, Sami Whitcomb is the team’s third-leading scorer at 8.8 PPG. Before Gabby Williams went down with her injury, she was averaging 8.4 PPG. Rookie Jordan Horston is next at 7.7 PPG.

But if we look back to 2016 and 2017, the Storm weren’t able to get over the hump getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs despite having future stars in Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart. It wasn’t until the team acquired Natasha Howard in 2018, with her 13.2 PPG, that the team became legit title contenders.

If they can keep Jewell around, who’s going to be that third scorer? Will Jordan Horston develop into a double-digit scorer in Year 2? Could a lottery pick be able to score in double figures in their first season? The team needs a lot more than just Loyd moving into the future.

Free Throws, Free Throws, Free Throws

The easiest shot in basketball. The free throw. Often they go overlooked. In a lot of games, they don’t necessarily make the difference between who wins and who loses. But then there are these critical close games. The ones that go down to the final buzzer where every single possession in the final minutes becomes critical.

This was one of those games. And with the game on the line, Atlanta’s Aari McDonald went to the foul line with her team leading by one point and 19 seconds remaining in the contest. If she made both free throws, the worst her team could do is head to overtime. She missed the first. Still, one little free throw would have forced the Storm to either take a three or tie the game.

Coach Quinn, even talked about how she was planning to draw up a play to go for a three-pointer because she assumed McDonald would make both free throws.

“I wrote on my paper, we need to make more free throws! All free throws matter but in those big moments we knocked those down and it gave us a little bit of a cushion. We had to stay locked in and as you pointed out, those big free throws we had to get the ball into Sami or Jewell’s hands. I was going to draw up a play to shoot a three just thinking Aari was going to hit those. But then we just needed a two and we got a good look. Free Throws are important! We are going to continue to work on them. We have to be better. If we’re going to get 31, that’s excellent, we have to be more efficient though.” Quinn stated.

Seattle made 22-31 FT but improved as the game went on. They converted 14-17 FT (82%) in the second half. None more important than Whitcomb’s final two.

After Loyd’s AND1 to put Seattle up two, Rhyne Howard stepped out of bounds as she tried to set up a game-winning corner three with seven seconds left in the game. After the turnover, Seattle got the ball into Sami Whitcomb who was immediately fouled. Whitcomb calmly sank both free throws to secure the victory.

“We missed a lot tonight. But for sure, we acknowledged that we missed and we locked in and said ‘Enough!’ The 4th quarter, we had to lock in and make these free throws. Sami, she’s our shooter. Her experience, she’s really comfortable in those moments. She’s played in the Finals. When she got to the free throw line we knew they were good.” Loyd added.

Ivana Dojkić Leaves the Team

In case you missed it, earlier on Thursday the Seattle Storm announced that they had mutually agreed to release Ivana Dojkić from her contract. If you want more details on that read my full article below.

Up Next

Seattle hosts the Phoenix Mercury (9-20) on Sunday, August 13th at 3:00 PM. Both teams are coming off impressive wins in their last outings. The Storm have won all three meetings this season against Phoenix and will be looking for a four-game sweep.

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