Aces Fold, Storm Win 78-65

Seattle picks up their most impressive win of the season at Las Vegas.

(Las Vegas, Nevada) - The Seattle Storm have passed another test. This time it was an impressive victory on the road at Las Vegas where they toppled the defending champions, 78-65. Seattle controlled the game from pretty much the first few minutes of the game where they jumped out to a 15-7 lead early. Like all fighting champions do, the Las Vegas Aces battled back on more than one occasion. But the “New Storm” had a response every single time. Seattle led by as many as 14 points in the second half but with eight minutes to play in the game the Aces had cut the lead to just one point. The Storm closed on a 24-12 run from there to come away with their most impressive win of the season.

“We’ve definitely had some epic games with Vegas. We obviously understand who they are and what they've been able to do the last couple of years. And it's been a monumental for the league. You know, they kind of changed a lot of things coming in. And for us, we're stacking our days, we're stacking our games, we're building on what we're trying to do to get back in the conversation. And so for us, playing them is important to see where we're at, but also know that we're right where we're supposed to be. We're not trying to rush anything. We're not trying to look ahead. We're not trying to do that. We understand it's still just the next game for us. And tonight we came out aggressive, very active. I think that helped us sustain what we did early on. Regardless of who we’re playing, we want to maintain ourselves. I think we found ourselves and had that all the way through.” Loyd said after the game.

Jewell Loyd led the way with 25 points. She was a perfect 9-9 from the FT line and also had nine rebounds. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 21 points including 19 in the second half and 11 points in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Diggins-Smith was Seattle’s closer and she came through in a big way. Skylar also led the team with seven assists.

“(Skylar) was picking her poison. She got into a rhythm, and her ability to get downhill helps a lot, so she was able to do that. And once she sees a couple go in, you know, then her three kind of goes, and she was taken what the defense gave her. I think they changed their coverages a little bit on me, so parts of the lane were open. She was locked in, and she did a great job of controlling the pace of the game and seeing what was open and taking good shots.” Loyd added.

“Skylar is a competitor. She always talks about the law of averages. No matter where she's at shooting-wise in the game, she always has the confidence in herself and her abilities and talent to know that the next one is going to go in. It's her confidence, her swag, her demeanor; that all matters at that position to be able to still remain super resilient during the game no matter what's happening for her.” Coach Quinn stated.

Ezi Magbegor continues to be brilliant and was key to Seattle’s early-game success. Ezi finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots, and two steals. She was also the Storm’s most efficient player, making 50% of her shots (6-12 FG). Nneka Ogwumike rounded out the group with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ogwumike was in foul trouble most of the game, but she was big when she was on the court. She was a game-best +33, meaning Seattle outscored the Aces by 33 points when Nneka was on the floor. She hit a couple of massive three-pointers and her presence along with Magbegor caused problems for the Aces when they were out there together.

“And then Ezi, I know a lot of those points are in the first half. She jump-started us offensively by cutting and getting into the paint. But she went to go sky for some rebounds. She was very physical. She had tough assignments defensively. She’s just steady for us, no matter what's going on, what she's doing defensively, how she's just focused offensively. She's been sharp to start the year, and it helps us tremendously.” Quinn added.

Seattle won this game with their defense, their rebounding, and their ability to score inside the paint. They outscored Las Vegas 30-20 in the paint. They out-rebounded the Aces 43-36 and had a 6-3 edge in offensive rebounds. Defensively, they limited Las Vegas to 31% field goal shooting (21-67 FG) and just 27% (7-26 FG) from beyond the arc. Seattle wasn’t much better making 36% (26-72 FG) of their shots and 30% (6-20 FG) from the three-point line. They also had a small advantage in free throws making 20-22 FT compared to the Aces who had 16-19 FT.

Las Vegas Aces

Before the game, I asked Coach Noelle Quinn how they limit A’ja from scoring 30 points. Bluntly, she said, “Pray”.

She would further elaborate.

“Pray that she's having an off night. It's going to be a team effort, I'll say that. It's not going to be one individual. It's about tendencies and understanding what she likes, whether it's her one-on-one isolations, which way she likes to go, or her movement on the block. I think maybe where we can get her is to have her fenced in a little bit more. In the past, maybe she's playing against Ezi and maybe can not rest but help a little bit more, but now maybe putting Ezi in some action so that A'ja has to be a little bit more locked in defensively, maybe get her on that end of the floor. But as it relates to her offense, just crowd her and knowing her tendencies and just making it tough for her." Quinn said before the game.

Well, for 20 minutes, Seattle had done a fantastic job. They limited A’ja Wilson to just six points and two made field goals. Then A’ja did what A’ja does. She completely took over the game in the third quarter, scoring 15 points. Wilson did most of her damage once Nneka was on the bench in foul trouble. A’ja finished the game leading all scorers with 29 points and she also had 11 rebounds.

Whereas A’ja did all her damage in the second half, Kelsey Plum did most of hers in the first half. Plum scored 14 of her 18 points in the first half. She was the only other Aces player to score in double figures.

Jackie Young, who has been dealing with an illness this week, did not look good out there. She scored just three points on 1-12 FG shooting.

Neither team’s bench did much but the Aces’ reserves did outscore Seattle 10-4. Tiffany Hayes, who recently came out of retirement to join Las Vegas, led the way with five points but was not super effective making just 1-8 FG and missing two of her four free throws. This was only the second game she’s played this season.

Coach Becky Hammon was not pleased with her team after the game and had this to say.

“Our approach sucks. I can’t articulate enough how badly teams want to beat us. And we’ve just had a very satisfactory, show up and think we’re going to fucking win the game, approach.” Hammon said.

We’ve seen this happen in all sports where teams win a championship or two and start to lose focus. With the way A’ja Wilson is playing, I don’t think you can say she’s not taking things seriously. But the Aces are certainly missing the leadership that Chelsea Gray provides for them. Without Gray, Las Vegas is the most vulnerable they’ve been since maybe 2019. And with that said, I could still easily see them winning another WNBA Championship again at the end of the year. But there is no doubt they will be tested much more this season compared to the last two.

Game Breakdown

Alysha Clark drove hard to the rim and scooped one off the glass for the game’s first points. Nneka found Ezi down low for an easy two. A’ja Wilson knocked down a jumper on the baseline. Skylar Diggins-Smith matched her on the other end to tie the game. Both teams played strong defense over the next few possessions.

Diggins-Smith was able to find Jewell on an alley-oop play. Jackie Young knocked down a corner three right before the shot clock expired. Loyd found Ezi for two more. Then Jewell hit a baseline jumper to put Seattle up 10-7 roughly midway through the first period.

Loyd would score again after a timeout. Seattle got another stop and then found Nneka Ogwumike open at the top of the arc for an open three-pointer. She knocked it down to put Seattle up 15-7. Coach Becky Hammon was not happy with her team and quickly called a timeout to yell at them.

Seattle had an opportunity to expand their lead but went cold while their defense held strong. Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize and Las Vegas got hot late in the quarter. Kelsey Plum and Megan Gustafson each knocked down three-pointers. Plum hit two of them. Joyner Holmes was able to drive to the rim for a finger roll. Despite dominating most of the opening quarter the Storm led 17-16 at the end of the first.

Kelsey Plum got an AND1 in the paint to give the Aces a two-point lead at 19-17. Loyd tied the game back at the free throw line. Plum and Loyd continued to match each other as both players swapped three-pointers. Magbegor was able to score multiple possessions inside the paint to put the Storm up 28-22. A’ja Wilson got to the foul line and made both free throws.

Loyd scored on another jumper. Then missed a jumper but Magbegor was there to grab the rebound and quickly put it back in. Two free throws from Nneka would put Seattle up 10 at 34-24.

Wilson and Loyd each got more free throws. Kelsey Plum was able to drive and score on the midrange jumper. Seattle led 36-28 at the midway point. Plum led the Aces with 14 points while A’ja Wilson was limited to just six. Jewell Loyd led Seattle with 15 points. Ezi Magbegor added 12 points and nine rebounds through the first 20 minutes.

Diggins-Smith was able to make her first shot attempt of the second half. A’ja was fouled on the other end and made both free throws. Skylar picked off a pass from Alysha Clark and hit Nneka in transition for two. After another Seattle stop, SDS was able to drive and get fouled. Earlier, she missed both free throws but this time she made both.

Tiffany Hayes knocked down a corner three and then A’ja made two more free throws to cut the Storm’s lead down to single digits at 46-37. Two bad mental errors by both Diggins-Smith and Loyd on the same possession led to the Aces getting an easy transition basket where Jordan Horston was forced to foul Hayes. Hayes made one of two free throws.

A’ja Wilson made back-to-back baskets that cut their deficit to six at 48-42. That came off of another Mercedes Russell turnover. Coach Quinn called timeout to try and settle things down. That didn’t work as Russell committed another turnover. Wilson continued to make shots. Tiffany Hayes was fouled and split another pair of free throws.

The third period saw both teams live at the foul line. Skylar had four more. A’ja Wilson split a pair.

Alysha Clark hit a monster corner three to cut Seattle’s lead down to three. The Storm held on to a small lead at the end of the third with a score of 54-51. A’ja Wilson scored 15 points in the third quarter alone. Las Vegas outscored Seattle 23-18 in the third. It was the only quarter where Vegas had the advantage.

Kate Martin scored in transition with a nice spin twirl in the paint over Sami Whitcomb. That made it just a one-point game. Jewell Loyd was able to respond with an AND1 on the other end. After A’ja went back to the foul line. Loyd was able to respond with a three-pointer. Wilson went back to the free throw line again for two more points.

Nneka knocked down a critical three to put the Storm back up six at 63-57 with six minutes left to play in the game. Kelsey Plum scored inside the lane but Seattle got an offensive rebound and found Skylar Diggins-Smith wide-open for a three-pointer that Smith buried. SDS then found Nneka open down low to put the Storm up 12.

A’ja made another layup but time was running out for Las Vegas. Then Diggins-Smith hit them with the dagger three to put Seattle up 13 points with just two minutes to go in the game. Some more free throws by each team, then layups by Plum and Diggins-Smith at each end finished this one out. The Storm had won the game 78-65.

Coach Quinn was asked to reflect on the win after the game and what it means for the team moving forward.

“It means that we can compete at a high level with the best team in this league, one of the best teams in this league. It means that in hostile environments, a lot of the crowd, and being on the road, that we can find composure and find ways to execute. And it means that this team is growing up. Again we talk about these wins or these experiences being kind of morale boosters and confidence boosters as we're finding who we are as a team and we're finding who are as individuals and getting our feet under ourselves. For this team to come into Vegas this early in the season and compete at a high level, it’s a positive for sure!” Quinn answered.

Final Box Score

Additional Analysis

Defense Travels

They say defense travels and it certainly traveled down to Las Vegas for the Storm. Seattle’s length and athleticism bothered the Las Vegas Aces. And Seattle’s ability to switch defensively, be strong on their rotations, and have teammates there for help defense has allowed them to be one of the league’s best defensive teams.

The Storm have held their opponents to under 70 points in four out of their last five games. It’s not a coincidence that they’ve won all of those games, and they’re currently on a six-game winning streak.

Coach Noelle Quinn has already said multiple times this season that they will hang their hats on the team’s defense. And when their offense is struggling, strong defense will allow them to stay in games. What she doesn’t say but what I’ll say for her, is when their defense is on point and their offense is not struggling, they are blowing teams out, as we’ve seen against the Mercury, Fever, and Mystics. If they can improve the offense with this defense, they can become elite.

I spoke with Coach about how her team’s defense can travel no matter what arena they’re playing in and how positive results can lead to more buy-in from the team.

“Yeah, we will continue to hang our hat on the defensive side of the ball. And again, we had some lapses offensively, and what sustained us was our defensive effort. And that's going to continue; we're going to continue to hone in on that side of the basketball. Because we have individual ability and talent with our matches, but also our team is connected. And like you're saying, you said buy-in. I also use the word invested. They're invested, to know that this team can be really good on that side of the ball. And when we are clicking on all cylinders, then our offense feels a little bit better. I think that being on the road as well with a defensive effort like that shows a lot of resilience, but also shows what we can do playing against teams with a lot of firepower.” Quinn told me.

Core Four Takeover

Outside of the team’s exceptional defense. This game was won by Seattle’s top four players. The “Core Four” were put together to try and build a championship team around them. They have all stepped up multiple times this season. Between Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, and Ezi Magbegor - all four of them have the ability to take over a game or take over a quarter. We’ve already seen this multiple times this season. And that’s potentially what will make this team so difficult to defend.

Seattle was at its championship best when they had not just Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart but Loyd, Stewart, Sue Bird, AND Natasha Howard. When they could consistently get big games from all four of them or even just three out of four, they turned into the best team in the WNBA and won two championships in three years.

That is a formula that Seattle looks to replicate in 2024 with their retooled roster. Jewell is still here. Ezi Magbegor is taking over the role of Natasha Howard as the team’s elite defensive post who can also score and rebound. Skylar Diggins-Smith takes over Bird’s role but with a little more offensive scoring power. And Nneka Ogwumike looks to replace Stewart’s role as a consistent efficient scorer and rebounder.

They aren’t the same squads obviously. The 2018 and 2020 teams were much better offensively, especially from three-point range. The 2018 team had an OFF RTG of 108.5 (2nd best in the WNBA that year). The 2020 team’s OFF RTG was 108.3 (1st in the WNBA). Currently, this 2024 squad is a fair amount worse with an OFF RTG of 98.6 (ranks 6th in the WNBA).

Defensively, this year’s team is the best of the three. Seattle’s 2024 DEF RTG is 90.7 only behind the Connecticut Sun who lead the league at 88.1. Seattle was 93.3 in 2020 (best in the WNBA) and 99.3 in 2018 (3rd in the WNBA).

This 2024 team is also a better rebounding team. They lead the WNBA this season at 38.5 RPG. The Storm ranked 5th in rebounding in both 2018 and 2020.

It should be noted that some of these numbers are a bit skewed as the 2024 team has only played 10 games or 25% of their season. But it’s interesting to see how this team is shaping up compared to the other recent championship squads the Storm have put together.

As they continue to build chemistry together, this new Storm team has the potential to become a legit title contender.

Milestones

Just a quick congratulations to both Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike who both set major milestones in this victory against Las Vegas. Loyd earned her 5,000 career point in Friday’s game. Per ESPN, Loyd becomes just the second player in WNBA history to score 5,000 points and make 500 three-pointers in her first 300 career games.

Loyd reflected on the accomplishment after the game.

“It's kind of crazy to hear it and see it. But my first role is to be a scorer on this team. And so that's what I've been. Obviously, a lot of it comes from my teammates setting me up and coaches putting me in the right position. I'm proud. At the end of the day, I still got to make the shot. So it's a testament to just my skillset and what I do.” Jewell said.

Coach Noelle Quinn chimed in as well about her star guard.

“Jewell's a professional scorer. She's done amazing things in this league to start off in her rookie year until now. It's just amazing to see how she's blossomed into this butterfly. She's definitely spreading her wings. But what Jewell does in the off-season is second to none. I went to go visit her in Chicago in this off-season. It's not one workout. It's two and three workouts. It's running miles. It's doing things in the weight room; multiple basketball workouts. She works her butt off in the off-season. And so the things that she's able to do during the season is a testament to the work but also the intention behind the work. She knows that she has to be in shape. She knows that she has to be a shotmaker. She also knows that she has to be very proficient for us on the defensive end. And she's also bought into that side of the basketball. Plus be a leader. And so all of that, all of that has to get worked on in the off-season. And she's done an excellent job this season to start the year.” Quinn elaborated.

Meanwhile, Nneka Ogwumike has eclipsed 6,000 points in her career. Ogwumike ties Storm legend Lauren Jackson with 6,007 career points to be ranked 13th all-time in scoring. Nneka should surpass Lisa Leslie later this season and will have a chance to break into the Top 10 if she can average over 15 points over the next 30 games.

Commissioner’s Cup Update

With the win over Las Vegas and the Phoenix Mercury’s miraculous buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat the Lynx, also on Friday night, the Seattle Storm are currently the only undefeated team in the Western Conference of Commissioner’s Cup play. They are 2-0 with wins over the Aces and Mercury.

Seattle will face the Lynx in Minnesota and the winner will have the inside track to represent the Western Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship game. If the Storm can pull off the win, they would become the heavy favorites to make that game. They control their own destiny as the only undefeated team remaining in the West. If they win out, they automatically qualify. If they beat Minnesota, they would still be the favorites as long as they split their remaining two games against the LA Sparks and Dallas Wings.

If Seattle loses to Minnesota, they will have to beat both LA and Dallas and hope that the Lynx lose to the Aces. That game will be on Tuesday, June 11th in Las Vegas. The same day the Storm will host the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Storm are currently a +31 in point differential. But that ranks second to the Minnesota Lynx who are a +34. The Lynx have built their point differential off of big wins against the Sparks and the Wings. Seattle still has that opportunity coming up next week.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference is likely going to come down to either the Connecticut Sun or the New York Liberty. The Liberty lead the Cup standings currently with a perfect 3-0 record. The Sun are right behind them at 2-0. And surprisingly, the Indiana Fever are hanging in there with a 2-1 Cup record.

Connecticut and New York play their game, Saturday at 10:00 AM PDT. If the New York Liberty win that game, they can all but guarantee their spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals as they would be 4-0 and their final game is against the winless 0-11 Washington Mystics.

Up Next

Seattle travels to Minnesota for what will already be their third game against the Lynx this season. The Storm will be looking for some revenge as Minnesota beat them in back-to-back contests to begin the 2024 season. There is a ton on the line too. Not only is it a critical game for the Commissioner’s Cup standings but the winner of Sunday’s game will also take over first place in the Western Conference. The Storm face the Minnesota Lynx at 4:00 PM PDT on Sunday, June 9th.

Notes:
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