Storm Defense Proves to be X-Factor in 90-66 Win Over Phoenix

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Seattle Storm

Storm Defense Proves to be X-Factor in 90-66 Win Over Phoenix

September 8, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Seattle Storm News Release


SEATTLE - Her teammates kept getting open, and Skylar Diggins-Smith kept finding them.

Once ... twice ... 11 times ...

... and that was just on Saturday night.

Her 11 helpers pushed Diggins-Smith ahead of legendary Sue Bird for the Seattle Storm's single-season record, Jewell Loyd pumped in 20 points, and Jordan Horston added 16 off the bench in a 90-66 rout of the Phoenix Mercury inside Climate Pledge Arena.

Nneka Ogwumike added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Storm (21-14), who are in still pursuit of Las Vegas for the No. 4 playoff spot and homecourt advantage in the best-of-3 first round. The Aces (22-12) were off ahead of Sunday's showdown with league-leading New York, so Seattle was able to cut the margin to 1½ games with five left.

In addition to all of her assists, Diggins-Smith made it a double-double with 12 points.

In the midst of her first year with Seattle, Diggins-Smith came into Saturday's game with 216 assists, needing six to pass the 221 that Bird racked up in 2003 and again in 2018. She picked up No. 221 with 4:00 left in the second quarter, hitting Horston for a 10-foot straightaway jumper and a 33-23 lead

Then after Ogwumike won a jump ball in the Storm end, Diggins-Smith found Horston again, this time deep in the right corner for a 3-pointer and a 39-24 advantage with 2:37 to go before halftime.

That was No. 222.

"We've got a lot of people who can make shots - that's all that means," Diggins-Smith said of the record. "There's a lot of talent around here, and when you're surrounded by talent, it's easy to get assists."

"Give a shout-out to Sue Bird - you obviously know the impact that she had and continues to have on our game and our league. She's one of the shoulders we stand on in this league and one of the pillars, and I recognize that. .. I don't take it lightly being in the same category, the same sentence, the same breath as her. Hopefully, I can just continue to build after this."

Seattle used an 18-4 scoring burst to break open the game during that second period. Up 21-20, Diggins-Smith got it started not with an assist but with a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key. She did pick up the assist on four other basket during that stretch, all of which helped put nine more points on the board.

The Storm had a 45-30 lead at the break, outscoring Phoenix during the second quarter, 28-13.

"I thought we finished our possessions of rebounds after having some sharp physicality with our coverages," head coach Noelle Quinn said of the surge. "Then the floor opened up, we hit a couple of things and got some stuff in transition. But it was sparked from our defense."

Seattle then got into a battle of downtown daggers with Phoenix (17-19) during the third quarter. Each team drained five, but Seattle also knocked down half a dozen baskets from closer range and took a 73-51 lead into the final quarter.

Both sides cooled down considerably through the opening minutes of the fourth, but Seattle still maintained its margin of 20-plus points. The Strom were up by 21 at 76-55 when the Mercury pulled Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Sophie Cunningham with 6:36 left in the game.

It was the kind of start-to-finish performance that Quinn has been emphasizing.

"I hope we can continue to play in this pocket," she said. "It's the how - it's how we're playing, and today, you can see glimpses of how we can be. When we're locked in offensively and super-efficient, we're focusing on the keys to the game, and we were sharp in that area."

BY THE NUMBERS

-Horston scored 11 of her points during the second quarter on 5-of-5 shooting, with one of those from behind the arc. For the night, she wound up 7 of 8, That matched the team record for highest shooting percentage with a minimum of seven field goals made since Ezi Magbegor went 7 of 8 on Aug, 22, 2021 at Washington.

-The Storm took a season-high 32 shots from downtown and made 12 (37.5 percent). Overall, they hit 36 of 84 (42.9 percent0. Phoenix hit 36.4 percent (24 of 66).

-Diana Taurasi poured in 18 points for the Mercury, but Seattle effectively shut down Griner. She tallied just four points on 2-of-7 shooting in 24 minutes, 42 seconds. And the Storm did that without sending her to the free throw line, as neither Magbegor nor Mercedes Russell was whistled for a foul all night.

- Seattle also limited Kahleah Copper to just 11 points, well below her 21.3 average that is No. 3 in the league.

- Led by Diggins-Smith's 11, the Storm had 26 assists. That's their 20th game of 20-plus, and their record is 16-4 in those games.

- Seattle committed just six turnovers, their second-lowest total of the season and their sixth game in single digits. It had none in the first quarter and just one for the first half.

- Saturday's game marked the end of seven games in 14 days - a game every other day since Aug. 26.

UP NEXT

The Storm head right back onto the road for their next two games. Up first is Los Angeles on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (Fox 13+ / Prime Video Washington).

-- StormBasketball.com --

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