Storm Defense Shines, But Offense Struggles in 74-72 Loss to Mystics

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WNBA Seattle Storm

Storm Defense Shines, But Offense Struggles in 74-72 Loss to Mystics

August 27, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Seattle Storm News Release


SEATTLE - The Seattle Storm climbed back in to give themselves a chance. But the last chance went to the Washington Mystics - and they made the most of it.

Brittney Sykes hit two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining, and Washington escaped with a 74-72 victory on Monday night in Climate Pledge Arena.

Jewell Loyd led Seattle (18-11) with 16 points. Sami Whitcomb added 11, and Skylar Diggins-Smith chipped in 10, along with eight assists.

The Storm was down 72-68 after a putback by Emily Engstler for the Mystics (8-22) with 1:40 remaining. Diggins-Smith put in a runner at the 1:27 mark to make it 72-70.

Seattle got a stop, forcing Sykes into a missed jumper, and Ezi Magbegor pulled down the rebound. Diggins-Smith's jumper bounced off the rim, but Nneka Ogwumike grabbed it and popped it back in from two feet away on the right side, tying it at 72-72 with 55.2 seconds left.

After that, each team missed a chance to take the lead - a 3-pointer by Washington's Stefanie Dolson, then a jumper from the left of the foul line by Loyd. Sykes rebounded with 12.5 seconds to go and brought the ball downcourt as time ticked away.

As Sykes went up for a jumper from the right side of the lane, Diggins-Smith was whistled for a foul with 1.1 seconds to go. Sykes drained both free throws.

The Storm came back from a timeout and Gabby Williams inbounded from the right side in front court. It came in to Ogwumike, but she was immediately surrounded and was not able to get a shot off before the horn sounded.

"We've all got to step our game up," Diggins-Smith said. "In this league, it only gets harder after the break, and that's fine. But if we don't come ready to play from the start, we're going to lose. In this league, you have to be ready to play, or you'll get beat every night."

After scoring the first basket of the game, the Storm trailed for the rest of the first half until a closing 8-0 run gave them a 43-42 lead at the break.

Down 42-35, Diggins-Smith drained a 3-pointer from the left of the lane on a second-chance opportunity. Then Williams scored the first points of her season debut, converting a lay-in off a feed from Diggins-Smith, and making it a traditional three-point play, bringing Seattle within 42-41.

Williams then factored into the go-ahead basket, hitting Mercedes Russell with a perfectly placed pass for a lay-in to provide the one-point edge heading into the locker room.

The Storm expanded it to six at 50-44 early in the third quarter. But the Mystics quickly got back into it, and neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.

Seattle hit just 37.8 percent from the field (28-of-74). The Mystics hit at a 42.1 percent clip (30-of-68), and also had a 42-33 advantage on the boards.

"On offense, we weren't connected," Storm Head Coach Noelle Quinn said. "We didn't play this game with the correct energy or mindset.

"But this game is done. We have to prepare ourselves for Atlanta, another hungry team and another team that we struggled with on the road," Quinn added. (The Dream pulled out an 83-81 victory on Aug. 16 in Georgia).... At the end of the day, we have to move forward and prepare for the next opponent."

WELCOME BACK, GABBY

Williams, who signed a rest-of-the-season contract with the Storm on Aug. 20 after helping France win the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, came onto the court for the first time with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

Beginning her second stint with the Storm, Williams finished with three points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in just under 26 minutes of action.

BY THE NUMBERS

--The Storm kept an opponent below 80 points for the ninth time in the last 14 games.

-- Seattle finished with 20 assists. That's the 13th time in the last 18 games and the 17th time overall it has logged 20 or more assists.

-- Ogwumike had two steals, the second of which was the 600th of her career. She is the 11th player in league history with that many, and it tops among currently active players.

-- Seattle had just 12 turnovers, the 21st time in the last 22 games with 15 or fewer.

-- Sykes led Washington with 20 points.

UP NEXT

The Storm continues a three-game homestand on Wednesday with a visit from the Atlanta Dream. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. (Fox 13+ / Prime Video Washington). The teams have split their first two games, each winning at home: Seattle 81-70 on July 14, and Atlanta 83-81 on Aug. 16.

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