Storm Surge Tops Phoenix Late
June 8, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Seattle Storm News Release
PHOENIX - Skylar Diggins scored 26 points, and the Seattle Storm broke the game open in the final four minutes with a 10-2 scoring run to beat the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday night in PHX Arena, 89-77.
Gabby Williams poured in 21 points, with 18 of those during the first half. Nneka Ogwumike added 13.
Diggins went 7 of 10 in the second half and her 26 was the most by any Storm player this season.
"I just think it was about time. I did not like my last three games, did not like my homestand," said Diggins. "I was just wanting to come out and be aggressive, regardless. I was just trying to stay in that mindset. I know I have the skillset to help my team and do what I need to do. It's just having the mindset to be aggressive."
The Storm was up 77-72 after Mercury reserve guard Lexi Held drained a 3-pointer with 4:14 left. Ogwumike then started the game-clinching run with a turn-around 14-footer from the left of the lane at the 3:54 mark.
Diggins drained a 17-footer from the left of the foul line for 81-72, then dropped a 25-foot three from the left of the lane, making it 84-72 at the 2:27 mark.
"We saw an elite player staying in the moment and not doing anything other than what we know she can do: score the basketball, be a playmaker, be aggressive," Head Coach Noelle Quinn said. "She didn't let the 1-for-8 get her down. She was still doing very good things on the basketball floor. She showed the resiliency to get back to her comfort (zone) and do the things we know she can do for us."
Phoenix got two free throws from Held, but Seattle effectively clinched it with a 3-pointer by Ogwumike and a mid-range jumper by Erica Wheeler, making it 89-74 with 1:13 left in the game.
"A lot of it (during the late surge) was Sky finding some good rhythm, a lot of defensive stops, and we did a better job on rebounding and shoring up some possessions," Quinn said. "On turnovers, we're continuing to keep them down (just 12 on Saturday). We were very sharp with our execution, we found some rhythm, and just a lot of big shots with Sky."
Williams hit 8 of 10, with 5 of 6 behind the arc. She drained a 3-pointer that snapped the game's final tie and gave Seattle a 56-53 lead near the midpoint of the third quarter.
"I see one or two go in, and like every shooter, every player, it feels like if the first two go in, you don't need as much space as before," said Williams, who had her usual and complete stat line with seven assists, three rebounds and one block. "I think my teammates are doing a great job of finding me in transition whenever it is off ball reversals. It's helping a lot with my confidence, and hopefully, we can just stay in this pocket."
The Storm shot 48.5 percent for the game (32 of 66), with a season-high 12 makes (on 22 attempts) from downtown (54.5 percent). Led by Ezi Magbegor's eight rebounds, Seattle had a 31-29 edge on the boards.
Satou Sabally led the Mercury with 20 points but was limited to just 35 percent shooting (7 of 20) by the Storm's defense. Held had 14 points off the bench.
Seattle improved its Commissioner's Cup record to 2-1, now halfway through its six-game qualifying slate. So far, Seattle has raised $7,000 for the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.
UP NEXT
The Storm host Minnesota on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Climate Pledge Arena. The game will be broadcast on CW Seattle and streamed for Prime Video users in Washington state.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 8, 2025
- Lynx Withstand Wings Comeback Attempt - Dallas Wings
- Postgame Notes: Min vs Dal (6.8.25) - Minnesota Lynx
- Connecticut Drops Road Contest to Washington, 104-67 - Connecticut Sun
- Phoenix Mercury Waive Haley Jones - Phoenix Mercury
- Golden State Valkyries' Cecilia Zandalasini to Play in FIBA EuroBasket 2025 - Golden State Valkyries
- Golden State Valkyries Sign Forward Laeticia Amihere - Golden State Valkyries
- Storm Surge Tops Phoenix Late - Seattle Storm
- Golden State Valkyries Waive Kyara Linskens - Golden State Valkyries
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