Storm open second half of season with loss to Aces that shows progress, but failure to close out
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – To open the second half of the 2023 season, the Seattle Storm hit the Las Vegas Aces with the best performance they’ve had in their head-to-head matchups this year, but it wasn’t enough as the Aces managed to pull away. While superstar Jewell Loyd struggled from the field, the Storm got productivity from starters Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams while bench players Mercedes Russell and Jordan Horston had efficient games to cut into the Las Vegas lead. Ultimately, sloppy play including turnovers and missed free throws came back to haunt Seattle as they fail to put together complete efforts. Progress is visible with this Storm team, but it feels like whenever one hole is patched, another one busts open.
Opening tipoff between A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and Ezi Magbegor of the Seattle Storm (Photo by Anthony May)
Fiery first half
Heading into the All-Star break, the Storm had been struggling with some slow starts to begin their game, digging an instant hole that a young team who is working on their own issues had to instantly dig themselves out of. Although Seattle didn’t take a lead out of the first frame, the fight that they showed proved that the Storm were going to roll over for an Aces team that handed the franchise their worst ever loss back on opening night of the season. While they struggled on the boards early, giving Las Vegas numerous second chances, Seattle was getting their own shots to fall early to help them gain some form of rhythm that they’ve needed on the offensive end. Even with Jewell Loyd going scoreless in that first quarter, the Storm remained in striking distance.
The second quarter did see Las Vegas pull away a bit, holding an eleven-point lead over Seattle once both teams hit the locker rooms, but it didn’t seem that way from the energy in the building. The Storm weren’t going to let the deficit at hand and the fact that the Aces had dominated them in previous meetings hang over their heads. It wasn’t a mystery as to what Las Vegas was doing to gain their advantage, as Seattle was struggling on the boards against this Aces squad while also failing to protect the ball, which was one of coach Noelle Quinn’s keys to victory heading into the ballgame. The Storm knew what sort of issues they were dealing with, and the adjustments seemed obvious when they came out of the locker room for the second half.
“A lot of pride and a lot of growth in a lot of areas. We’re different from day one, and we’re not where we want to be, but that is what the second half of the season is. To continue to grow and progress in a lot of ways. How, when we’re facing opponents, we’re playing and how we’re adjusting to that, throughout the game. How we start games, how we are in the middle of games, and how we can continue to find ways to finish games. I think that it’s a positive to be in a situation where you’re in a single digit game late with a team whose very talented and primed to win a championship. For a young team, like ours, that shows a lot of pride, that shows just a testament to the work that they’re putting in, attentiveness to detail and other things that matter.”
Mistakes were present, but the Seattle Storm still kept themselves in the game against the Las Vegas Aces through the first half (Photos by Anthony May)
Late push falls through
While it seemed like the issues on Seattle’s end were apparent and therefore easier to fix, the Storm seemed to forget what they needed to improve upon and add more to that list. Out of the break, Seattle continued to turn the ball over and lose the rebound battle while also still missing their free throw shots when they did get to the line. When playing any tough opponent, giving them free opportunities to extend their lead or just gain momentum in general is a big no-no and the Storm were doing just that. With just two ticks under three minutes, Las Vegas had ballooned their lead to 24 points, and this contest seemed like yet another run away for the Aces as they look to defend their 2022 title.
“I thought our energy level was high, I thought we were rebounding the ball well, closing out strong, and playing with some pace and in transition. That’s kind of been our bread and butter, and some shots fell for us. It was good to see some rhythm in that moment.”
Things started to head in Seattle’s direction following a three-pointer by Sami Whitcomb immediately after the Aces hit the 24-point advantage. The University of Washington alum then proceeded to get a steal and a running layup for a quick swing of points that forced the Aces to call a timeout. Whitcomb’s effort continued to show, as she assisted on a Jewell Loyd three-pointer after getting a rebound. Just a minute or so after Las Vegas had taken that game high lead, it was starting to get washed away by the Storm’s effort and relentless fire. When the fourth quarter came around, it was the Seattle bench that began to help ignite things, as Jordan Horston and Mercedes Russell helped add kindling to the fire that was starting to burn. That fire would be extinguished somewhat quickly, though, as the Aces stars started to take the game over as Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson proved to be the difference hitting tough shots late to maintain their lead and push this game out of reach.
“Honestly, I’m just happy to be in that position against the number one team in the league. For us, obviously, we’re learning, but closing a deal against Vegas, if you’re telling me we’re in that type of game tonight, I wouldn’t have imagined that. I think instead of closing the deal, it’s how to continue to play that same way. And maybe that kind of encompasses how we figure out how to close games, or possessions, quarters or whatever have you, but just a good position to be in with a very good team at that moment.”
Despite the big run in the third quarter that carried into the fourth for the Seattle Storm, the Las Vegas Aces pulled away and secured their 20th win of the season (Photos by Anthony May)
Loyd struggles
All-Star MVP and Storm guard Jewell Loyd struggled in her first game after the All-Star break, shooting a poor 1-6 from beyond the arch and 3-13 from the field overall. Loyd was still able to contribute to the team's offensive attack as she racked up six rebounds and six assists, but it was obvious that the Aces continuous trapping of Jewell and the box and one defense they were running was giving Seattle’s superstar fits as she couldn't affect the game the way that she normally does. For those who aren’t aware, a box and one defense is essentially a defensive set that is run when an opponent only has one star player and lesser players talent surrounding them, forcing that team to run an offense completely different than what they’re used to.
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd struggled from the field in tonight’s loss (Photos by Anthony May)
Efficiency from the bench
For a different reasons, rookie forward Jordan Horston and veteran center Mercedes Russell have found themselves on the bench for this Storm team. It isn’t the work thing in the world given that they can still contribute, but it does typically mean that they’ll get less minutes during games. Due to Gabby Williams’ return and the breakout play recently of Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, these two Lady Vols find themselves coming off the bench. When the Storm called upon these two players though, both Horston and Russell were up to the task and provided Seattle with meaningful outings that helped them stay in the fight with the best team in the league. Horston was efficient from the field, brought the great energy that were accustomed to seeing from her, provided length defensively, and showed continued confidence that is crucial to her growth going forward. Russell looked strong inside the paint for Seattle and made an immediate impact despite having to battle some of the league's best.
“There were a lot of positives in this game, and we just need to keep building on from that. I feel like we’re making strides in the right direction and need to just keep working on it. Our energy was there.”
“She was a lot better. Her activity level is number one, that’s the number one rule right now is to be super active. I thought that her defense was sharp, offensively she was aggressive. On the post that she got, she didn’t shy away from contact or finishing. That’s what we want to see consistently in the second half of this season.”
Seattle Storm center Mercedes Russell (#21) and forward Jordan Horston (#23) brought valuable minutes off the bench for their team (Photos by Anthony May)
Quick notes
Seattle held Las Vegas to 79 points—its third lowest score of the season. The other two were 78 at Dallas (7/7) and 77 at Connecticut (6/8) in their only two losses of the season.
The Storm bench outscored the Aces’ reserves 27-8, with Jordan Horston leading the charge with 11 points, followed by Sami Whitcomb and Mercedes Russell with eight points apiece.
Jewell Loyd scored 12 points, marking her 19th consecutive game with 10+ points, tied for second most in the WNBA. She also tied a season-high with six assists, and contributed six rebounds and one steal.
Loyd’s six rebounds gave her 932 for her career, moving past Alysha Clark into sixth on Seattle’s all-time list.
Ezi Magbegor tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Her three blocked shots were the most by a single player against the Aces this year and the eighth time she has blocked 3+ shots in a game.
Horston’s contribution from the bench included five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
With her second block of the game at the 4:57 mark in the second quarter, Ezi Magbegor blocked her 141st shot, moving her ahead of Natasha Howard (140) for No. 4 in Storm history.
Gabby Williams scored her first points back at Climate Pledge Arena with a driving layup at the 4:07 mark in the first quarter to give the Storm an 11-9 edge. Williams, who made her first start of the season, finished with four points and added five rebounds, four assists and one steal.
What’s next?
Following tonight’s loss against the Aces and their 17th loss of the season, the Storm will have a very brief sort of rest period before they get back into action when the Chicago Sky come to town for a matchup on Saturday, July 22nd. The Sky will come into town on a four-game losing streak, while the Storm drag their eight-game winless drought along. The two teams will face off for their Saturday matchup with a tipoff time of 6PM PST and their battle will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. It’ll be a battle of the struggling teams, and one of them must come away victorious, despite their best efforts.