Storm strike down Mercury in Dominant 97-74 Victory
By Bel Garcia, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Seattle welcomed Brittney Griner back with open arms in Saturday’s match up against the Phoenix Mercury. Griner was welcomed with cheers in the starting lineup announcements, with signs around the arena and Phoenix jerseys. Storm guard Arella Guirantes, who was out the last game, was available to play. The Storm was instead without rookie forward Jordan Horston, who was dealing with a right shoulder injury. After an odd scoreless stretch in their last matchup against the Indiana Fever, Seattle guard Jewell Loyd was confident that they’d find their footing again, saying “It’s basketball, you push forward, watch film, get better, it’s what you do.” Loyd was right, as she led her team to a 97-74 win over the Mercury.
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner battled Seattle for the first time since a playoff matchup, which actually took place in Everett, back in 2021 (Photos by Mathew Bermudez)
The Storm were getting in the passing lanes early, with back-to-back steals on the defensive end to begin the game. Point guard Ivana Dojkic converted first for Seattle, securing the steal on one end and converting a layup on the other. Along with the first two points in the game, Dojkic picked up two quick fouls. Storm head coach Noelle Quinn pulled her early to avoid getting in foul trouble. Seattle forward Joyner Holmes checked in for Mercedes Russell early, and she created a presence with five points off the bench to keep her spot on the court a bit longer.
The Storm got big contributions from their entire rotation, including Joyner Holmes (#8) and Arella Guirantes (#11) (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
Russell matched up well with Brittney Griner down low, matching her size and keeping up well with Griner whenever the Mercury attempted to screen and switch. Seattle cancelled BG out in the first half, taking her out of the game and forcing the Mercury to find offense elsewhere. Both teams did a great job in sharing the basketball and involving all teammates in the scoring.
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd poured another 24 points in tonight, leading the team (Photos by Mathew Bermudez)
Storm guard Jewell Loyd was pushing the tempo and running the court well by controlling the rotation and facilitating the plays. Seattle created some separation in the second quarter with good ball movement and efficiently finding the open player. A Loyd heat up always helps, as she found her rhythm and handles in the quarter scoring eleven of her 13 points. A Sami Whitcomb three secured her involvement in the scoring; all Storm players that were part of the rotation had points on the board at that point.
Seattle Storm guard Sami Whitcomb poured in 14 points off the bench, the most for a non-starter (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
Seattle’s effective shooting continued into the third quarter, where they continued to increase their lead over the Mercury. Britney Griner was able to get a bit more involved in the scoring, but the Storm had an answer for it when she did. The joy on the court from everyone’s contribution was contagious. Kia Nurse hit yet another three in the beginning of the fourth and was received with an emphatic high five by teammate Yvonne Turner. The Storm have struggled with limiting points in the paint, while they contained Brittney Griner for majority of the game, the Mercury still muscled their way for 38 points.
The biggest difference in tonight’s game were the attempts beyond the arc and at the free throw line, in addition to the contribution from the bench. Seattle had 36 points off the bench, Loyd praised her teammates for staying ready, “they put a lot of work and time to get better and what we saw is what we see on the court everyday.” Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn cleared her bench with a few minutes left in the game and a commanding lead, playing every single available player on the roster. They face the Minnesota Lynx for back-to-back matchups this coming week.