Storm head into All-Star break with back-to-back losses, away at Washington and Atlanta
By Bella Munson, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - The Seattle Storm only play one back-to-back this season but it was a rough one, away at Washington and then Atlanta the next day, resulting in two more losses for the WNBA’s 12th-place team.
The pair of games tipped off Tuesday in Washington where the Mystics, down several key players including Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin, got the 96-86 win after having a lead as big as 25 points. While Seattle’s Jewell Loyd had a career game with 39 points, only two of her teammates scored in double digits, each with 12. Washington had a short bench, but they got production from every single player.
On Wednesday, the Dream won 85-75 in Atlanta against a Jewell Loyd-less Storm team. Seattle rookie forward Jordon Horston started in Loyd’s place and scored a career-high 23 points in a fantastic performance. There was improvement from the night before, but Seattle still dug themselves a hole that was too big to get out of.
Jewell Loyd is THE MVP
Loyd won’t win the WNBA’s MVP award because the Storm’s record is simply too poor. That is how it’s worked in the past and how it’s likely to continue, but make no make mistake, Jewell Loyd is having an MVP season.
Loyd is the WNBA’s leading scorer, and she had a ridiculous 39-point game in which she drained a career-high NINE threes, tying the WNBA record for most made threes in a game. She shot 50% from the field while being defended by one of the league’s best defenders in Brittney Sykes. Honestly, you just need to watch the highlights because the last three in particular are ice-cold shots.
Beyond the insane shot-making ability, Loyd brings so much more than just scoring. Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn summed it up post-game, “it’s about her effort, her will, her example that she’s setting to her teammates, that she wants to show up and be the best version of herself every single day in spite of what she may be going through physically.”
The guard is the leader of this Storm team, there is no doubt they need her scoring, but Seattle also needs her leadership. Loyd is a veteran of this league and a two-time champion who can bring the best out of her teammates.
This was unfortunately obviously evident just the next game when Loyd, initially named as a starter, was ruled out for their 20th game of the season against the Mystics. Storm teammates stepped up and Loyd still led from the bench, but there is a huge change in how the Storm play with her on the court versus off.
The good news about that injury is head coach Noelle Quinn didn’t seem too concerned about it and said she has no knowledge of Loyd being unavailable for the All-Star game. Speaking about the process of ruling her out for the game, Quinn said “Jewell is obviously going through some physical ailments and so today it didn’t feel great for her. She tried to push through it but it's tough, especially considering it’s a back-to-back.”
Some notes from the Atlanta game
With roughly three minutes to go in the game, Seattle made what was a 24-point deficit down to eleven, forcing Dream head coach Tanisha Wright to put all of her starters back in the game. The Storm trimmed it down to an eight-point game with 1:18 left, but couldn’t hit shots to finish it out. Quinn liked this fight, saying post-game “I liked that they had to put their starters back in the game at the end because we were getting stops, running, and executing.”
Seattle rookie forward Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu made her third start in a row but struggled with foul trouble, only able to play 20 minutes in the end. Her rebounding presence was desperately missed. as Atlanta dominated the boards and the points in the paint for this win. Coach Quinn remarked specifically that “without Dulcy in the game we have to find ways to be efficient rebounders and not lack in that area.”
After the game, Quinn summed up the good and the bad of her team’s performance: “I like that we played hard… I like that we took 26 free throws but when we get to the line, we actually have to make our free throws so we have to clean that up. Clean up our turnovers a little bit, I think that’s something that we have to continue to clean up. … And then I would say the points in the paint is going to continue to be an emphasis, we’ve struggled with that all year. Another positive was our assists, 21 today on 25 makes, obviously, we want more makes but I thought the ball was moving so a lot to build on but we have a ways to go to be better.”
Turnovers turnovers
After the first game, both Loyd and Quinn spoke about their turnovers as one of the reasons they lost the game. Loyd said plainly, “our turnovers, that’s been our achilles heel all season is those turnovers. It’s hard to win games when you’re turning the ball over against really good teams that can score and that like to push” and “a lot of their runs happened because of our turnovers.” Quinn specifically called out their timely turnovers and those that are live-ball turnovers. Transition defense related to those turnovers also continues to be an issue so best to avoid them in the first place.
Gabby Williams is back!
On Tuesday, for the first time in 2023, Gabby Williams suited up and played for the Seattle Storm, and it is very exciting to have her back. Her first game was somewhat as you would expect from a player returning after weeks of being unable to play. She couldn’t quite find her shooting touch and scored no points, but she definitely did not look out of shape, playing 20 minutes. She did however contribute a pair of each rebounds and assists plus a steal.
Quinn praised Gabby after the game saying “[Gabby Williams is] obviously coming off of not playing in a long time, but knowing what she’s capable of as it relates to just moving the ball, understanding basketball, understanding concepts, another defender, rebounder in there. Working her back into some action but I’ve trusted her since last year. Haven’t played in a long time or not I know she’s going to execute what I’m asking.”
The next day, Williams recorded the same stat line but added 10 points. She only went 1/5 from the field but she recognized her shot wasn’t falling and got herself to the free-throw line, where she shot 8/8.
Williams is a massive contributor all over the court and it’s great to have her back. Quinn said it after the games, and its true, Williams shooting touch will come back with time and reps, but until it does she will still contribute a lot to this team.
Magbegor struggles
Without Elena Delle Donne or Shakira Austin, the Washington Mystics defender on Ezi Magbegor was Tianna Hawkins, a significant mismatch that the Australian center could take advantage of. Magbegor had 12 points, but she only attempted nine shots in a game that was begging for another 20-point scorer to help Loyd.
Coach Quinn said after the game “I don’t think that [Ezi Magbegor] was [aggressive enough]. I think those early turnovers really impacted her… Ezi kind of looks a little bit fatigued, as she should because she’s carried a heavy load on both ends of the floor. So, we’re just trying to push through some mental and physical fatigue with her and I just hope that her teammates pick her up and offset what we’re seeing.”
Magbegor was held scoreless on eight shot attempts against Atlanta the next night. Her coach thinks there is a wall she hits that they are trying to work through, but she has grace for the young player. “Ezi always takes accountability, and she just says she needs to be better. But I think from my vantage point it is different. We’ve not expected her to be a top player, a leading scorer, and because of that alone her mindset and the physicality behind it, it changes. So, she’s growing and learning as well. You talk about our rookies but Ezi is experiencing a new season in which she has to do way more than she has ever and I have grace for her because it’s different, it’s new.”
Seattle’s head coach and fans alike hope that Magbegor can hit reset over the All-Star break. Recharge, rejuvenate, refocus, and then go back to showing everyone why she was named to her first ever WNBA All-Star game this season.
Drafted rookies shine
Storm rookie forward Jordan Horston scored a career-high 23 points, but even better she found some confidence and was efficient, shooting 50% from the field. She also contributed 10 rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Horston has already looked incredibly promising for the Storm, but finding that consistent shooting touch could be huge for this team like she was Wednesday.
Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu has been fantastic in her starting role. She is consistently finishing around the rim, shooting 66% from the floor against Washington and 54% against Atlanta for double-digit scoring outings. We also know she is a fantastic rebounder and brings great physicality down low. She is being asked to play big minutes but seems up to the task and ready to help.
Quinn praised the rookie saying post-game “she plays within herself. She understands what her role is, she doesn't play outside of that roll, and she gives 100%. And it's good that a rookie at this stage of our season can continue to give us consistency where we lack, especially with our physicality and all of those things.”
Jade Melbourne’s performance against Washington, which likely led to her getting more minutes against Atlanta, was particularly impressive. She only played 12 minutes but they were crucial in Seattle’s comeback push. Melbourne entered the game with two minutes to go in the third quarter and didn’t leave until the final buzzer. Shooting 75% she provided eight points, FOUR steals, three assists, one rebound, and no turnovers.
She hadn’t played all game but Quinn said her presence was what the game “netted” and the decision to play her paid off. “[Jade Melbourne] was able to get downhill, find players, not turn the ball over and be really steady with the ball, get us into some flow and some early drag.”
Jewell’s praise for her young teammates after their loss to the Mystics sums it up well. “They come in and play with energy every night, regardless of who we’re playing against, they know their jobs they know their roles and they come in and do what they’re told to do. That’s what we see all practice, that’s what we saw in training camp, so I’m glad that people are seeing that now and all their hard work is coming to light and we’re able to see that and it’s just a testament to them. Not really us. Them playing hard is on them.”
Quinn also sees these minutes as vital in helping the young players adapt to the WNBA. “They’ve been bright spots and have had a lot of bright moments, especially within our last few games. Dulcy starting, Jordan getting a ton of minutes, Jade getting some reps, which will help us for the second half of our season because now they understand pace. They understand physicality. They understand how to work and what we need from them on a day-to-day basis… they'll know what they can do. They know our expectations as coaches. They just know how to find their rhythm and be in their role for us to have some sort of success.”
Fourth-quarter runs falling just short
This seems to happen continuously throughout the season for the Storm. They will either, in the first half or third quarter, dig themselves a very deep hole, somewhere between 20-30 points, but they will come roaring back to make a game of it. Only occasionally have those games ended up in the win column, as their comebacks continue to fall just short.
Sometimes this is due to a lack of late-game discipline, but if the Storm can figure out more consistency in-game and avoid digging those huge holes in the first place. they have a serious chance at picking up wins. Let’s hope we see some more of that in the second half of the season.