Loyd and Ogwumike detail the Storm’s ailing season after road loss to Sun
By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker
Uncasville, CT - As the kids say, the vibes are not immaculate.
Whether the Storm win or lose, the air after games is rich with optimism and unwavering belief that their best foot is being put forward. Owning a 2-5 record in post-Olympic play after a deflating 93-86 loss to the Connecticut Sun (24-8), there’s been a shift in this sentiment.
Seattle Storm shooting guard Jewell Loyd during a huddle in the teams road loss to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, September 1st, 2024. (Photo from the Seattle Storm/WNBA)
When the season commenced, there was a general understanding that the Storm needed time to figure out what worked best on both sides of the ball. Still, that did not impede the ability to win as a team that appeared to be on a journey to solutions. Since the return to league play, that isn’t the case.
“We’re in the playoffs. We have people who haven’t been to the playoffs on this team. We have people that have won multiple times at the end of the season on this team. And I think the gap between that is the mindset. I think that’s what the gap is, whether it’s the eagerness of being together for the first time and putting together a lot of wins before the Olympic break or the perceived complacency coming out of the break. It’s not that people are complacent, but I don’t think that we’re playing with the effort that we need. People play hard, but I think it’s going to require something deeper that we need.”
There was a certain energy about the Storm in the first half of the season predicated by their defense. Unable to generate efficiently from three-point land with a 29 percent average (12th in W), the Storm utilized their athleticism on defense to create scoring opportunities. The only other playoff-bound team that was in the bottom six of the league in three-point percentage was the Sun. The only difference between Connecticut and Seattle is that Connecticut has colorful, diverse ways with numerous players to score from outside.
The Storm have one player shooting above league average from behind the arc and that’s Ogwumike at 44 percent on two attempts per game. While it may be a low volume, utilizing her ability to knock these shots down at a career-high clip this season should be a wrinkle within the team’s offense, especially in the second half. Since the season resumed, Ogwumike is shooting 50 percent from deep on three attempts.
Whether in transition, in the paint, scoring off turnovers, or second-chance points, Seattle found a way to produce points that landed them in the top five of each category. The team is still listed as high, but the effort that supported it isn’t.
Before the Olympic break, the Storm allowed the fourth-fewest points in the WNBA (77.6). In August, opponents score the fourth-most points per game (84.2). Teams outscore Seattle in several ways, but it starts on the glass where opponents are corralling a league-leading 40.7 rebounds per game. It doesn’t help that the Storm has the worst defensive rebounding percentage (65.7) and has been outrebounded in six of the seven games played this month. Off those rebounds, teams are then shooting a WNBA-best 37.9 percent from behind the arc. A spot they all seem to favor is above the break, which is any three-pointer that isn’t in the corners.
“A couple of things are happening,” said Storm coach Noelle Quinn. “I think I’ll point to the biggest thing, and that’s our communication level. We’ve been having a lot of miscues and that area of the floor comes into play when you think about those about those above the break threes. When we’re in our coverages, our guards have to do a better job of being physical and being into bodies. The eyes of the defense, the people that are behind it, whether it’s our post players or anybody coming into coverage, we need to be confident, communicate, and loud. I don’t think that we’ve done that after the break. We can chalk it up to a lot of things — not a lot of practice time with the whole unit, fatigue, I’m not utilizing any excuses. We just have to be better. I think we have to be stronger in the manner in which we communicate.”
The Storm’s strength in communication was a key figure in its success in the first half of the season. Needless to say, that asset isn’t there on the court now. That’s not to say it can’t be recovered, yet such a stark departure from the hustle and effort that defined their developing idealogy is problematic. With only eight games remaining in the regular season, Seattle should be fine-tuning their approach before a grueling playoff run. Instead, they’re left attempting to reclaim their spark.
“Making the playoffs is what everyone wants to do,” Ogwumike said. “I think that we want to be able to control what our path looks like and that’s something we’re trying to find.”
The Olympic break presented its fair share of challenges with four players competing in Paris in addition to Storm coach Noelle Quinn as the lead assistant coach for Team Canada. Unlike other professional leagues, the Olympics occur in the middle of the WNBA season. The grueling nature of traveling and adjusting for players who participate is well-documented and surely isn’t as glorious as it seems on social media. It would be understood if such a pause affected a team trying to find its way, but since returning, the Storm says the break can’t be used as an excuse. If that’s the case, how does the team remedy what ails them?
“For a majority of us in the league, we’ve done this multiple times where we had Olympic breaks. We understand the schedule and we understand that’s part of being in the W. We know it, we have a feel for it. That’s why I have respect for people in this league because we know how it is to go overseas, come back, be a professional. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. You can group a random team together, they play hard, they could probably execute. If they do those things, it comes down to that. Just regrouping and understanding our value for this team, who we are, why we’re here, and find our next push. We know this time of the season where every game and possession matters. It’s a little bit more amplified, and we understand that. Having Gabby [Williams] back, that’s a plus. We obviously know that, but for all of us, we’re still growing in our game. I have so much confidence in every single teammate that we have here and what we’re trying to do. That hasn’t changed. The mindset hasn’t. That’s not an excuse. We understand what that is and how to be professionals.”
The vote of confidence that Loyd and Ogwumike share is crucial for a team that needs to see and hear it. The sky isn’t falling, but the downpour the Storm rained down on the opposition that carried them to a 17-8 record before the Olympic break has dissipated to a light shower. With a 3-8 record against the Sun, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Las Vegas Aces, it’s clear that the Storm has quite a ways to go before they can truly be a part of any contender conversation.
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Photos via the Seattle Storm and the WNBA
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