Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 20 points and Seattle’s defense played its best game of the season, closing out a four-game homestand with a 73-57 win over the Indiana Fever on Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Storm improved to 13-7 on the season, finishing the homestand with a 3-1 record and having won eight of its last 10 overall. Seattle moves into a third-place tie with Connecticut with the victory and stands just two games out of first place just past the midway point of the season. Indiana falls to 5-17 on the year.
Stewart had another MVP-caliber game, scoring 20 points, adding six rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks. The WNBA’s scoring leader tallied her ninth game of 20+ points on the season and has scored in double-figures in all 18 games she has played in this year.
Ezi Magbegor scored 11 points while adding seven rebounds and two blocks while Gabby Williams added 10 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Tina Charles tallied nine points, including hitting a three-pointer in the second quarter which moved her into fourth place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. She finished the game with 6,902 career points including 11 in a Storm uniform.
The Storm defense was on display again, holding Indiana to just 57 points—the fewest Seattle has allowed since holding Dallas to 57 on Aug. 8, 2019. The Storm, which has allowed the fewest points in the WNBA this season, limited the Fever to no more than 16 points in any quarter while also forcing 20 turnovers for the second-straight game.
The game started off back-and-forth, but didn’t stay that way for long. After a bucket by the Fever 6:32 into the game put the visitors up 9-7, the Fever went scoreless for five minutes, and didn’t make a field goal for the rest of the quarter as Seattle held a 19-11 lead.
In the second, the Storm continued to dominate, outscoring the Fever 27-16 and building up a 19-point lead by halftime. Stewart scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half, with 11 coming in the second quarter alone.
Williams recorded seven of her 10 points in the third quarter, making multiple contested shots to help Seattle hold a 17-15 advantage in the quarter. The Storm’s offensive productive slowed in the third quarter, and the Fever managed to outscore them in the fourth, but the lead Seattle had built up was enough to hold on. https://twitter.com/MazvitaMaraire/status/1543087541464600576?s=20&t=m7Cgmw8H6q3chIbq0AOF1Q
The Storm hit the road for three games before the All-Star break beginning with a match up at the Atlanta Dream on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on Fox 13 and NBA TV and streamed on Prime Video in Washington state.
—— StormBasketball.com ——
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | SCORE | RECORD | HIGH PTS | HIGH REB | HIGH AST |
| INDIANA | 11 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 57 | 5-17 | Q. Egbo, 14 | Q. Egbo, 12 | T. Mitchell, 3 |
| SEATTLE | 19 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 73 | 13-7 | B. Stewart, 20 | T. Charles, 8 | J. Loyd, 7 |
HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME ASSETS: 07-01-22 vs IND
STORY OF THE GAME
- The Storm held a comfortable advantage for most of the game leading by as many as 27 points (63-36) with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter. Indiana attempted a comeback, going on a 20-8 run from late in the third until early in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer to 13 in the final quarter.
KEY STATS OF THE GAME
- Tina Charles moved into fourth place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, tallying nine points in the game including a three-pointer at the 2:47 mark in the second quarter which pushed her past Candice Dupree on the list. She finished the game with 6,902 career points.
- Seattle tallied 39 rebounds—one shy of its season high 40 (vs NYL May 29)—and out-rebounded its opponent for the sixth time this season. The Storm is 6-0 when outrebounding its opponents.
- The Storm shot at 42.4%, continuing a five-game streak of shooting 41%+ from the field.
- Seattle held Indiana to just 57 points, its fewest since holding Dallas to 57 points on Aug. 8, 2019.
STORM HIGHLIGHTS
- Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 20 points, adding six rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks. Stewart has scored in double-figures in all 18 games she has played in this season and ninth game this season she has scored 20+ points
- Ezi Magbegor tallied 11 points, and had seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
- Gabby Williams contributed ten points, reaching double-figures for the third time this season and the four rebounds, one assist and two steals. This was William’s third 10+ game in the season and the third time in as many years.
- The Storm held the Fever to only 11 points in the first quarter, the lowest allowed in the opening period this season. Seattle then set a season high 27 points in the second quarter.
FEVER HIGHLIGHTS
- Queen Egbo scored a career high 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, recording her second double-double in the WNBA.
- NaLyssa Smith added nine points and six rebounds.
NEXT GAME
The Storm sets off on a three-game road trip ahead of the All-Star break starting in Atlanta taking on the Dream on July 3 at 12 p.m. PT. Fans can watch locally on Fox 13 and Prime Video.
