It was always going to be a tough ask for the Storm to topple the defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas, who were on a three-game unbeaten streak. While the Storm were on a three-game win streak of their own, they were missing leading scorer Jewell Loyd ( knee) and leading rebounder Ezi Magbegor ( concussion ). The game marked the last home contest before the playoffs. The two teams were playing for 4th and 5th position in the playoffs.
ANOTHER SLOW START
The game was close for the first few minutes, but the Aces took advantage of lethargic defense took control of the first quarter with a 14 6 run to finish the quarter with a 29-18 lead. Aja Wilson led all scorers with 10 points.
The Storm turned the tables on the Aces midway through the second quarter with a run of their own. After a timeout by head coach Noelle Quinn, the Storm reeled off a 14-4 run. While the run energized the near-capacity crowd, the Storm still found themselves down by eight points at the Half. The Aces led 48-40 at the Break.
DOMINATING THIRD QUARTER
The Storm started the third quarter the same way they ended the first half. Quick ball movement, hustle on the defensive end, sheer determination, and will by Skylar Diggins-Smith kept the Storm within striking distance. Diggins-Smith led all scores with eight points . The Strom cut the Aces lead to just one point with 51 seconds left in the quarter. Back-to-back Jackie Young free throws saw the back up to four. A Gabby Williams layup with 15.5 seconds saw the quarter end with the Aces clinging to 63-61 lead.
VALIANT EFFORT FALLS SHOT
Back-to-back baskets by Diggins-Smith saw the Storm take a 65-64 lead two minutes into the final quarter. Two back-to-back free throws by A’ja Wilson saw the Aces regain a lead they never relinquished. The Aces reeled off a 19-7 run to finish the game. The Storm hearts were willing but playing catch up all night finally took it’s toll. Tired legs led to late defensive rotations, which led to slow off-and-on ball movement on the offensive end.
“I think there were a couple of possessions that became deflating, and they’re possessions that you can’t fumble against a team like the Aces,” Quinn said. “We just didn’t have enough good energy built up to kind of get over the hump. But I’m proud of the group for even having done that with two starters out.”
BY THE NUMBERS
–The Storm shot well enough, hitting 47.6 percent (30-of-63). Ogwumike was 9-of-15, Diggins-Smith was 6-of-12, and Mercedes Russell hit 4-of-8.
— But the Aces, while they cooled off after their 75 percent (18-of-24) start, still wound up at 53.3 percent (32-of-60). and were 45 percent from downtown (9-of-20).
–Diggins-Smith handed out nine of Seattle’s 21 assists. That was the 23rd game with 20-plus.
— In addition, Diggins-Smith was in double-digit scoring for the 14th straight game.
— The 14,298 fans gave the Storm a final total of 223,684 for the 20-game home schedule. It’s the first time in team history of topping 200,000. The average of 11,184 also was a franchise record.
UP NEXT
The regular season concludes on Thursday at Phoenix. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time (Fox 13+ / Prime Video Washington).
—— StormBasketball.com ——
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | HIGH PTS | HIGH REB | HIGH AST |
| SEATTLE | 18 | 22 | 21 | 11 | 72 | N. Ogwumike (19) | J. Horston, N. Ogwumike (6) | S. Diggins-Smith (9) |
| LAS VEGAS | 29 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 85 | K. Plum, A. Wilson (21) | K. Plum, A. Wilson (7) | J. Young (6) |
HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME ASSETS: 9.17 vs LVA
STORY OF THE GAME: After Las Vegas got off to a hot start, the Storm used a long 18-2 run to pull within two, then took the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Aces answered with a 19-2 run over the next eight minutes to pull away for the 85-72 win.
KEY STATS OF THE GAME
- The Storm pulled within eight (48-40) at halftime despite efficient first half shooting by Vegas (62.5%), sparking a 18-2 Seattle run that spilled into the third quarter where the Storm outshot the Aces 53.3% to their 33.3 percent.
- The Storm recorded 21 assists on 30 field goals, the 23rd time this season recording 20+.
- Seattle had six blocks in its win over the Aces on June 7, but, including tonight, had just one in each of its three losses—the only three games the Storm has recorded just one block this season.
STORM HIGHLIGHTS
Skylar Diggins-Smith recorded 17 points and nine assists, her eighth game this season with 9+ dimes. She became the 11th WNBA player to record 1,500 career assists tonight (1,504). She did it in 291 games, the fifth fewest.
Nneka Ogwumike finished with a team-high 19 points on 9-of-15 (60%) shooting, to go along with six rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Joyner Holmes matched her season-high eight points on 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%) in a season-high 20 minutes off the bench.
Gabby Williams ended with 14 points, her sixth game in the last seven in double-digits. She added five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
ACES HIGHLIGHTS
- The Aces had five players in double digits, led by Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson each with 21. Jackie Young added 16 and Chelsea Gray put up 13.
NEXT GAME: The Storm wraps up the regular season on Thursday, traveling to face The Phoenix Mercury at 7 p.m. at the Footprint Center. The game can be seen on FOX 13+ and streamed on Prime Video (WA).
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