Growin pains for Storm in 80-78 loss to Sun

The Seattle Storm (1-4) is on a three-game losing streak and counting after a heartbreaking 80-78 loss to the Connecticut Sun (1-5).  The Wednesday loss to the previously winless Sun showed just how far the Storm franchise has to go in its rebuild project.  

The  Storm were missing three front-line players in Ezi Magbegor ( foot injury),  Dominique Malonga ( concussion ), and first-round draft pick Awa Fam in the loss to the Sun, whom the Storm had beaten in Connecticut for its first win of the season.  The Sun, in turn, was without Brittney Griner (right rib) and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (right ankle).

GAME OF GUARDS AND A SLOW START

With bigs from both sides out, the game was going to be won by guard play, spacing, and execution.  The Storm gave up 32 first-quarter points after giving up 29 first-quarter points in their 89-78 loss to the Indiana Fever before the  Sun contest.   The back-to-back slow starts the Storm chasing the game.  The Storm made defensive adjustments in the last three quarters, holding the Sun to just 17 points per quarter.

“ The slow starts are something we need to take a look at and adjust,” head coach Sonia Raman said in her post-game press conference.  Playing uphill takes its toll, and the Storm could do with a fast start.

COMMUNICATION AND  COHESIVENESS

Natisha Hiedeman scored a season-high 20 points, 10 of them in the first quarter, which helped the Storm score 23 points in the opening quarter. Were it not for her hot shooting hand, the Storm would have been buried early.   Forward Mackenzie Holmes took over the scoring duties for the Storm in the second quarter with 10 points on her way to a career high of 18 points.  The two were able to create their own shots despite the team’s struggles with ball movement in the half-court set. What kept the Storm in the game was the 39 points from the bench, which accounted for 50% of the team’s point production.

BATTLE TILL THE END

Despite the scoring struggles, the Storm were able to stay in striking distance with the Sun, earning its first lead of the game at  76-75 on Jade Melbourne’s reverse layup with 59 seconds left in the game.   Back-to-back free throws by Holmes put the  Storm in the driver’s position with a three-point lead with  40.8 left in the game.  After a timeout by the Sun, the lead was cut to one point after a bucket by Aaliyah Edwards.

 With the ball in hand and a one-point lead at 78-77, the Storm ran the clock down to 9.6 seconds on a Heideman turnaround shot that missed the mark.  Edwards grabbed the rebound, passed it to  Kennedy Burke, who drove the full length of the court uncontested for the layup and foul. The three-point play gave the Sun a 78-80 lead with 2.8 seconds left.   After a timeout and an advance to half court, Heideman nearly won it for the Storm with a 28-foot jumper that just missed.

THE BIG TAKE

The Storm gave it a full effort. Allowing Burke to run down the middle of the court uncontested shows a lack of maturity and awareness. The mistake is something the team will learn from. At times, it was evident that the team was still not comfortable in their after-court set.

GAME NOTES

STORM HIGHLIGHTS 

• Natisha Hiedeman notched a season-high 20 points, with 10 of those scored in the first quarter on 80% (4-for-5) from the field in just eight minutes of playing time. Her five assists connected for 11 additional points. 
• Mackenzie Holmes finished with a career-high 18 points along with six rebounds and two blocks. She shot an efficient 75% (6-for-8) from the field and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line for the first time in her career. 
• Zia Cooke added 10 points, including six in the second quarter, as well as four rebounds.  
• Flau’jae Johnson tallied her seventh block of the season, becoming just the third Storm rookie to record seven or more blocks in the first five games of the season (Lauren Jackson, Breanna Stewart). 

SUN HIGHLIGHTS 

• Charlisse Leger-Walker led the Sun with 16 points and three assists. Kennedy Burke and Ashlon Jackson also added 15 points each.