By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Hiedeman and Johnson Shine in Storm’s Victory

Natisha Hiedeman tied her career high with 24 points, and rookie Flau’jea Johnson made it two consecutive games in which she tied her career high with 17 points.  The duo led the Storm (3-4) to a blowout 97-85 win over the Washington Mystics (2-3).  The win showed the Storm’s progress on the offensive end. In her team’s 77-59 win over the Connecticut Sun, head coach Sonia Raman said that the team’s offensive rotations, ball movement, and execution were a work in progress.

While they were not perfect, the Storm did start the game playing down hill. The Storm made 4 of 10 three-pointers and made all 8 free throws in the first quarter to take a 26-24 lead.  Adding excitement to the contest was the introduction of first-round draft pick Awa Fam, who entered the game with 4:37 left in the quarter.

DEFENSE LEADS THE WAY

The early constant for the Storm has been their defensive adjustments. After giving up 24 first-quarter points to the Mystics, the Storm tightened their perimeter defense and were in synch when switching on the shooters in the perimeter. The stifling defense held the Mystics to just 13 points in the quarter.  On the offensive end, Hiedeman was simply unstoppable.  She scored eight points, making all three attempted shots from the field, and 2  of 2 from the charity stripe, and the Storm took a 49-37 halftime lead. Hideman finished the half with 18 points, and Johnson was right behind with 9.   Despite making 1 of 7 field goal attempts, Johnson made 7 of 7 free throw attempts and pulled down three rebounds. The flow of movement created space for  Hideman to shoot from various spots on the court.

STRONG THIRD QUARTER AND FINISH


Johnson turned in a score in the third quarter, leading the team with eight third-quarter points.  Stefanie Dolson and Heideman each chipped in six, and the Storm blew the game wide open, outscoring the Mystics 27-17 in the quarter to take a 76-54 lead.  The Mystics tried to muster a comeback but were unable to get over the hump. Another growth for the Storm in their last two game wins was how to finish games. On Sunday, that growth showed as the Storm won two consecutive home games and their third overall.  

GAME NOTES

EY STATS OF THE GAME 

  • The Storm recorded a season-high 97 total points. The last time Seattle scored more than 97 was in August 2025. 
  • Seattle shot 32-for-34 from the free throw line for 94.1%, setting a season high for free throws made. Multiple players went 100% from the line, including Stefanie Dolson (8-for-8, a season high), Flau’jae Johnson (7-for-7), Natisha Hiedeman (6-for-6), Zia Cooke (2-for-2) and Awa Fam (2-for-2). 
  • The Storm’s 13 made three-pointers marks a season-high and the team finished shooting 46.4% from downtown. 
  • Seattle held Washington to just 13 points in the second quarter, marking the Mystic’s lowest scoring second frame in a game this season. 

STORM HIGHLIGHTS 

  • Natisha Hiedeman tied her career high for points with 24. She shot 7-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three, and dished out five assists. 
  • Flau’jae Johnson tied her career high with 17 points and recorded a game-high six rebounds. She added one steal and one block. 
  • Stefanie Dolson contributed 16 points (tied season high) on 100% shooting from the field, beyond the arc and the free-throw line. She tallied the highest +/- on the team at +16 and swatted a team-high two shots. 
  • Zia Cooke finished in double figures for the fifth time this season with 10 points on 50% shooting from downtown and added two assists. 
  • Awa Fam made her WNBA debut as she generated 10 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field, and brought down two rebounds. 

MYSTICS HIGHLIGHTS 

  • Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 16 points. Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore and Angela Dugalic each added 13 points. 

UP NEXT: Seattle takes on Washington for the second time this week on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast locally on the CW Seattle and available to stream on Prime for users in Washington state.

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