Sights, Sounds, and Notes, from the Storms’ 78-64 loss to the Mystics

The Washington Mystics (3-3) evened their season series with a convincing 78-64 win over the Seattle Storm (3-5) on Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena. The Storm won game one of a two-game series Sunday afternoon, 97-85. The last game of the three-game season series will be played in Washington on July 12th. The Storm had their best offensive performance of the season in Sunday’s win. In Wednesday’s loss, the Storm gave up 28 first-quarter points and scored just 9 second-quarter points. The result was a Storm team that chased the game and was never able to catch up to the statistics.

IMAGES BY ANTONY MAY

STORY OF THE GAME: Seattle battled back in the first quarter and used a 9-0 run late in the opening frame to nearly eliminate a 14-point Washington lead. The Storm bench outscored the Mystics’ 18-6 in the first half. Seattle’s hot start to the second half began with eight unanswered points in the third quarter, and the team pulled down a season-high five offensive rebounds for four second chance points. The Storm’s second half was powered by guard Jade Melbourne, who tallied 12 points in 12 minutes of playing time. Seattle outscored Washington in the fourth quarter, 19-12, but ultimately the Mystics held on for the 78-64 win. 

KEY STATS OF THE GAME 

• Seattle scored 34 points in the paint, accounting for 53.1% of their scoring.  
• The Storm grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, one shy of their season best. 

STORM HIGHLIGHTS 

• Jade Melbourne tied her season high with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, scoring eight points in the third quarter. She also added three rebounds and tied for a team-high three assists. 
• Mackenzie Holmes set a new career high with 10 rebounds, including a career-best four offensive boards. She tallied eight points on 3-for-4 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three – a new career high for three-pointers made. 
• Katie Lou Samuelson scored a season-high eight points, shooting 66.7% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. She also recorded two steals. 

MYSTICS HIGHLIGHTS 

• Shakira Austin led the Mystics in points (18), rebounds (13) and assists (5). 

UP NEXT: The Storm opens a two-game road trip in Toronto against the Tempo on Saturday, May 30 at 10 a.m. PT. The game will be broadcast locally on KOMO and the CW Seattle and available on Prime for users in Washington State.