Poor Performance Plummets Storm into 10th Straight Loss

Seattle was unable to slow down the Mercury.

Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

(Phoenix, Arizona) After losing in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday, the Storm (3-14) quickly fell into a hole it could not climb out of. They were outmatched on the road against the Mercury (5-12) and dropped the contest 93-73. The Storm played well in the first quarter, leading by five after one, but a 24-5 second-quarter run and a 14-0 third-quarter run from the Mercury left the Storm with no chance of making this one competitive. Seattle has now lost 10 consecutive games, with this one ranking as one of the worst losses of the season.

Despite shooting just 35.7% (25-70 FG) in the game, Natisha Heideman delivered a quality offensive performance. Heideman scored 20 points on just nine shots and hit three three-pointers. Flau’jae Johnson added 13 points on volume efficiency (6-17 FG) and added two blocks.

Zia Cooke and Dominique Malonga both scored 10 points, but for Malonga and fellow frontcourt mate, Awa Fam, this game was one they would like to forget. The two combined to shoot just 6-23 from the field, and Malonga finished with a team-worst -35 plus/minus after scoring a career-high 28 points on Wednesday in Portland.

Head coach Sonia Raman had this to say about Malonga’s performance.

“I think it was an off day, credit to the Mercury as well. Obviously, they saw what she did in the last game, and they were paying a lot of attention to her. Dom is still learning and figuring out every night [these] different types of coverages, different types of defenders, and what might be there for herself or her teammates.”

The Storm defense was able to force 16 Mercury turnovers to just 10 for Seattle. Seattle also collected seven steals to the Mercury’s three.

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix displayed one of its most dominant performances of the season. Valeriane Ayayi scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench. Noemie Brochant scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists. Natasha Mack also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kahleah Copper scored 17 points and recorded seven rebounds as well.

The Mercury dominated in just about every offensive category. Phoenix shot 48.4% (31-64 FG) to Seattle’s 35.7% (25-70 FG). The Mercury recorded nine more assists (26-17) than the Storm and collected 13 more rebounds (41-28). The Mercury also scored 13 fast-break points and defensively allowed zero for the Storm.

Phoenix led for almost 30 minutes and reached a game-high lead of 26 points in the third quarter. The Mercury shot nine more free throws (28-19) and made six more (21-15), leading to multiple quarters in the bonus.

Game Breakdown

Awa Fam started the scoring off for the Storm with a three-pointer. Noemie Brochant answered with a jumper for the Mercury. Dominique Molanga responded with a putback. Brochant hit a second jumper. Natisha Hiedeman scored off a turnover, and Alyssa Thomas answered with another Mercury jumpshot. Jade Melbourne made the first trip to the free throw line in the game and nailed both to put the Storm up 9-8. Lexi Held hit a jump shot in the paint, and Flau’jae Johnson drove hard to the rack to regain the lead with 5:29 left in the period.

Heideman added another layup, and Thomas hit one right back. Heideman scored again, and Kyara Linskens got on the board for the Mercury with a putback. Johnson drove for a layup again to put the Storm up 3. Stefanie Dolson drilled a corner three, Fam put in a miss off a drive from Heideman, and Kahleah Copper hit one of two at the free throw line. Linskens split a pair as well after getting fouled on a box-out attempt. Katie Lou Samuelson drove for two after a nice feed from Dolson to push the lead to five, 24-19. Cooper missed a three-pointer, and that’s how the first quarter would end.

DeWanna Bonner started the second quarter, drilling two free throws. Valeriane Ayayi splashed a corner three to knot the game at 24. Bonner put the Mercury ahead with an AND-1 opportunity. Heideman ended the 8-0 Mercury run with a three-pointer. Ayayi scored another three-point play for the Mercury. Heideman drew a foul on Ayayi and headed to the line, making both shots. Thomas scored a driving layup followed by a Brochant three and a Bonner three to put Phoenix up a then game-high nine points, 38-29.

Ayayi joined the fun and hit another three-pointer, her second of the game. Copper was fouled and hit both, extending a 24-5 second-quarter scoring advantage. Johnson quelled the Mercury onslaught with a three-pointer. Copper made two more foul shots, and Malonga added two for the Storm on a nice hook shot. Held dropped in a foul-line jumper, but Malonga responded once again, this time with a three-pointer. Malonga added another bucket to cut the Mercury's lead to single digits. Flau’jae Johnson scored on a layup, and Natasha Mack split a pair of free throws, and the Storm would enter halftime down seven, 48-41.

The Mercury dominated in just about every category in the first half. The home team shot 50% (16-32) to the Storm’s 44% (16-36). The Mercury also shot 14 free throws to the Storm’s four. The Mercury out-rebounded the Storm 17-11. Seattle, however, did double-up the Mercury in points off turnovers, 12-6. Heideman led all scorers with 11 points, and Brochant added 10 for Phoenix.

The second half started with back-to-back layups for the Mercury from Mack and Thomas. Held splashed a three-ball, and Mack scored another layup. The Mercury quickly went up 16 after a 9-0 run. Out of the timeout, Brochant hit another three, and Copper scored a layup off a turnover. Johnson scored the first points for the Storm in the third quarter at the 5:57 mark. Brochant responded with yet another three-pointer. Zia Cooke hit two free throws, and Heideman made a three to cut the lead under 20. Held got to the basket and Copper laced home a three, putting the Mercury up 70-48.

Cooke added two layups, and Heideman made a technical free-throw, sparking a 5-0 run. Heideman hit two more foul shots, and the Storm trailed by just 15. Copper was fouled by Johnson and made two free throws. Heideman banked in a three-pointer, but the Mercury continued to get to the foul line. This time, Ayayi made both shots. Ayayi added three more on an AND-1 play on the next trip. Dolson hit a jumper to stop the Ayayi run. Copper responded with a three-pointer, and the Mercury's lead ballooned to 20 once again. Dolson and Mack split a pair of free throws, and the quarter ended with the Storm down 20, 81-61.

Malonga split a pair of free throws to start the final quarter. Mack scored on an offensive rebound, and Ayayi was fouled on a drive. Mack scored again on a fast break and a quick 6-1 forced another Storm timeout. Samuelson knocked down a three-pointer out of the break. Bonner scored off a Mack assist, and Held knocked in a smooth floater. Flau’jae Johnson scored on a reverse layup, and Samuelson hit a one-legged jumper. Cooke went to the line for two more, capping a 7-0 Seattle run. Ayayi hit two more free throws, as did Cooke on the other end. Ayayi dribbled out the clock, and the Mercury picked up the convincing win, 93-73.

Final Box Score

Up Next

The Storm (3-14) return home to take on the Dallas Wings (9-6) on Monday, 6/22 at 7:00 PM. In the Storm’s first matchup against the Wings on June 1, it was defeated 79-56 in Dallas. This will be the second of three meetings against the Wings.

Notes:
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Photography Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography
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