Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22
In its first game back from the FIBA World Cup, the Seattle Storm (8-33) were without multiple key players and it showed, falling to the Las Vegas Aces (28-13) by a final score of 114-77.
On Thursday, Seattle would be without Jade Melbourne, Ezi Magbegor, and Jordan Horston. At the end of the first quarter, Vegas held a 25-13 advantage and never looked back. Vegas looked like a team destined for a title run, and the Storm looked like they were still on the FIBA break.
Flau’jae Johnson was the main offensive engine for the Storm in the loss. The rookie scored 25 points on volume efficiency (9-21 FG). Natisha Heideman and Dominique Molanga both scored in double figures, but shot poorly (8-22 FG combined). Stefanie Dolson had a nice game off the bench with 11 points on 3-5 FG.
The only category the Storm bested the Aces were in steals where the Storm led 9-7. Newcomer, Jalyn Sherrod, had five steals in her debut with Seattle.
Las Vegas Aces
From start to finish, Vegas put on an absolute clinic. The 114-point onslaught was headlined by guard Jackie Young who scored a career-high 35 points and hit four three-pointers. Young did most of her work in the first quarter, scoring 22 of the Aces’ 25 points.
A’ja Wilson did A’ja Wilson things, scoring 29 points (9-13 FG, 10-10 FT) and grabbing seven rebounds and dishing five assists. Kalani Brown and Dana Evans each scored 10 points off the bench.
Vegas shot 58% (40-69 FG) from the field and 46% (13-28 FG) from three-point range. Vegas not-only dominated on the offensive end, but forced 13 Storm turnovers and held it to 38% (27-71 FG) from the field and 30% (8-27 FG) from three.
“114 points for [the Aces], I mean, that’s like a record this year probably, or something close…114 points is terrible,” Heideman said.
Hiedeman later called the performance embarrassing.
Game Breakdown
Stephanie Talbot kicked off the scoring with a corner three for the Aces. Jackie Young followed suit and Las Vegas shot out to a quick 6-0 advantage. Zia Cooke scored first for the Storm in response and Natisha Heideman followed with an AND-1 layup. Young scored five straight and Flau’jae Johnson answered with a bucket inside to make the score 11-7 Aces.
Taylor Thierry drew a blocking foul and made both free throws for Seattle. Young once again scored twice to push the lead to six. Heideman was fouled and made both shots, but Young answered, this time with a three-pointer. Mackenzie Holmes drove for two, but Young responded again for seven straight points. The Aces ended the quarter up 25-13, with Young scoring 22 of the 25 points.
Dominique Malonga scored in transition to start the second quarter for the Storm. Dana Evans was fouled and split her free throws for the Aces. Malonga scored inside again and Chelsea Gray responded with a baseline jumper. Stefanie Dolson nailed a trail three and cut the Vegas’ lead to eight. A’ja Wilson drew a foul and hit both for Vegas on back-to-back possessions. Awa Fam scored inside for Seattle and Gray hit a three in response. Wilson went back to the line, this time for an AND-1, and pushed the Vegas lead to 15.
Wilson hit the free throw out of the break and Malonga countered with a score inside. Wilson answered and Heideman drove past the defense for two. Wilson hit a jumper and Cooke drew a foul, but landed awkwardly. Cooke was able to hit both free throws and was promptly subbed out. She did not return.
Wilson made two more foul shots and a scored bucket inside. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus finished with a layup and Johnson hit a three in response. Parker-Tyus scored again and Young made two foul shots to push the Aces’ lead to 21. Thierry drilled a three and Malonga split free throws to end the half, as the Storm trailed, 52-34.
Las Vegas dominated in just about every category in the first half. They shot 52% (17-33) from the field and 38% (5-13) from three compared to Seattle which shot 33% (12-36) from the field and 20% (2-10) from three. Vegas also out-rebounded Seattle, 21-13. Young led the way with 24 points for the Aces and Malonga and Heideman both had seven for the Storm.
Talbot started the second half the same way as the first, with a corner three. Wilson scored in transition and Young scored off a steal for a quick 7-0 Vegas burst. Johnson added the first points in the half for Seattle with a pair of free throws. Fam made it five straight Storm points, making a three. Wilson and Young scored again, but Johnson scored five in response. Talbot hit another three and Johnson connected on a jumper.
Young hit another three and Wilson got back to the line and made both. Johnson made a jumper and Parker-Tyus shot two more free throws and split. Heideman hit a three and Johnson drew a foul and made one of two. Parker-Tyus drove for two and Wilson scored again inside to give Vegas a 23-point advantage. Dolson buried a three, and Young hit a smooth reverse layup. Hiedeman scored and Jewell Loyd made a three for Vegas. Johnson split another pair of free throws and Wilson went back to the line for an AND-1. Holmes scored on a put-back and Dolson made two free throws. Young hit two at the line, Malonga split a pair, and Vegas maintained their dominance after three quarters, 85-63.
Kalani Brown started the scoring in the final quarter with a bucket inside for Vegas. Malonga hit a smooth turnaround jumper and Brown scored again inside. Brown was a force down low, scoring seven consecutive after an AND-1 layup and 10 total in the final period. Johnson nailed a three, and then drove for a reverse lay-in. Wilson scored five straight in response. Evans knocked down a three-pointer and Dolson mirrored her on the other end. Loyd hit a three of her own and Johnson scored off a fast break.
Evans buried another triple and Jaylyn Sherrod went coast-to-coast. Evans hit from outside again and Loyd scored off a steal. Brown split two free throws, and Vegas closed out a dominant win with a final score of 114-77.
Final Box Score
Player Interviews
Flau’jae Johnson and Natisha Hiedeman:
Coach’s Quotes
Coach Raman post-game:
Up Next
The schedule doesn’t get any easier as the Seattle Storm (8-33) go on the road to Golden State to face the Valkyries on Saturday, 9/19 at 6 p.m. Then they’ll rematch the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, 9/20 at 6 p.m.
Notes:
Photography Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography
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So, who honestly thinks that the Storm have improved from beginning to end? Are we a better team now than we were? Yeah, Dom has gotten better and Fla jae has too, but the rest are just kinda holding their own, inconsistent and not much improved, and the team as a whole . . .
We didn't have Ezi at the beginning, we had her for some time in the middle, and now don't have her again. What's the difference?
Tough games ahead. What thoughts for the future?
Where did my comment go? It was quite lengthy and when I went to post it, it appeared to disappear.