Sparks Shock Storm 91-85
Seattle loses another tight affair to Los Angeles.
By Jack Norris:
(Seattle, Washington) - In a game where the Storm (22-20) led the Sparks (19-20) for 34 minutes and nine seconds, it was an 11-0 run over the final 2:33 of the fourth that did in the Storm tonight at Climate Pledge Arena. Dearica Hamby’s 27 points led the way for a Sparks team that did not get its usual production from Kelsey Plum, who tallied just 14 points, shooting 27.7% (5-18) from the field.
It wasn’t just Hamby’s slashing drives that gave the Storm trouble, although Hamby nearly outscored the entire Storm team in the fourth quarter on her own (11-12). Rickea Jackson’s ability to get to the free throw line overwhelmed the Storm down the stretch.
The Storm led by as much as 17 points in this contest, emphasizing the feeling that this game was not only winnable for the Storm, but at one point felt like a sure thing. ESPN had the Storm at a 91.3% chance to win with 4:42 left. However, as the fourth quarter wound down and the offensive output for the Storm went dry, it became hard not to think back to August 10th, a game against the Sparks where the Storm coughed up a seven point lead in the final 2:27. In this one, it was a handful of turnovers and an offensive drought down the stretch that gave the Sparks the edge in the third close game of the year between these two teams.
The Sparks outshot the Storm 52.2% (35-67) to 42.5% (31-73). While the Storm were excellent from beyond the arc, shooting 40.6% (13-32), they were also completely dominated in the paint, getting outrebounded 37-23 and getting doubled up in paint points 60-30.
Los Angeles Sparks
With their win tonight, the Sparks now control their own destiny in the push to qualify for the playoffs. In what was virtually a must-win game, the Sparks got a monster day from forward Dearica Hamby, who shot 72.2% (13-18) from the field. She tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs.
Rickea Jackson added 23 points, bridging her stellar month of August into September, where she was averaging 17.25 points per game.
The Sparks’ ability to dominate in the paint on both ends of the court, particularly down the stretch, allowed them to claw their way back into a game in which they were, at one point, down 17 points.
Although the Sparks control their own destiny, the remaining schedule for the Sparks does them no favors. They still have to overcome the Dream twice, the Mercury, and the Aces. The race for the final spot in the 2025 WNBA playoffs may very well come down to the final few days, and with this win, the Sparks have established themselves as a very real threat to the Storm’s chances of qualification.
Game Breakdown
Dearica Hamby got the game's first bucket for the Sparks with a quick layup. Nneka Ogwumike was then able to get the ball rolling for the Storm with a triple off an assist from Ezi Magbegor. It was Hamby who would score the Sparks’ next four points before Skylar Diggins nailed a deep jumper for the Storm. Brittney Sykes flew past Kelsey Plum with a nice eurostep layup. Nneka put in another triple, which was countered by an Azura Stevens three on the other end. Skylar converted an AND1 out of the first official timeout. Gabby Williams went coast-to-coast, Ezi nailed a three, and Gabby forced another Sparks turnover en route to a layup on the other end, capping off a 10-0 Storm run, forcing a timeout from Sparks coach Lynne Roberts. After a couple of buckets from Sparks guard Rae Burrell and a jumper from Dominique Malonga, the first quarter ended with a big Tiffany Mitchell corner three.
With her bucket in the first, Dom became the youngest player to reach 300 points in WNBA history.
Dom got the second quarter started with another fading jumper. Nneka added another three ball, while Cameron Brink answered for the Sparks with a couple of free throws and a driving layup. Nneka once again hit from downtown and forced another timeout from Lynne Roberts. Out of the timeout, the Sparks still couldn't figure out who should be guarding Nneka in transition, as she drilled another three-pointer. An Ezi AND1 extended the Storm's lead to 13 halfway through the second quarter. Ezi drilled another three-ball, the team’s eighth of the half. Rickea Jackson converted an AND1 and made an extra free throw off a Sykes technical foul, cutting the Storm's lead to 10. Ezi and Dearica Hamby matched layups, and Skylar hit a fadeaway three. The first half expired similarly to how the first quarter ended, with another shot from beyond the arc, this time by Erica Wheeler.
The Storm shot 58.8% (10-17) from beyond the arc in the first half and 52.6% (20-38) field goal percentage overall. Combined with an inefficient Sparks offense, the Storm led by 14 points. Seattle was outrebounded 19-13, and dominated in the paint (26-14), but as the Storm have seen in previous games (most recently in a loss against the Atlanta Dream), shooting efficiently from beyond the arc can make up for a lot. The Sparks shot 16.7% (2-12) from three-point land and only 41.7% (15-36) from the field. Besides the efficient shooting half from the Storm, they also held Sparks guard Kelsey Plum to just four points, a point of emphasis for Storm coach Noelle Quinn.
Skylar started the second half with another three-pointer. A Plum AND1, Jackson jumper, and Hamby layup forced Noelle Quinn to call a timeout early in the third quarter. An 11-0 Sparks run was finally brought to an end via a Gabby jumper. Cameron Brink converted an AND1 to cut the Storm's lead to six halfway through the third. Skylar added to the Storm’s three-point barrage with another one from beyond the arc. Brink answered with another AND1. With 2:24 left in the third, Cameron Brink picked up her fifth foul. Erica Wheeler drilled another three. Unfortunately for the Storm, Dom picked up her fifth foul with 1:02 left in the third. A defensive miscommunication from the Storm left Plum wide open for a three. Another Plum bucket cut the Storm's lead to five. A Nneka AND1 was matched by a circus 28-footer by Rickea Jackson, narrowly beating the buzzer.
The Sparks were able to get Kelsey Plum more involved in the third, doubling her first-half points in the third quarter alone. Simultaneously, they were able to limit the Storm’s ability to get open looks from beyond the arc, which made this a much closer game.
Sykes got the offense started in the fourth quarter, converting an AND1. Hamby and Gabby matched layups. Another defensive miscommunication from the Storm, this time in transition, allowed a free layup for Hamby, who scored six of the Sparks’ fourth-quarter points nearly halfway through the period. A Plum fadeaway cut the Storm's lead to four. Cameron Brink fouled out with 4:50 left in the game. A couple of turnovers from both sides caused Noelle Quinn to call another timeout. A Hamby layup and Jackson jumper cut the Storm's lead to just one. Hamby finished at the rim again, this time an AND1, giving the Sparks their first lead since the first quarter. A pair of free throws from Allemand extended the Sparks’ advantage to four. Another pair of free throws, this time by Jackson, pushed the Sparks’ lead to six on an 11-0 run. Another stop on the defensive end by Los Angeles would end this one with the Sparks leaving Climate Pledge Arena with a 91-85 win. They now own the head-to-head tiebreaker should the two teams be tied in the standings at the end of the year.
Final Box Score
Up Next
The Seattle Storm (22-20) host the New York Liberty (24-16) on Friday, September 5th at 7:00 PM. Seattle has already won the season series by winning the first two games 89-79 and 79-70. The Liberty would have clinched a playoff spot on Monday night had the Storm won, but they still need another win themselves or for LA to lose one more game before they can officially clinch.
Part 2?
Editor’s Note: Part 2 will be something a bit different. I did a feature piece and interview with Mackenzie Holmes that will come out in the morning instead of the traditional Part 2. This will be sent exclusively to paid subscribers. - Jeff
Notes:
Tonight’s game recap was done by my Intern as I look to expand Storm Chasers.
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Photo Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography
Wow, this game was unbelievable. The Storm played pretty well in the first half other than their poor rebounding and poor showing in the paint. They were super efficient with their 3-point shooting which should have been a warning sign because that kind of hot shooting often dries up. They needed a stronger post presence which means they needed Dom in the game at the end. After she picked up her 5th foul, Dom never got back in the game. That is a big coaching mistake. We needed her in there for the last 5 minutes or at least the last 3 minutes.
As long as she didn't foul out, I think we would have been looking at a different game. I don't think that LA could have stolen this game with Dom on the floor. This was our most important and crucial game left for the future of this team - for our position in the 2026 WNBA Draft. We most likely screwed ourselves out of a lottery pick in a rich Draft next year with this loss. I am thoroughly disgusted with their performance in the 4th quarter in a must-win game for us. It was for LA, too, and they obviously wanted it more than we did.
Ouch. That complete collapse in the second half damaged their playoff and lottery pick odds. They looked lost and gassed in the 4th quarter. They looked listless which was surprising since the Sparks were the team that played Sunday night in LA. Crushed in the paint and on the boards and umpteen drives down the lane by Hamby and Jackson with no adjustments by the Storm. They seem to be a collection of good players but not a good team. Bad coaching or a poor mix of talent?