Storm Outlast Mystics 83-77

Seattle hung on despite a comeback by the Mystics.

(Washington D.C.) - The Seattle Storm got back into the win column with a hard-fought road victory against the Washington Mystics. Seattle dominated the first half. They outscored the Mystics 26-17 in the first quarter. They led 44-30 at the midway point. Unfortunately, for the third game in a row, they fell out of sorts in the second half. But unlike their games against Atlanta and Indiana, the Storm overcame the Mystics’ rally. They executed plays in the final minutes and managed to get the necessary defensive stops to win the game 83-77.

“I think that today we changed our schemes a lot. And I think we stayed locked in on that. There were a couple of lapses that required us to try something different on the defensive end. And I think we did a good job of adapting to that and getting stops the way that we needed to. And I'm glad that we were able to piece together a better second half that got us a win.” Nneka Ogwumike said after the game.

Coach Noelle Quinn added her thoughts.

“Still a work in progress. Allowing 47 is less than 50 plus, but I think defensively, I saw a little bit more activity, some engagement, just some coverage. Sometimes you have to land a plane and get things covered. I thought that we tried to be a little bit more aggressive. And at the beginning of the game, generating 29 points off of 22 turnovers is a great pocket to be in. We only had 15 assists, but I thought we had some decent looks, got to hit some shots. But overall, wins are hard to come by, no matter who we're playing. (On the) Road is where we need to get better. And I think finding a way to win, in spite of not being our best or our sharpest, we'll take that.” Quinn said.

Seattle’s “Core Four” all did their job in the Storm’s victory. Nneka Ogwumike led the team in scoring with 24 points on 8-16 FG. She also had eight rebounds. Her partner in the low post, Ezi Magbegor, had her best game since returning from the Olympic break. Magbegor finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds and was the only player in the game with a double-double. Jewell Loyd finished with 18 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 17 points and a team-high five assists. Both Loyd and Diggins-Smith did an excellent job of getting to the free throw line. They combined to make 15-18 FT.

While the Storm struggled with their shooting. They did a much better job rebounding overall. They dominated the paint battle outscoring Washington 38-28. They also dominated the foul line. The Storm made 26-30 FT. They had 11 more free throw attempts. Seattle doubled the Mystics at the foul line (26-13).

Despite some struggles defensively in the second half, the Storm did a better job overall. They limited the Mystics to just 30 points in the first half. They forced the Mystics into 22 turnovers and capitalized by scoring 29 points off of those mistakes.

Washington Mystics

Ariel Atkins led the way for the Washington Mystics. She scored 19 of her 25 points in the 2nd half including 14 points on a perfect 5-5 FG shooting in the third quarter. That included four three-pointers. She also had five rebounds.

Shakira Austin has been plagued with a hip injury that cost her half of the 2023 season and has limited her to just nine games in 2024. It was great to see her back and healthy on the court on Tuesday night. Austin was terrific. She scored a career-high 24 points. She got to the foul line frequently for 15 free throws. Austin was close to a double-double with nine rebounds. She also had three steals.

I spoke with Ezi Magbegor about her matchup against Shakira Austin after the game.

“Yeah, I mean, it's great to see Shakira healthy again, and I feel like that matchup is always great. She's done a really great job of kind of finding her feet in this league, and she had a great game tonight. Yeah, so I think it's always a great matchup against her. She has some tough finishes. She's a great player.” Magbegor said of her young rival.

Shakira Austin versus Ezi Magbegor is my favorite matchup of younger post players in the WNBA. Not quite to the same extent, but I see it as one that has similarities to A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. I could watch them battle one another every game. Both shined in their own way on Tuesday night.

Neither team shot the ball well but the Mystics outshot the Storm at least, from the three-point line. Both teams shot roughly 39% (28-72 FG Mystics - 27-70 FG Storm). D.C. made 33% (8-24 FG) from beyond the arc compared to 13% (3-23 FG) for the Storm.

Washington also slightly out-rebounded Seattle 41-38. That included a 12-9 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 16-10 edge in second-chance points.

Game Breakdown

Shakira Austin was fouled and made both free throws. Then Stefanie Dolson knocked in a three-pointer to go up 5-0. But the Storm responded immediately with a 15-0 run. Jewell Loyd got the Storm on the board. Then Skylar Diggins-Smith got downhill for a layup and AND1 with the foul. Nneka Ogwumike then added five quick points with a layup and a three-ball. Jordan Horston got in on the action with a short shot and an assist from Diggins-Smith. SDS scored again as Seattle led 15-5 roughly midway through the first quarter.

Ariel Atkins scored four straight to cut into Seattle’s lead. Julie Vanloo hit a three-pointer. Ogwumike then scored nine in a row for Seattle capped off with another three-pointer. That put the Storm up 24-12 with two minutes to go in the first period.

Stefanie Dolson scored another basket. Victoria Vivians drilled a jumper on the other end. At the end of the opening quarter, the Storm led 26-17.

The Washington Mystics made a run to begin the 2nd quarter as Seattle got sloppy with the basketball and committed multiple turnovers. They cut the lead down to four at 28-24. Brittney Sykes scored. Shakira Austin completed an AND1 after being fouled by Mercedes Russell. Austin then scored again.

Seattle responded with an 8-1 run. Loyd hit a jumper and Ezi Magbegor made a corner three. SDS converted another AND1 with a hard drive to the rim and finished through contact. Dolson and Loyd exchanged jumpers. Then Austin and Diggins-Smith each got to the free throw line.

The Storm led 44-30 at the half. Nneka Ogwumike led all scorers with 14 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith continued her strong play with 11 points through the opening half. Seattle forced the Mystics into 15 turnovers through the first 20 minutes. The Storm scored 19 points off of those turnovers in the first half.

Ariel Atkins knocked in a deep three-pointer to start the third quarter. After the Mystics got a defensive stop. Washington used excellent ball movement to find Atkins wide-open for her second consecutive three-ball. The Mystics quickly went on a 6-0 run to cut the Storm’s lead to single digits. Ezi made a pair of free throws. Seattle got a stop but then Jewell Loyd used a lazy cross-court pass that was picked off by Brittney Sykes. Sykes raced down the court for the easy layup to make it 46-39 Seattle.

Skylar Diggins-Smith scored in transition. Then Loyd was able to knock in a midrange jumper. Atkins responded with her third three-pointer of the quarter. Nneka Ogwumike and Shakira Austin exchanged low post baskets. Austin was fouled for hers and converted the AND1 to cut Seattle’s lead down to seven.

After a timeout, Atkins made her 4th three-pointer of the quarter. Reminiscent of Lexie Hull’s performance this past Sunday. Shakira Austin capped off an 8-0 run to cut the Storm’s lead to just two at 55-53.

Late in the quarter, Sami Whitcomb got a big rejection on Aaliyah Edwards. That led to an Ogwumike jumper. Julie Vanloo made a ridiculous rainbow floater where the ball looked to be about five feet above the rim before it swished through the net.

The Mystics erased a 14-point deficit down to two late in the third quarter. Seattle made it a four-point game at 61-57 as the two teams entered the final frame.

Nneka got a basket inside the paint but Brittney Sykes hit a jumper on the other end. Whitcomb had a strong drive for two. Seattle got a stop. Then Diggins-Smith was able to draw a foul and split the pair of free throws. That put the Storm up seven.

Washington wouldn’t go away. Atkins made another three-ball. Then she was fouled and made both foul shots to cut the deficit down to two. Sami Whitcomb had another strong drive near the rim and finished off the glass.

Shakira Austin had another AND1 opportunity. She made the basket but missed the free throw. The Mystics cut Seattle’s lead down to two at 72-70. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough was called for a foul and then a technical foul. Jewell Loyd made the Technical free throw and then Diggins-Smith drove to the lane and scored. Austin then scored four straight to cut Seattle’s lead down to one with roughly 90 seconds left to play.

Jewell Loyd then made one of the biggest plays of the game stealing a pass from Brittney Sykes and racing down the court for a layup. After Washington called a timeout, they tried to feed the ball into Austin. But Jordan Horston and Nneka Ogwumike were there to prevent her from getting an open look at the rim. Austin fumbled the ball and dribbled it off her own body and out of bounds. With Seattle up three, Coach Quinn called a timeout.

With less than a minute to go, the Storm executed a play to perfection. Nneka Ogwumike set a screen up high almost near midcourt. Skylar was then aggressive with a downhill drive which forced Shakira Austin to help off of Ogwumike. Skylar waited until both defenders were on her and then fed the ball beautifully right to Nneka who was wide-open near the rim and finished with an uncontested layup. That essentially sealed the game for the Storm.

I spoke with Coach Quinn after the game about that play.

“Our three best players in action is what is going to come down to a lot in games, especially in situations like that. Washington is in a coverage in which we know creates a single side tag. So, Skylar, Nneka set a great screen. Sky attacked it, read it, and found Nneka for a layup because they're gonna stay connected to a shooter in that aspect. They stay connected to Jewell on that single side tag action, so I'm just reading the game I'm seeing it, and great players making great plays.” Quinn explained.

Brittney Sykes was able to knock down one last three-pointer for the Mystics but the Storm made enough of their free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the 83-77 victory.

Final Box Score

Additional Analysis

Gabby Williams is Back!

The biggest piece of Storm news happened before the game even started. The team announced that they had officially re-signed Gabby Williams to a rest-of-the-season contract. Williams is returning to the Storm for the third time in as many seasons.

Due to the Paris Olympics, Williams did not sign with any WNBA team earlier. Her focus was to put everything into preparing for the Olympics. The French National team did not want any of their players spending time in the WNBA before the Olympics took place. It’s why other WNBA players like Marine Johannès, Iliana Rupert, or Williams didn’t play in the WNBA this season.

There was some question whether or not Gabby would be eligible to return after the Olympic games due to the WNBA’s Prioritization rules. Something Williams has had a major issue with since it was implemented a couple of years ago. However, because Williams was an Unrestricted Free Agent, she didn’t violate any rules by not showing up to her WNBA team’s training camp back in May.

With that obstacle out of the way, The next question was whether or not Williams wanted to take a minimum deal to come to play in the WNBA or just take some time off after Gabby spent so much time and energy willing the French National team to a Silver Medal and a near-historic upset of Team USA in the Gold Medal game.

We now know her decision. Williams had this to say in the Storm’s official press release.

“I’m so excited to be joining the Storm for the rest of the season,” said Williams. “I feel more than ready to finally return to Seattle. I’ve missed the organization, my teammates, and the fans so much. I absolutely can’t wait to come back and finish the season strong.”

Coach Noelle Quinn also shared her thoughts about adding Gabby back to the team.

“We’re thrilled to have Gabby back with the Storm. Gabby is a dynamic player who brings tremendous versatility. She’s a two-way player that can guard multiple positions and has a strong offensive game; given her familiarity with our system, we know she can have an immediate impact. Gabby’s Olympic performance showcased her world-class talent, and we’re excited to have her join us as we push for the playoffs.” Quinn said in the statement.

After the game, the media spoke with Ezi Magbegor about the return of Gabby Williams.

“I'm really excited to play with Gabby again. Obviously, she was with Seattle and I think she not only brings obviously her talent and skill on the court but she just brings like she was a great person first and foremost and I think that's what our team is full of just great people and so it's nice that she's kind of coming off a good run with the French national team. I feel like she's going to fit into the team seamlessly and so yeah I'm excited to play with Gabby for the rest of the season.” Ezi said.

The team is bringing Williams back at a good time. After their game against the Mystics, they won’t play again for six days. The Storm have completed their three-game road trip and will return for three games in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena starting next week. That should allow Gabby to get at least a couple of practices in with the team before they play again.

The addition of Williams will bolster the team’s Small Forward position. It’s unclear at this time if she’ll take Jordan Horston’s spot in the starting lineup or not but I believe both players will play a good amount of minutes each game. It’ll likely mean fewer minutes for players like Victoria Vivians and Joyner Holmes. No matter which player starts and which one comes off the bench, the Storm’s bench will be strengthened with the addition of Williams.

We could even see Horston and Williams play on the court at the same time. Last year, during Jordan’s rookie year, they played her at the Power Forward position for a decent portion of the season. While I don’t think that’s her most natural position. If the goal is to get the best players on the court at all times, I could see a lineup where Horston is playing the four with Williams at the three, and then either Nneka or Ezi at the five. Alternatively, we could see Jordan and Gabby together as part of a three-guard lineup with either Jewell or Skylar while the other starting guard rests on the bench for a few minutes.

While I don’t think Storm fans should expect the exact same player in Williams as they saw with the French Olympic team. I do believe the addition of Gabby does make the Storm a better team overall and should give them a better chance to win a Championship against the other top contenders in New York, Las Vegas, Connecticut, and Minnesota come playoff time.

“Sami is a Champion!”

I just wanted to take a moment to compliment Sami Whitcomb. In a down season for the Storm in 2023, Sami Whitcomb was the team’s best Free Agent addition. This season, with much larger additions in Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith, Whitcomb has had to take on a smaller role. But she has never wavered. Whether she is playing 5 or 20 minutes in a game she always brings energy, hustle, and heart.

While the team’s bench has been struggling lately. Sami has been the one constant to give the Storm a lift when the starters get their rest. Whitcomb gave Seattle great energy and made some key plays during her 14 minutes against the Mystics. She finished with six points on 50% FG shooting. She also had three rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots.

Sami has improved her ability to drive and attack the rim. She’s no longer just a three-point specialist. She continues to put the work in.

I spoke with Coach Quinn about Whitcomb’s impact off the bench for her team.

“I thought Sami was very solid, getting downhill, being aggressive, finishing in the paint, being poised defensively. Sami is a champion, and she's a vet in this league, and this is her time. This is her time of the season, coming off a very strong Olympics. I know that she is experiencing a lot, mental, physical, something. I don't want to call it fatigue, because Sami is an iron woman to me honestly; but her presence her poise today were super important for us and I know that she's gonna find some rhythm from the three-point line as is the rest of our crew, but I trust Sami tremendously. I know what she has done in this league. I know what she has done for this organization on this team. I've seen it firsthand so we're going to continue to tap into that.” Quinn replied.

Ezi spoke about her teammate as well.

“Sami is a pro, and so I think she prepares herself every day to step on the court, whether she brings... Intensity, offensively, defensively. And I think she did a great job. She always does a great job, especially tonight, of just staying aggressive offensively. She's known for her three-point shooting, but I think she did a great job of just getting downhill, staying aggressive. And I feel like we have great players on our team that can do that any night.” Magbegor added.

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (18-10) get several days off before hosting the Washington Mystics (6-22) back in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena on Monday, August 26th at 7:00 PM.

Notes:
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