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# Game Preview: Seattle Storm Home Opener vs. Phoenix Mercury
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/game-preview-seattle-storm-home-opener-vs-phoenix-mercury/
- Published: 2025-05-22T22:16:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:59:22.000Z
- Author: Connor Benintendi
- Tags: Storm, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2339"\]

![  The Seattle Storm will host the Phoenix Mercury for their home opener at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, May 17. Credit: John McClellan  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/skylar_diggins-smith_2024_-28cropped-29-format-original-1.jpg)

The Seattle Storm will host the Phoenix Mercury for their home opener at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, May 17\. Credit: John McClellan \[/caption\]

The Seattle Storm are just a day away from their home opener at Climate Pledge Arena. They will host the Phoenix Mercury — the team [they stumbled out of the gates against](https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/home/instant-takeaways-storm-disappoint-in-season-opening-loss-to-short-handed-mercury) on May 17.

This early in the season, the Storm have already booked a revenge game as they try to get above .500 for the first time in 2025\. Defeating Phoenix in the rematch appears much more likely following a statement win [against Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on Monday](https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/home/instant-takeaways-storm-bounce-back-outlast-wings-on-the-road).

Seattle held Ogunbowale — the second-leading scorer in the WNBA last season with 22.2 points per game — to just eight points on 2-of-14 shooting. Much of that was thanks to Ogunbowale’s poor shot selection, but Storm forward Gabby Williams locked down the four-time All-Star most of the night. 

Perhaps the most impressive play of the night against the Wings was a first-half block by Williams while guarding a driving Ogunbowale, who attempted to go head-to-head with the Storm’s top defender from the perimeter. Williams kept perfect position between Ogunbowale and the basket before rising up to cleanly erase the shot attempt. Ogunbowale pleaded to the refs, but there was virtually no case for a foul.

> GABBY 💥 [pic.twitter.com/iCozJgJlEJ](https://t.co/iCozJgJlEJ?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) [May 20, 2025](https://twitter.com/seattlestorm/status/1924620966627573977?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

“Gabby’s activity and her defensive presence and athleticism ignites a lot of what we do on the defensive end,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said after the game. “She has tough assignments every game and takes that challenge with great pride. And she’s not just a great defensive player, she’s a really good offensive player.” 

Bueckers did some damage for Dallas, finishing with 19 points (7 of 14), six rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block. She was by far the best player on the floor for the Wings in that game.

Forward Nneka Ogwumike, point guard Skylar Diggins and Williams have been carrying the Storm through their first two games. That’s also meant they have a heavy burden in terms of minutes on the court, with Williams getting just one minute of rest against Dallas. It will be tough to sustain that through a 40-game season.

Seattle’s bench logged a combined 25 minutes versus the Wings and contributed five points. Guards Lexie Brown and Zia Cooke didn’t play. The rookie No. 2 overall pick played just one minute and had two points. Seemingly a strength of the team heading into the season opener, the Storm’s bench has had little impact — especially in Dallas.

Diggins and Ogwumike have scored 77 of Seattle’s 138 points through two games (56 percent). While that’s a testament to their excellence as veterans who have sustained careers longer than a decade, it’s also a trend that won’t lead to success late in the season. The scoring burden must be more evenly distributed.

On Ogwumike: The nine-time WNBA All-Star passed Tina Thompson for ninth all-time in career rebounds (2,186) and logged the most rebounds (18) of her Storm career thus far. With 23 points, Ogwumike also earned her 110th career double-double and passed Candace Parker for 10th all-time in 20-plus-point games (128). Now in her 14th season, Ogwumike is continuing to climb the WNBA ranks in multiple categories.

The Storm will now turn their attention back to the Mercury with the backing of a home crowd for the first time this season. Here are the players to watch in Friday’s contest.

### **Storm player to watch:** F Nneka Ogwumike

Ogwumike feels like she’s heating up to what could be one of the more impressive runs of her career. She is shooting the ball well (10 for 21 against the Wings) and is only scratching the surface of her abilities beyond the 3-point line. Seattle needs Ogwumike to have a big game while it tries to match the output of forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, who combined for 47 points in the season opener. The 12 points Ogwumike had in that game won’t cut it in the rematch.

The Storm need Ogwumike to be better defensively on that forward pair as well, alongside center Ezi Magbegor. They must be markedly improved in defending the Mercury in the paint and communicating, like in their performance against Dallas.

### **Mercury player to watch:** F Satou Sabally

Seattle had no answer for Sabally in the first game of the season. She totaled 27 points, six rebounds, one steal and two blocks while shooting more than 50 percent from the field. Sabally also scored 25 points in a win against Los Angeles on Wednesday. It’s early, but Sabally is the fifth-leading scorer in the league.

If Sabally and Phoenix re-create what they did against the Storm on Saturday, she could be primed for another massive game. She dominated Magbegor inside, and Ogwumike couldn't provide much support. It could be an outright mismatch.

### **Final score prediction:** Mercury 76, Storm 67