Instant Takeaways: Storm Nearly Spoil Clark’s Career Night in Shootout Loss vs. Fever
The Seattle Storm nearly spoiled Caitlin Clark’s career night in a high-octane shootout, but late-game mismanagement cost them in a 110-107 loss to the Indiana Fever on Friday, July 17, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Seattle (6-21) erased a 17-point first-half deficit and led by eight midway through the fourth quarter. But the Storm were still forced to have Natisha Hiedeman force up a half-court heave to try and tie the game at the buzzer. It was off the mark.
Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while the entire rest of the starting lineup also scored at least 15 points.
Clark posted a career-high 45 points and 10 assists for Indiana (15-10), while Kelsey Mitchell added 30 points. Monique Billings finished with 16, and no other player on the Fever had more than eight.
Instant Takeaways: Late Storm Comeback Falls Short vs. Sky
The Seattle Storm erased an 11-point halftime deficit against the Chicago Sky but fell short in another close loss, 95-90, on Wednesday, July 15, at Wintrust Arena.
Seattle (6-20) was led by an efficient 25 points from Flau’Jae Johnson (11 of 17 FG), but it wasn’t enough to push the Storm over the edge. Dominique Malonga (16 points), Awa Fam (14), Jade Melbourne (11) and Katie Lou Samuelson (11) also scored in double figures.
Snapping a two-game losing streak, Chicago (8-16) was led by 20 points from Azura Stevens and 17 from rookie Sydney Johnson. Chloe Bibby added 14 points off the bench for the Sky, who have also been struggling to win close games this season.
Instant Takeaways: Self-Inflicted Wounds Doom Storm vs. Mystics
Natisha Hiedeman’s career-high 31 points weren’t enough for the Seattle Storm in another turnover-plagued 84-79 loss to the Washington Mystics on Sunday, July 12, at CareFirst Arena.
Hiedeman was as good as she’s ever been, but the Storm didn’t get consistent offense across the board. Dominique Malonga (10 points) was the only other player to score in double figures for Seattle (6-19), which dropped to 2-11 on the road this season.
Washington (11-10) got 27 points from Shakira Austin, 19 from Sonia Citron and 12 from Kiki Iriafen. The Mystics have been used to winning close games, and they showed how battle-tested they are against the Storm.
However, in the end, it was the Storm’s turnovers and missed opportunities that doomed them in this game.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Set Multiple Season Lows in Loss To Dream
The turnover-prone Seattle Storm were unable to keep their winning ways on the road in an 89-78 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, July 9, at the Gateway Center.
Atlanta (13-9) snapped its five-game losing skid with the victory over Seattle (6-18), who are now an even 3-3 over their last six games. The Dream also got even in the season series after the Storm won the first matchup, 105-90, on June 27.
Allisha Gray had a game-high 22 points for the Dream, but Rhyne Howard (19 points), Angel Reese (18) and Jordin Canada (14) also scored in double figures. Reese logged a double-double with 11 rebounds.
The Storm were led by Natisha Hiedeman’s 20 points. Dominique Malonga added 15 points and nine rebounds, followed by Flau’jae Johnson’s 14 points.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Buck Road Woes With Decisive Win vs. Sparks
Flau’jae Johnson erupted early and finished with 23 points to help fuel the Seattle Storm to an 82-64 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday, July 6, at Crypto.com Arena.
The Storm (6-17) earned their best road victory of the season and have now won three of their last five games. After two straight losses that looked like they were trending back in the wrong direction, Seattle reversed the trend once again against a Kelsey Plum-less Sparks squad.
Los Angeles (8-11) dropped its third straight and fifth of its last six games as the Sparks have struggled mightily without Plum. They now have lost their last three games by an average margin of 23.3 points.
Mid-Season Check-in: Can Storm Still Make Playoff Push in Second Half?
The Seattle Storm are midway through their first rebuilding season after a mass exodus of talent. That major roster turnover also led to talent acquisition, but the lineup is filled with young, rising players who are still finding their footing in the WNBA.
At 5-17 overall, the Storm are exactly where many thought they would be in 2026. Sure, they have an emerging Dominique Malonga in her second season and exciting pieces around her, but there’s currently too much weight on the 20-year-old’s shoulders for Seattle to find consistent success.
Injuries haven’t helped. Malonga missed eight games from mid-May to early June, Ezi Magbegor has only recently returned and played the last two games, and Jordan Horston has missed five total games.
Expectations were low heading into the season, but hopes for the future were high. That continues to be the sentiment at this point in the campaign. But is there any chance the Storm could make a late-season run and push for a playoff berth?
Instant Takeaways: Storm Post Worst Offensive Game of 2026 in Loss to Fire
A few games removed from a potential resurgence, the Seattle Storm dropped back into being one game out of last place in the entire WNBA following a 77-72 loss to the Portland Fire on Saturday, July 4, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (5-17), after getting two wins against top teams last week, has fallen back into the low-efficiency scoring and poor defense that made them one of the worst teams in the league this season. The spark is flickering out after it once began to burn brighter than ever before.
Portland (9-12) snapped a three-game skid with the win. Their last win before Saturday was against the Storm on June 17 — highlighting how, like against the Mercury, the Storm just matchup horribly against specific squads.
Regardless, the Storm are 0-2 in their four total matchups against the Fire, with two yet to be played. If they can get back on track, Seattle could split the series later in the campaign.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Extremely Efficient in Decisive Win vs. Dream
All five starters scored in double figures for the second straight game with outstanding efficiency, and the result was never in doubt for the Seattle Storm in a 105-90 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, June 27, at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Storm (5-15) have now won two straight — both against teams with winning records — after previously losing 11 in a row. Previous issues that plagued the Storm, especially on offense, are melting away as their young core begins to look like a completely different team.
Flau’jae Johnson, coming off a career game, was sensational once again with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Awa Fam posted a career-high 21 points, while Dominique Malonga tallied another all-around performance with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks.
The Dream (12-7) were led by 27 points and three assists from Rhyne Howard in a losing effort.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Snap 11-Game Skid, Upset Liberty
Rookie No. 8 overall pick Flau’jae Johnson erupted for a career-high 28 points, and the Seattle Storm upset the New York Liberty 99-88 on Thursday, June 25, at Climate Pledge Arena.
The win for Seattle (4-15) snapped an 11-game losing streak that dated back to May 24. There was tangible growth as the skid continued, but this was the first time the Storm put all those factors together to earn a win against a quality opponent.
New York (12-7) has now lost three of its last four games after winning eight in a row from May 27 to June 18. Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 26 points, eight rebounds, one steal and on block.
All five Storm starters scored in double figures, and Dominique Malonga posted another double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and a block.
‘Finding Dom’: Surging Malonga Has Storm Trending in Right Direction
With every game that passes during the Seattle Storm’s current 11-game losing streak, they’re turning in better and better performances. It still isn’t translating to wins.
But there’s a silver lining. The Storm drafted 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga at 19 years old, with hopes that she would become the franchise’s centerpiece and, eventually, lead them back to championship competitiveness.
In two of her last three games, Malonga has set new career highs in points, and both have been double-double performances.
Malonga totaled 37 points, 12 rebounds, one assist and two blocks in the Storm’s 112-110 overtime loss to the Dallas Wings on Monday, June 22, at Climate Pledge Arena. Even in a loss, the Storm are getting better, and Malonga is becoming a dominant force in the post.
Instant Takeaways: Fire Erase Storm’s Double-Digit Lead, Spoil Malonga’s Career Night
Dominique Malonga’s career night, the Storm’s best offensive game of the season and a formerly 12-point lead were spoiled by the Portland Fire in a 94-89 loss on Wednesday, June 17, at the Moda Center.
Malonga totaled a career-high 28 points (12 for 19 FG) and 11 rebounds to lead the Storm. Seattle shot 48% from the field, which is well above their season average, but they allowed the Fire to sink 17 triples and attempt eight more free throws — both of which massively influenced the result.
The first three quarters were excellent for the Storm, but they fell back to Earth in the fourth quarter and fumbled away a should-be victory.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Narrowly Lose 7th Straight vs. Sparks
The Seattle Storm played one of their most well-balanced games of the season, but it still wasn’t enough in an 88-83 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, June 10, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (3-11) had all five of their starters score at least 11 points, and it shot 47% from the field to the Sparks’ 39%. However, as has been the case recently, the Storm had fewer field-goal and free-throw attempts — resulting in their seventh straight loss.
Los Angeles (6-6) got back to .500 and won its second-straight game. Nneka Ogwumike made good on her return to Seattle with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman had 16 points to lead the Storm, followed by Dominique Malonga with 15. Flau’jae Johnson (14 points), Awa Fam (12) and Jordan Horston (11) rounded out the top scorers for the Storm.
Instant Takeaways: Storm’s Best Offensive Performance Still Not Enough vs. Aces
A’ja Wilson erupted for a 34-point near-triple-double, and the Seattle Storm surrendered triple-digit points for the first time this season in a 101-91 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Monday, June 8, at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Seattle (3-10) dropped its sixth-straight game as they are still struggling to string together consecutive quality quarters after fast starts. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 19 points and five rebounds in her second game back from injury.
Las Vegas (8-3) continued to show why it’s among the WNBA’s best, and Wilson became the youngest player to surpass 6,000 career points. The Aces scored at least 22 points in every period.
The Storm bookended the game with their two best quarters, but fell too far behind in the middle periods to make up the difference. The Aces were simply too efficient from the field, shooting 50% as a team.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fumble Double-Digit Lead in Blowout Loss to Lynx
An efficient start quickly faded to memory for the Seattle Storm as they were held to 25 second-half points in an 88-68 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, June 6, at the Target Center.
Minnesota (9-2) was led by a combined 46 points from Natasha Howard and Olivia Miles, shaking off a slow start to dominate the Storm like they have the entire WNBA this season.
Seattle (3-9) crumbled in the second half to drop its fifth straight game. Natisha Hiedeman and Jade Melbourne each scored 14 points to lead the Storm. Flau’jae Johnson added 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Post Least Points Since 2022 in Crushing Loss to Wings
The Seattle Storm posted their second-worst offensive output since 2022 in a deflating 79-56 loss to the Dallas Wings in the first game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on Monday, June 1, at College Park Center.
Seattle (3-7) scored just 37 points in the first three quarters before making the defeat look a bit more respectable in garbage time. Dallas (6-3) pulled down 12 more offensive rebounds and took an astounding 20 more shots than the Storm.
If that wasn’t enough to doom the Storm, they lost the turnover battle 17-8. It felt like the rock bottom of the Storm’s now seven-game stretch without both Dominique Malonga (concussion) and Ezi Magbegor (foot).
Jordan Horston’s Resurgence Encouraging For Storm
Before the start of the 2026 season, Seattle Storm wing Jordan Horston hadn’t played basketball in 15 months. Horston tore her ACL while competing in Athletes Unlimited during the WNBA offseason and missed the entire 2025 season.
It’s been a slow ramp-up period for Horston so far this season, as she’s played in all nine games thus far while on a minutes restriction. She’s been steadily contributing on defense, but the offensive side has been a struggle for the former 2023 No. 9 overall pick.
In her first eight games, Horston averaged just 3.0 points (27.3% FG), 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.4 blocks per game in 17.5 minutes. She hadn’t been playing up to her starting role, and the Storm have been struggling overall.
Horston finally started to look like her old self in the Storm’s most recent game — a 93-72 loss to the Toronto Tempo. Even though it was a loss, Horston tied her season high of 22 minutes and finished with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and four steals.
Instant Takeaways: Cooke, Johnson Fuel Storm to Decisive Win Over Sun
The Storm erased a sloppy first quarter and stonewalled the Sun the rest of the way in a 77-59 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Friday, May 22, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Zia Cooke (career-high 25 points) and Flau’jae Johnson (17) combined for 42 points in a landmark day for both players. The Storm shook off any memory of the home loss to the Sun on Wednesday, scoring consistently and thwarting any offense Connecticut tried to piece together.
The Sun shot just 37% from the field and rarely were uncontested after the opening period. Seattle rolled that defense into offense, which hasn’t been a consistent theme so far this season.
Even without Awa Fam, who was activated Friday, Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga, the Storm got all the production it needed from other areas of the roster.
Instant Takeaways: No Malonga Spells Doom for Storm in Loss to Fever
Stumbling out of the gates with sloppy offense and minimal-resistance defense, the Seattle Storm fell to 1-3 on the season with an 89-78 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday, May 17, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Storm were without leading scorer Dominique Malonga, who suffered a concussion in Wednesday’s game against Toronto. Seattle’s remaining lineup, which was much smaller than normal, couldn’t minimize mistakes to keep up with a potent Fever attack.
Natisha Hiedeman had her best game as a member of the Storm, scoring a team-high 19 points while adding two rebounds, two assists one steal and one block. Flau’jae Johnson (14 points), Zia Cooke (13) and Jade Melbourne (12) also scored in double figures.
Indiana (2-2) was led by Caitlin Clark’s 21 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham each added 17 points.
Storm Desperately Need Champion Awa Fam Ready to Roll
Awa Fam, the Seattle Storm’s No. 3 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, will be joining her new team as a champion.
Fam and Valencia, the team she has played for in Spain since 2021, won the Liga Feminina Endesa Championship on Sunday, May 17, defeating Casademont Zaragoza 68-67 on a buzzer-beater layup.
It wasn’t her best game, but Fam totaled six points on two 3-pointers and added four rebounds, one assist and a steal.
Valencia’s season is what has been keeping Fam, 19, from joining the Storm, who are currently 1-2 ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Indiana Fever (1-2). Fam will still have to get to Seattle and potentially get a short rest before she can get on the court for the Storm this season.
Instant Takeaways: Mistake-Prone Storm Stumble Against Tempo
A healthy dose of turnovers doomed the Seattle Storm in an 86-73 loss to the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday, May 13, at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Toronto earned its first win in franchise history after losing its opener, dropping the Storm to 1-2 overall. It was far from Seattle’s best performance, with a lack of contributions across the lineup, sloppy play on both ends of the court and simply a lack of resilience to battle back.
Storm head coach Sonia Raman, just a few days removed from her first win, was a victim of Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello’s first win with Toronto.
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