Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall Back to Earth in Blowout Loss to Sparks
The short-handed Seattle Storm started and finished poorly en route to a 90-74 blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-32), which is missing Awa Fam due to international play and Natisha Hiedeman due to injury, couldn’t get much going for most of the game. Flau’jae Johnson led the Storm with 19 points, while Dominique Malonga totaled 17 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Zia Cooke, though she did most of her damage in the first half, still finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals.
Los Angeles (15-25) was led by 23 points and 12 rebounds from former Storm star Nneka Ogwumike. Rae Burrell totaled 22 points, four rebounds and three assists, and the Sparks won their second-straight game for the first time since early July.
Storm Remain Steadfast in Approach For Final 5 Games
On the surface, the Seattle Storm don’t have much left to play for this season. They have only won eight games and have long been eliminated from playoff contention. But that’s not how the team is approaching its final five games.
“We know that we can either end the season and look at ourselves like, ‘Wow, we didn't get better at nothing,’ or we can end the season and be like, ‘Look at this growth that we had, look at the things that we overcame,’” Storm rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson said after the team’s 90-78 win over the Toronto Tempo on Aug. 26.
“We got that ‘it’s still 0-0’ mentality, and we’re going to continue to get better.”
Instant Takeaways: Storm Tie Season-Long Losing Streak With Loss to Fire
Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 44 points against a short-handed Portland Fire squad, but the Seattle Storm once again whiffed on a clutch game victory in a 100-93 loss on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Moda Center.
Melbourne set a new career-high with 23 points and five assists, while Malonga added 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The rest of the Storm’s starters struggled, however, and the bench had to contribute 32 points to keep Seattle (6-28) in the game.
Portland (13-19) lost its leading scorer early, but it got consistent offense from the entire team to win its second straight game. Bridget Carleton totaled a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Fire’s short streak comes after losing five in a row.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall to Liberty, Spoil Another Elite Malonga Performance
The New York Liberty spoiled Dominique Malonga’s second-career 30-point game in a 92-86 loss for the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Barclays Center.
Malonga scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to lead Seattle (6-27), which dropped its 10th straight game. No other player scored more than 13 for the Storm.
New York (19-13), which was led by 28 points and eight rebounds from Breanna Stewart, has won six of its last seven games. Jonquel Jones also posted a monster game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Even with a lineup shift that put Ezi Magbegor back in the starting lineup, momentum hasn’t shifted for the Storm in the last two games. Their last victory came nearly a month ago on July 6.
Will Ezi Magbegor Be More of a Factor For Storm to Conclude Season?
Ezi Magbegor is the Seattle Storm’s longest-tenured player and the fifth-highest-paid player in the WNBA by average annual value ($1.25 million). She’s the last remaining player on the roster from the 2020 championship-winning team and has been one of the league's best defensive anchors since 2022.
Magbegor is now in her seventh season, and it’s been the roughest of her career. She entered the 2026 season with a foot injury that held her out half the season. A facial fracture in her fourth game back knocked her out for another stretch.
The veteran made her return in the Storm’s 98-89 loss to the Atlanta Dream on July 31. Magbegor logged 12 points, one rebound, one assist and two steals — the most she’s scored in a WNBA game in nearly a year.
Instant Takeaways: Hiedeman’s Career Night Not Enough, Storm Fail Comeback Attempt
Natisha Hiedeman’s second career night in a span of about two weeks still wasn’t enough to break the Seattle Storm’s losing streak in a 105-95 loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, July 28, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Hiedeman scored a game-high 33 points and helped lead multiple Storm comeback attempts, but it still wasn’t enough without Dominique Malonga (injured) on the floor. Seattle (6-24) dropped its seventh straight game and ninth of its last 10.
Indiana (18-10) was led by a combined 60 points from Caitlin Clark (32) and Kelsey Mitchell (28) in a game where they were short-handed in the second half. The Fever have now won four in a row and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
4 End-of-Season Goals For Storm After All-Star Break
The Seattle Storm are 6-23 overall and in last place in the WNBA standings at the All-Star break. With 15 games remaining in the season, it’s clear that the Storm are no longer vying for a postseason berth and are instead trying to maximize the development of their young stars.
Dominique Malonga, the 2025 No. 2 overall pick, has taken a huge step from her rookie season and is the Storm’s lone representative in Saturday’s All-Star Game. Rookie top-8 picks Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson have shown glimpses of greatness, but haven’t found enough consistency to regularly fuel Seattle to victories.
So, entering the final stretch of the 2026 season, what are some primary goals for the Storm as they begin to look to 2027?
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.
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