Instant Takeaways: Storm Clobber Aces, Spoil Jewell Loyd’s Return to Seattle

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The Seattle Storm won their third straight game in emphatic fashion with a 102-82 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, May 25. Credit: John Mac [/caption]

Putting together by far their most complete game of the season, the Seattle Storm dominated the Las Vegas Aces from the jump in a 102-82 victory at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Sunday, May 25.

The Storm were immediately connected and efficient as they ripped off a 34-point first quarter and shut down franchise legend Jewell Loyd in her return to Seattle. Loyd, who was traded to the Aces this offseason after 10 seasons with the Storm, was ineffective for Las Vegas in the final three quarters. Meanwhile, Nneka Ogwumike continued to dominate for Seattle.

Seattle is now on a three-game win streak heading into a bout with the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, May 27. Here’s what we learned from a potent home victory for the Storm.

Defense fuels offense early

Seattle forced eight first-half turnovers, scoring 13 points off those takeaways. The Storm had 16 fastbreak points to the Aces’ zero. That was the difference in the game and helped the Storm assist on 20 of their first 23 made shots. Many of those assists came in fastbreak situations but also came from efficient, methodical offense in the halfcourt.

There was little to criticize about Seattle’s first two quarters of play. It was nearly flawless basketball. The Storm converted 67.6 percent of their shot attempts, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Ogwumike continued her excellent start to the season, leading Seattle with 15 first-half points (7-of-8 shooting). Gabby Williams and Erica Wheeler each added 12, both knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

The Storm set themselves up nicely so only lead maintenance was required in the second half. Las Vegas outscored Seattle 46-44 in the second half, but that wasn’t nearly enough to make up for their 22-point halftime deficit. Seattle led by as much as 27 points, and finished the game shooting 60 percent from the field (42 for 70).

Ogwumike posted her third straight game with at least 20 points (23), adding eight rebounds, six assists and a steal. Five different players scored 10 or more points. 

Erica Wheeler steps up

With Diggins in early foul trouble, Wheeler was thrust into extended first-half action off the bench. She played 15 minutes and surpassed double-digit points for the first time this season in just the first two quarters. Wheeler also accounted for four assists and two steals, impacting the game beyond just scoring. 

The veteran brought a scrappy, energetic defensive presence to the Storm’s lineup and facilitated the offense well when Diggins was either off the floor or in a shooting guard role.

In 30 minutes, Wheeler finished with 21 points (8 of 11 shooting), three rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. She entered the game with just 15 total points in Seattle’s first three games of the season. It was her best scoring performance since the 2023 season when she was with the Indiana Fever.

Jewell Loyd neutralized in return to Seattle

Immediately after tip-off, it looked like the former Storm superstar was primed for a potent revenge game. Loyd knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to make up Las Vegas’ first nine points. She finished the first quarter with 12 points, giving Storm fans flashbacks of the last decade when Loyd was lighting up opposing teams in a Seattle uniform.

But the Storm buckled down, holding Loyd to just two points over the final three quarters. Loyd didn’t score in the second quarter while Seattle built up their 22-point halftime lead. Loyd missed 10 straight shots to finish the game and was also scoreless in the final period.

Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson added just 15 points as the Storm ran away with the game early. After the first three minutes, the Aces didn’t stand a chance against Seattle on their home court.

Blowout leads to extended time for Dominique Malonga

With the Storm controlling a hefty second-half lead, head coach Noelle Quinn got to see more of her rookie No. 2 overall pick than she has at any other point this season. Malonga played 11 minutes (15 total minutes played entering the game), posting eight points and five rebounds.

Malonga nearly had an opportunity to throw down the first dunk in Storm history on an outlet pass from Zia Cooke, but the toss was a bit off target and Malonga wasn’t able to corral it cleanly enough to flush it. She converted the layup but saved that achievement for another day.

Starters earn needed rest

Finally, the Storm are seeing consecutive games with strong bench contributions. This game was the prime example of how good Seattle can be when their entire 10-player lineup is firing on all cylinders — the complete opposite of how they began the season, but clearly what they’ve been building toward in the last two.

All 10 players saw the court, eight played more than 10 minutes and, of the starters, only Williams played 30 or more minutes. In the previous two wins, Seattle needed four of its five starters to be on the court for that amount of time. With another quick turnaround to a road game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, May 27, that rest should help have the Storm’s starters at least a bit fresher.