‘It’s Embarrassing’: Seattle Storm Aim For Quick Fixes After Opening Loss
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The Seattle Storm began their 2025 season in disappointing fashion on Saturday night, falling 81-59 to a refreshed Phoenix Mercury squad. Credit: John McClellan [/caption]
Following Saturday’s season-opening loss to the Phoenix Mercury, the Seattle Storm have little time to lick their wounds from a full offensive collapse. They have to immediately turn around and face a Dallas Wings team that features a dynamic backcourt of Arike Ogunbowale, No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and DiJonai Carrington on Monday, May 19.
Nothing worked for the Storm against the Mercury. Three of their five starters finished with fewer than five points and they converted just 33 percent of their shot attempts. Seattle maintained its poor 3-point shooting from a season ago, sinking just 3-of-17 long-range shots.
The Storm finished with their lowest single-game scoring output since the 2022 season (51 points). Seattle still finished 22-14 that season and reached the WNBA semifinals. It's not yet a reason for panic.
“It’s the first game. We’re not going to be married to this game,” veteran point guard Skylar Diggins said after the game. “They got the jump on us from the beginning. They kicked our ass. It’s embarrassing. We didn’t score 60 points — that’s not the identity that we’ve been for the last month and a half … it’s nowhere but up from here.”
Diggins was one of the few bright spots on offense for the Storm. She delivered 21 points (7-of-14 shooting), three rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block in 29 minutes. Veteran forward Nneka Ogwumike was the only other Seattle player with double-digit points (12), adding seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Still, as the facilitator of the offense, Diggins wasn’t satisfied with her operation of the offense. She credited Phoenix’s defense as a primary reason they couldn’t find a rhythm.
“I think we did get … some of the shots that we wanted to get, and maybe they didn’t fall for us. I think they took us out of some of our stuff, too,” Diggins added. “I don’t think I did a good job getting us organized like I wanted to, either.”
Massive rotational shake-ups are unlikely, but there could be adjustments based on matchups. Head coach Noelle Quinn said changes will come on a “game-by-game” basis.
“We have to take a look at it on film and really be better. I need more from Gabby [Williams] and Ezi [Magbegor],” Quinn said. “As a unit, the last few weeks, our principals, our systems that we’ve been pretty locked into, I thought we were very undisciplined in that. But we have a mature group and we have a connected group. So, we will look at it and we will get better from it.”
Seattle’s post defense showed little resistance against Mercury forwards Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, who combined for 47 points on more than 56 percent shooting. Even with Ogwumike, Magbegor and Li Yueru patrolling the post, Phoenix enforced its will on the Storm in the paint.
Ogwumike noted that Thomas’s “point forward” skill set created problems for Seattle’s defense. There were numerous times the Mercury duo got easy looks at the basket purely off what appeared to be Seattle’s miscommunications. Sabally, who had a game-high 27 points, simply dominated the interior.
“The way they’re able to, I guess, organize the offense as two forwards, it’s a challenge,” Ogwumike said. “That’s not something that I thought we responded well to.”
Considering the Mercury were without Kahleah Copper in the backcourt, the Storm will need major defensive adjustments before Monday’s game against the Wings. Defending the Wings’ guards will be an equally difficult but different challenge.
Seattle didn’t have the start they wanted, but all the struggles they faced in the opener are fixable. They will have their first chance to take that step when they tip off against Dallas at 5 p.m. on Monday.
