Instant Takeaways: Storm Clinch Playoff Berth, Survive Thriller vs. Valkyries

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Erica Wheeler drilled a pull-up jumper with 18.5 seconds left and secured the final loose ball, sealing a playoff berth and a 74-73 win for the Seattle Storm over the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night. Credit: John Mac [/caption]

With a one-point deficit on her shoulders, Erica Wheeler called her own number on a pull-up jumpshot with just 18.5 seconds left in the game to send the Seattle Storm to the WNBA playoffs following a 74-73 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Climate Pledge Arena.

The Valkyries had one more chance, but the Storm defense held strong through two Golden State shot attempts. Then, when they nearly had a third chance, Wheeler was there to secure the loose ball and advance it to Nneka Ogwumike to seal the win.

Ogwumike, after receiving the pass from Wheeler, laid in a shot just after the buzzer that was waved off as Climate Pledge Arena erupted in celebration. The Storm swarmed Wheeler.

Seattle (23-21), in its final game of the regular season, clinched at least the eighth and final seed in the playoffs with the victory and eliminated the Los Angeles Sparks (21-22). Golden State (23-20), which has already secured a playoff berth, fell into the seventh seed behind the Indiana Fever (24-20).

Here’s what we learned from a do-or-die Storm win against the Valkyries on Tuesday.

THE POSTSEASON CLINCHING BUCKET 😤 pic.twitter.com/RcNYUoSZNK— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 10, 2025

Wheeler’s heroics

As the regular season concludes, Wheeler could easily be argued as the Storm’s most clutch player of 2025. She consistently beat buzzers with threes all season long and would go on critical scoring stretches when the Storm needed it most. The regular season finale was no exception.

Wheeler scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter on a trio of 3-pointers. With Seattle’s season potentially on the line, Wheeler delivered once again.

She isn’t the most consistent contributor, nor will Wheeler single-handedly carry the Storm in a playoff run. But she has moxie and a clutch trait that has greatly benefited Seattle in crucial situations all season. Wheeler added five rebounds and two assists in the win.

The moment it was all at stake

Seattle either needed to beat Golden State or hope for a Los Angeles loss against the Phoenix Mercury. If the Storm lost and Sparks won, their fate would come down to Los Angeles’ final game of the season against the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday.

The Storm needed every last second to beat the Valkyries, and the Sparks defeated the Mercury. Had one possession gone differently, and Wheeler not hit the game-winner, Seattle might not even be in the postseason.

Hot and cold for four quarters

The first quarter was forgettable for the Storm. Only Ogwumike and Dominique Malonga made field goals in the first 10 minutes (two apiece) as Golden State outscored Seattle 18-12 in the opening period. The Valkyries, however, went cold near the end of the quarter as well.

Golden State scored just two points in seven minutes, from the final 3.5 minutes of the first quarter through the first 3.5 minutes of the second quarter. That was a credit to the Storm defense, which tightened up and closed out on shooters — shutting down the Valkyries’ 3-point game.

Seattle used that lull by the Golden State offense to mount an 11-2 run and take the lead 21-20 with six minutes left in the first half. The Storm began to get offense from other areas, even as Ogwumike and Malonga continued to be aggressive.

The Valkyries rallied once again. Even after Seattle had gotten back into the game, it was back and forth the rest of the second quarter until Golden State concluded the first 20 minutes with a 36-33 lead.

Golden State was on fire from behind the arc in the third quarter, knocking down 4 of 5 attempts from that area in the period. Much of that contributed to a 13-0 run by the Valkyries that allowed them to retake a 61-53 lead heading into the final period.

It was a seesaw affair, with both teams continuing to have huge lulls and massive hot streaks. When the shots were falling, it was because of good offense beating good defense. There were seldom defensive lapses on both ends. The officials sparingly forced their whistles into the game, making it as physical a game as we’ve seen this season.

For the most part, that played into Golden State’s hands, as they’re one of the chippier teams in the WNBA. However, the Storm did their part to shove back.

The Storm shut down the Valkyries to begin the fourth quarter until the 6:41 mark. Meanwhile, they mounted a 10-0 run of their own to take a 63-61 lead before the midway point of the fourth quarter.

There were three lead changes and three ties the rest of the fourth quarter until Wheeler’s final shot gave the Storm the fourth and final swing of the stretch.

After Wheeler, Ogwumike finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Brittney Sykes totaled 14 points (six in the final period), three rebounds and three assists, while Skylar Diggins was the last player to finish in double figures with 10 points, four rebounds and six assists.

Janelle Salaun led the Valkyries with 22 points (5 of 7 on 3-pointers), six rebounds and a steal. Temi Fagbenle and Veronica Burton each tallied 14 points, while Kaila Charles had 12.

Malonga finishes incredible first regular season

No sequence was more emblematic of Malonga’s incredible development this season than one that occurred in the third quarter on Tuesday.

Following a massive block against Temi Fagbenle, Malonga grabbed the rebound and dished it to Brittney Sykes. After pushing it all the way down the court, Sykes missed a difficult layup on the fastbreak. Malonga was immediately there to clean up the rebound, and she fought through contact to sink a circus layup underneath the basket.

HOW BOUT THIS ROOK 💥 pic.twitter.com/PEqQZ3O5Nz— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 10, 2025

Malonga finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, one assist and two blocks. 

The No. 2 overall pick didn’t have a single double-digit scoring game in the Storm’s first 15 games of the season as head coach Noelle Quinn eased her into the lineup. However, over the team’s final 19 games, Malonga had 11 games with at least 12 points — including four double-doubles and three games with at least 20 points.

She has grown into a critical part of the Storm’s formula and will continue to play a key role heading into the playoffs.

Up Next

The playoffs start on Sunday, Sept. 14. Seattle’s matchup isn’t quite set, even though they have no games remaining. If the Valkyries lose to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx (33-10) on Thursday, the Storm will move up to the seventh seed, while Golden State falls to No. 8.

If Golden State wins that game (where Minnesota may rest starters), the Storm will face the Lynx in their best-of-three first-round series. The opening round follows a 1-1-1 home court format, benefiting the higher seed; therefore, the Storm are guaranteed at least one home playoff game.

Seattle split the regular-season series against Minnesota, 2-2, giving them one of the best chances to upset the Lynx of any WNBA team in the postseason. In the situation that the Storm land the seventh seed, they will face either the Aces or Atlanta Dream, depending on how those two teams’ final games shake out.