Instant Takeaways: Storm Give Up Season-High Points vs. Aces in First Game Back From FIBA Break
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Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson goes up for a layup in a a victory over the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Climate Pledge Arena. Credit: Courtesy of Seattle Storm [/caption]
A’ja Wilson (29 points) and Jackie Young (35 points) scored a combined 64 points and the Seattle Storm gave up a season-high in points in a 114-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, Sept. 17, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-33) was without Ezi Magbegor, Jordan Horston, Jade Melbourne and Katie Lou Samuelson, even though they did get Natisha Hiedeman back on the court for the first time since Aug. 14. Flau’jae Johnson scored a team-high 25 points, while Natisha Hiedeman (12 points), Stefanie Dolson (11) and Dominique Malonga (10) also scored in double figures.
Las Vegas (28-13) continued to look like it could repeat as WNBA champions as a true powerhouse of the league, led by its top two stars. The Storm couldn’t keep up whatsoever.
Here’s what we learned from Seattle’s first game back from the FIBA break in a brutal loss.
Aces lay the foundation
A’ja Wilson scored all 13 of her first-half points in the second quarter. The Aces unsurprisingly took a commanding lead late in the period, as Malonga and Hiedeman were the primary sources of offense. Johnson didn’t begin to put the ball in the basket until the half was nearly over.
Young was the real aggressor for Las Vegas, totaling 24 points in the first two quarters. That made it hard for the Storm to keep up, especially when they already entered the game short-handed
Zia Cooke, who earned her first start of the season and first since 2023, suffered an apparent knee injury in the second quarter. She was able to take and make the two free throws required of her, but Cooke then went to the locker room to be evaluated.
Las Vegas, continuing to be the far more active team on both sides of the court, took an 18-point lead into the break. The Storm’s young core, which was limited even more than it normally is, just didn’t stand a chance.
The Aces were more physical and converted more of their shots. It was a recipe for disaster in Seattle against the defending champions.
Storm can’t keep up
The Storm, especially as beat up as they are, didn’t stand a chance against this version of the Aces as they push towards another WNBA title.
Johnson came alive in the second half, but almost nobody stepped up alongside her. Malonga was held in check after an excellent FIBA World Cup tournament, and Awa Fam was also a non-factor on offense.
Little went well for the Storm on either end of the court as Wilson and Young continued to dominate the third and fourth quarters for Las Vegas. The Aces shut down everything the Storm did on offense and scored at will on the other end — making it an easy coast to the worst defensive game Seattle has had all season.
By the final buzzer, the Storm looked almost dazed and confused. They had run into a powerhouse with little to no resistance.
Injuries piling up
It’s hard to imagine the Storm having much chance to win any of their next three games, as Magbegor and Samuelson are shut down with knee injuries. Melbourne (illness) and Horston (shoulder) could be back, but that’s a marginal gain and keeps them far from full health.
Cooke’s knee injury adds even more uncertainty. She seemingly hyperextended her knee after she was forced into the starting lineup, leaving the Storm with just eight total players for the remainder of the game. It could lead to Seattle signing another player before its next game.
The Storm core of Malonga, Johnson and Fam remains intact, but that group is far from enough to win games on their own currently.
Up next
The Storm are back in action against the Golden State Valkyries (29-11) at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. Golden State is still in a battle for the No. 1 seed, so it could be another difficult matchup for Seattle in one of their final games of the season.
