Instant Takeaways: Storm Hand Lynx First Loss via Fourth-Quarter Surge
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The Seattle Storm hung on to beat the previously undefeated Minnesota Lynx, 94-84, on Wednesday, June 11 at Climate Pledge Arena. Credit: John Mac [/caption]
Already leading by six, Gabby Williams intercepted Bridget Carleton’s inbounds pass with 22 seconds remaining in the game and the Seattle Storm hung on to hand the Minnesota Lynx their first loss of the season, 94-84, on Wednesday, June 11, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle, like in their first matchup with Minnesota, made a statement by hanging with the Lynx. Beating them was an even bigger exclamation, earning their third win in a row and snapping Minnesota’s nine-game win streak.
It was truly a game of runs, and the Storm made the final push that mattered most by capitalizing on a sequence of mistakes from Minnesota. It all spiraled for the Lynx after Alanna Smith missed a wide-open layup with 30 seconds left that would’ve made it a two-point game. Minnesota didn’t score another point after that.
Here’s what we learned from Seattle’s critical victory over the Lynx.
Trading blows
Despite Seattle holding a nine-point lead late in the first quarter, the Lynx trimmed their deficit to just five by the end of the period. Then, fueled by back-to-back triples to open the second quarter, Minnesota found itself up by one.
It was a testament to how dangerous and dynamic the Lynx’s offense is, and how their defense can keep opponents quiet for extended periods. From there, however, Seattle and Minnesota began a back-and-forth that led to nearly 100 combined points in the first half. After 15 lead changes in the first 20 minutes of play, the Lynx led 49-48 at halftime.
For a good chunk of the game, Napheesa Collier (25 points in the game) was the only one doing any damage for the Lynx. Once Minnesota’s offense spread out, it kicked back into gear.
Both teams converted at least 50 percent of their shots in the first half and had 15 assists. Even though both teams generally operate at a slower pace offensively, the floodgates opened and never closed until the second-quarter buzzer.
The second half was much of the same. Minnesota began the third quarter with an 11-0 run, taking their largest lead of the game. Seattle then mounted an even larger run, retaking a seven-point lead late in the period. By the fourth quarter, each team had led by at least nine points at one point or multiple points during the game.
The final score made the game appear far more lopsided than it was. Only at the very end did the Storm pull away, and that was the result of a series of stoppages.
Dominique Malonga breaks out
Malonga has played more than 10 minutes in six games this season. But there has been no cluster of minutes more impressive than what Malonga did near the end of the third quarter. Helping fuel a 19-5 run to close out the quarter, Malonga forced Collier — the leading MVP candidate — into multiple tough shots and scored six points in the quarter.
She finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes, but there was perhaps no more impressive effort than how Malonga defended Collier in crucial minutes of a tight game. Malonga is continuing to offer glimpses of what her complete WNBA potential could be.
Well-rounded offense
The Storm have had multiple games this season where the offense simply isn’t functioning at a high level. This wasn’t one of them.
These kinds of games show how dangerous Seattle can be when firing on all cylinders. All of the team’s starters finished with double-digit points, led by 21 from Nneka Ogwumike, who also added 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Veteran guard Erica Wheeler posted her second 20-point game of the season, adding two rebounds, nine assists and a steal.
Wheeler started her second straight game, pushing Alysha Clark onto the bench. She’s made the most of the opportunities, combining for 29 points (11 of 21 shooting), eight rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in the pair of starts. Wheeler is adding an energetic boost to the Storm lineup in addition to her playmaking. Meanwhile, Clark has just 34 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and seven steals on the season in 184 minutes.
Skylar Diggins (18 points), Ezi Magbegor (13) and Gabby Williams (12) all stuffed the stat sheet in other areas as well. Williams posted a complete line with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Maybe most importantly, the Storm turned the ball over a season-low 10 times. First-half turnovers are what killed Seattle in the first game against the Lynx, and that was far from an issue in the second contest. A 56 percent team field goal percentage doesn’t hurt, either.
This version of the offense — and how the defense connects with it — should have teams around the league worried about what the Storm could become late in the season.
Down goes Goliath (one of them)
Entering Wednesday’s game, the Lynx were one of just two 9-0 teams remaining in the WNBA. The New York Liberty are now the only undefeated team left, and the Storm will face them on Sunday, June 22.
Seattle, which moved to 6-4 on the season, is now fifth in the league standings. The Storm lead the Western Conference with a 3-1 record in the Commissioner’s Cup as well. The key for Seattle will be continuing to win after putting together two three-game win streaks and a three-game losing streak already this season.
That effort continues when the Storm visit the Golden State Valkyries for the first time in franchise history on Saturday, June 14.
