Storm fall to Mercury for the Second Time in Four Days
By Bel Garcia
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Storm suffered a second straight loss to the Phoenix Mercury. A late turnover and a missed three pointer came back to bite Seattle on two possessions that would have tied the game. Without two starters and their backup point guard, Seattle failed to generate much offensively. Storm guard Jewell Loyd had a game-high 26 points, as no other Storm player reached double figures. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Storm fall to fifth in the Western Conference and 11th in the entire WNBA.
Storm forward Ezi Magbegor stepped up in Breanna Stewart’s absence (Photo from Seattle Storm Twitter)
Magbegor and Talbot Step Up
Season high performances for both Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot as well as a great defensive performance could not stop the Phoenix Mercury, as they win the second game against the Storm. The Storm’s “next man up” game plan worked well as Magbegor and Talbot stepped up and held Tina Charles to only four points in the whole game. The defense was strong for the whole game and kept it close until the end. Magbegor had a season high in blocks with six total for the night, four of those coming in the first quarter. As for Stephanie Talbot, in a performance as described by her coach as “Aussie Strong”, she ended the night with fourteen rebounds.
Defense Key to Close Game
Their defensive performance kept them in the game, while their shooting never caught up. They ended the half with a percentage of only 26.7 from beyond the arc, and Sue Bird was not able to sink any of her threes, going 0-4. The Storm also struggled from mid-range but looked strong scoring in the paint with contributions from Briann January, who knocked one down while getting fouled and falling out of bounds. The Storm were able to keep a close game going into the half, they were only down to the Mercury by two, with a score of 34-32.
Gold Mamba with Another Golden Performance
Jewell Loyd’s shoulder did not seem to bother her one bit in the second half of the last match up against the Mercury, and it didn’t look at all sore today. Jewell was hitting shots from everywhere on the court and continued to be aggressive. As Diana Taurasi said in her post game presser, “Loyd is able to take over the game whenever she wants”, and that time for Loyd came in the second half. She was aggressive with her scoring, 18 of her 26 points coming in the second half to help keep the game close.
It was ultimately the defense that helped the Storm keep the game within reach, they held the Mercury to only 69 points, but fell short towards the end. The strategy? A collective effort from Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot on Tina Charles. As well as several defensive stops that left the Mercury running out of time and turning the ball over on a shot clock violation. The difference in the game was that the Mercury had three players who scored in double digits, while the Storm only had one. There’s a lot to look forward as players Breanna Steward and Epiphanny Prince will eventually come back from Health and Safety Protocols. Tonight’s defensive performance should be an expectation for the Storm as they continue their season.