Storm overcome shooting woes in clutch win over Mystics
Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike shoots a jumper against the Washington Mystics at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photo by Rio Giancarlo)
By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Shooting struggles plaguing the Seattle Storm (18-10) are well-documented. Throughout the course of the 2024 season and in the broadcast of the recent loss to the Atlanta Dream, it was mentioned several times that Seattle was 13-0 (now 13-2) when they shot at least 25 percent from deep. The stat is neat and shows how the team wins games despite being last in the WNBA three-point percentage (28.7), but it offers little context.
What does not receive nearly as much attention is how head coach Noelle Quinn and her staff maximize the strengths of their roster to overcome the hurdles they face from three-point land.
For example, in the much-needed 83-77 win over the Washington Mystics to close out a three-game road trip following the end of the Olympic break, Seattle capitalized on 22 turnovers and converted them into 22 points, accounting for 35 percent of their offensive production. They have mastered turning a weakness into their strong suit through rigid, team-driven defensive performances that fuel their offense.
When it comes to the following statistics, Seattle is one of two teams that rank in the top three of them all on a per-game basis:
Free-throw percentage: 83.3 percent - 2nd
Free-throw attempts: 19.7 - 4th
Free-throw makes: 16.4 - 2nd
Paint points: 40.6 - 2nd
Points off turnovers: 17.6 - 3rd
Second chance points: 11.5 - 3rd
All while piloting a defense with the second-best rating (94.6).
Heart and hustle are at the core of Seattle’s approach to basketball, and it shows. Not to mention they produce the offense they have while allowing the fifth-fewest turnovers (13.9). At one point, they were as high as third in the WNBA. The methods of Storm coach Noelle Quinn and her staff in maximizing the team’s strengths deserves just as much attention as their shooting struggles garner. But Quinn is not worried about what is of her team.
“Defense isn’t sexy to everybody, but it’s important to us. I think all season because we haven’t shot efficiently and our offense is trying to find some rhythm, our defense has sustained us with generating points. If that’s going to be the way in which we have to play to win games, we have to do that. Is it sustainable? We’ll see. Yeah, we have to shoot the ball better, and we have to play better on offensively, but if our defense can keep us in games, generate points, and continue get to the free-throw line? These are things that help when we’re struggling offensively. Our defense to rachet up and turn up and try to generate some easy points for us until we get some consistency. Once the ball goes through [the hoop], once we get some consistency, it’ll be contagious.”
Any team on any given night can win in the WNBA. Every win is earned with the talent level being so rich across the league. The Washington Mystics (6-23) proved that Tuesday night in their 83-77 loss to the Storm.
“Overall, wins are hard to come by no matter who we’re playing. (Playing) on the road is where we need to get better and finding a way to win in spite of not being our best or our sharpest, will take that.”
Hot Potato, Hot Potato
In the loss to the Atlanta Dream to begin this road trip, Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith notched 12 of the team’s 22 first-quarter points. In the win over the Mystics, Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike scored 14 of the 26 points in the opening frame. Backup guard Sami Whitcomb has had her fair share of ten-point outbursts, mostly from three point range.
“I think that’s the beauty of our team. We have so many capable people that can go off. Understanding each other’s games and knowing and trusting each other. Not just in how we play, but also in recognizing each other’s tendencies, where to get our shots, ensuring that it’s still in flow. I think that’s something we work through each game and we work through in practice. We have so many people capable of that.”
All-Star talents Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor have also both shared the baton this season jumpstarting the offense to start games when the team as a whole is not producing. This is an ability few groups have and Seattle makes the most of it.
“Yeah, they’re elite. They’ve done this at a high level consistently in the league. For many years, I’m on opposite side of that. So, to be the beneficiary of athletes who are amazing; they put in the work. Sky [Skylar] and Nneka particularly are in the weight room after games. They have a regimen, they’re sharp with those things. Obviously, Jewell [Loyd] is a champion and has been great in this league as well. It’s not by chance that these things happen and happen in great spurts. It’s because they honor the game, they respect the game, and they put in the work. When the lights come on, it translates. I’m glad they’re with the good guys and that’s us.”
She went on to say that reporters see the product on gameday, and eluded to the fact that most don’t see what happens behind closed doors. In the wise words of one Morgan Freeman, she’s right you know? Little things like like wellness days — which is Wednesday for the team this week — are crucial tools to the success Seattle has experienced. Taking care of the mind, body, and soul off the court is something that Quinn believes in, she actively promotes it.
“Tomorrow is a wellness day for us and so I think it’s very important that we lock into our wellness. I don’t take those for granted at all. Getting away from the gym and focusing on refresh, reboot, and revitalize yourself and get in a great mental space. and follow that with a day off. So, we have a little bit of time to get our bodies back acclimated to Seattle time and some people healing up from injury and we’re back at it in a couple of days.”
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Check out Circling Seattle Sports’ previous Seattle Storm articles here.
Check out Circling Seattle Sports’ previous articles with photos by Rio Giancarlo, and his portfolio here.
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