Seattle Storm fall 85-82 to Phoenix Mercury in a dramatic finish at Climate Pledge Arena
Nneka Ogwumike led Seattle with 24 points, one of four Storm players in double figures, as Seattle couldn’t quite close out a late rally against Phoenix. Skylar Diggins posted 14 points, Gabby Williams 13, and Brittney Sykes 11 for Seattle, which had a season-high–crowd of 14,169 on hand for the Sunday matinee.
The game featured a wild finish. Phoenix stretched its lead to 83-78 late in the fourth quarter before Ogwumike grabbed a loose ball under Seattle’s basket and scored to pull within five. With 12.5 seconds left, Sykes stole Alyssa Thomas in the backcourt and went coast to coast, bringing Seattle within 83-82 with 8.5 seconds remaining. Phoenix secured the final points to win 85-82.
Ogwumike was efficient, hitting 10-of-17 from the floor for her 24 points and adding eight rebounds. Williams contributed 13 points and seven assists, and Seattle totaled 19 assists as a team and did not allow Phoenix any points off of turnovers.
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas filled the stat sheet with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Quotes from the game:
Ogwumike on the Storm’s performance: “Being closer in the rebounds race, being able to share the ball and playing in transition – for all of these tight games that we’ve been in, there’s so much to build off of. Those are just some of the things that we know we did pretty well today.”
Head coach Noelle Quinn on the team’s mindset: “I think we’re doing a great job of getting to 50-50 balls. We’re engaged in that area when you think of intangibles and little things. And little things can also imply our attitude of next-play mentality. That’s something that feels like a simple phrase, but it actually goes a long way for us, and our team is doing a better job in that area.”
Key stats:
– Ogwumike: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 10-of-17 FG
– Williams: 13 points, 7 assists
– Storm: 19 assists, 0 points allowed to Phoenix off turnovers
– Thomas (Mercury): 19-10-11 for a triple-double
What this means going forward:
– The Storm demonstrated resilience and a knack for clamp-down defense late in games, even in a narrow defeat.
– Seattle’s depth and ball movement were evident, with multiple players contributing and generating 19 team assists.
– The late-game sequence by Sykes and Ogwumike shows the Storm’s ability to stay within striking distance, signaling growth as they continue to compete at a high level.
Editor’s notes for editors:
– SEO keywords: Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, WNBA, Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Noelle Quinn, Climate Pledge Arena
– Potential headlines: Storm fall short in final seconds as Mercury edge Seattle 85-82; Ogwumike leads Storm in tight loss to Mercury; Thomas posts triple-double in Mercury win over Storm
– Related links to consider: recap of recent Storm games, profile on Alyssa Thomas’ triple-double, feature on Seattle’s defensive improvements
Summary:
A tightly contested, back-and-forth game ended with Phoenix securing the win in the final seconds, highlighted by Alyssa Thomas’ triple-double and Nneka Ogwumike’s 24 points as Seattle showed signs of improved resilience and team play.