Undeterred focus and communication at the center of Storm’s early success
By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Winners of three straight entering their Tuesday night matchup with the Minnesota Lynx, our Seattle Storm were one of the hottest teams in the league after giving the Phoenix Mercury it’s first loss. Since beating the Las Vegas Aces in the 2020 WNBA Finals, the Storm were 4-17 against them, including five consecutive losses and a first-round sweep.
A decisive 102-82 victory over the Aces at Climate Pledge Arena was the third consecutive game for the Storm with at least three players tallying double-digit points. After beating a streaking Mercury squad, Las Vegas was yet another early-season test for Storm head coach Noelle Quinn and her team’s aspirations of hoisting a championship trophy in October.
“A lot of times, the Aces are a measuring stick throughout the season because they’re a well-oiled machine. They have so much firepower at every position. I’m proud of the group. We just had a video session and a walkthrough, so showing up prepared, ready to play a tough team, but also their attention to scout detail. Again, when I’m coming to the timeout in the huddles, they’re automatically talking and communicating through things. To have a win like this this early, it’s good to grow from. Good to see where we can be and who we can be against top teams in this league.”
The win embodied more than a notch on a belt against a longtime foe. It was the culmination of teamwork and buying into Quinn’s system. Disruptive tendencies on the defensive end aid the team’s flow on the other side. 21 points off 13 turnovers, a 24-10 advantage in fastbreak points, and a 52-38 advantage in paint points are bonuses that carried the team as it did last season.
In 2024, failing to lead in these categories tilted the odds in the opposing team’s favor. Seattle’s offense was often one-dimensional, regularly failing to space the floor around its dominant interior players, for which the team was built around. At one point, their approach was predictable due to poor shooting from outside, shooting a league-worst 28.8% while taking the fewest attempts per game (21).
Through five games of the season, those deficiencies have turned into strengths that have carried the Storm when needed most. When the team’s bread and butter is taken away, their will doesn’t waver. That just wasn’t the case last season.
The Storm shoots 34.4% from the three-point line, a hair behind the Mercury for fifth in the WNBA on 18 attempts per game, the fewest in the league. The difference from last season is that the Storm boasts five players shooting at least 40%, ranging from 1.3 to 4.4 attempts. Nneka Ogwumike was the only player fitting the criteria.
Rough starts to games were another thorn in Seattle’s side in 2024. If the execution wasn’t flawless to start, the hole was dug deeper to climb out of. This is an issue of the past and was confirmed in Minneapolis. The next measuring stick for Quinn’s group was the Lynx, a team that Seattle will see in its path to a championship.
A layup from Skylar Diggins opened the game at 2-0, but the Lynx turned the Storm over on three of their first five possessions, scoring on all of them. Up by as much as 16, a 12-0 run propelled Minnesota to a 26-point first quarter. At the end of it, they collected seven turnovers for 13 points and held 11-0 and 7-0 advantages in fast break points and steals, respectively.
If this were 2024, the Storm’s ability to get back in the fight would be questionable. That’s why the old days are the old days for a reason.
Seattle ignited the second quarter with a 6-0 run, narrowing the deficit to 10. Turning defense into offense was key via a steal from Lexie Brown, which gave way to a pull-up three-pointer. The trend continued throughout the frame, disrupting passing lanes and winning 50/50 balls. The Storm got as close as seven, but went to halftime down 10, 39-29. They held Minnesota to its second-lowest first-half total of the season and lowest output in a quarter (13).
Both teams traded blows for the first six minutes of the third. That changed at the 4:10 mark when the Storm scored on five straight possessions, bringing the game within one possession for the first time since 4-2. With 2:16 on the clock, Erica Wheeler was subbed in. Quinn’s timing with her rotations couldn’t have been better as Wheeler drilled a three-pointer to keep Seattle within three before the end of the quarter.
“A lot of it was just figuring out what the game needed as opposed to the matchups today. I know I’ve been talking to you guys a lot about the matchups, but I think today we needed a little infusion of some energy, and I thought that’s what they provided.”
The Storm kept the game relatively close throughout the last period. Though only together for about a month, the team’s communication was concise, operating as one to accomplish a shared goal. It was evident after a stretch where Seattle scored on seven straight possessions.
Despite the loss, Quinn and her players were satisfied with their performance as they battled every Lynx run with one of their own. For the second consecutive game, at least four players scored double-digit points.
“It’s still early. But I think just the perspective of today, the defensive physicality has really improved on every possession. Even though Ezi played with us last year, even to this year, there’s some physicality that she’s showing. Adding AC as an excellent defender in this league. Defensively, we’re still solid. We haven’t been as disruptive as far as trapping and all those things, but we’ve been pretty decent with staying into bodies and into plays and being better with rebounding. Offensively, I always say we have to play with each other. We have to move the ball. Minnesota presents an issue with a heavy nail presence and really good on their basketball, so shifting them side-to-side matters. I think there’s just a commitment to playing in that way.”
Since Nneka Ogwumike was paired with Ezi Magbegor, the Storm has preached about its ability to operate from the inside-out due to versatility. Still, the teeth to the frontcourt’s physicality were often missing for stretches in games last season. The likely culprit was a lack of depth behind the All-Star duo and on the wing, forcing them out of the paint frequently. In 2025, this couldn’t be further from the truth. With only five games played, there’s a level of response to both areas on the floor that didn’t exist in the first rendition of the pairing.
It also helps to have the services of an all-world defender and connector like Gabby Williams. Though she wasn’t with the team for the entire season last year, she’s aware of the change of pace and what’s driving it.
“Maybe I’m not the one to speak on this because I didn’t play as many games last season, but from the short sample size, I feel that we find a way to stay together more in these tougher situations. We don’t panic as much. We don’t lose our focus or our tempers as much in these moments. It’s just like, okay, we’re in the WNBA. It’s the best players in the world. They’re going to go on runs, and we can, too. I think we’re just attacking these moments with a lot more maturity and better zen and calmness to us.”
39 games remain on the schedule, including tonight’s matchup with the Atlanta Dream. But in the five played so far, there doesn’t seem to be a mountain the Storm can’t climb.
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