Top Storm Takeaways From Seattle’s Home Win Over the Liberty - June 25th, 2026
By Jess Amato
Seattle, WA - On Thursday, June 25th, our Seattle Storm hosted the New York Liberty at Climate Pledge Arena for their first head-to-head matchup of the 2026 WNBA season. After their tough loss on Monday in overtime to the Dallas Wings, the Storm were ready to come out swinging against the Liberty and try to snap out of their lengthy losing streak.
Seattle and New York went head-to-head throughout the game, and although the scores were close each quarter, there was not a single quarter in which the Storm lost their lead. The Storm won 88-99, earning their fourth win of the season, and ensuring that their losing streak did not reach 12 games.
Storm Players Reached Many Milestone Moments
This was a great game for the Storm as a whole, as they broke their losing streak. On top of this, it was also a great game for several members of the team individually.
Superstar second year player Dom Malonga recorded another double-double, marking her third in the last four games and her second straight. With the ten rebounds that helped her get to this achievement, she also recorded her 200th career defensive rebound. Malonga now holds the record as the youngest player in league history to achieve this milestone.
Seattle Storm rookie Flau’jae Johnson during the teams win over the New York Liberty on Thursday, June 25th, 2026, at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos via the Seattle Storm)
Flau’jae Johnson recorded a milestone as well in this game. She recorded a career-high 28 points, her previous was 17 points which she recorded on May 22nd. Johnson had the highest recorded points of everyone in this game. Jonquel Jones on the Liberty and Malonga were the only other two players to reach at least the 20 point mark.
In just 18 minutes of game time amongst the first three quarters, Johnson had a new career high, and she just kept going from there. Johnson has been a great addition to the Storm this season, and she is really finding her way out there in the WNBA. She was destined to be a star just based on her collegiate performance; thank goodness she’s finding her stardom in Seattle. The Storm will have an incredible trio of Johnson, Fam, and Malonga for years to come.
Natisha Hiedeman reached 2000 points in her WNBA career, as well. This is her eighth season in the WNBA and the Storm is the third team she has played for. This is certainly something to celebrate, even more so since she recorded this milestone with the Storm.
Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman goes for a layup during the teams Thursday, June 25th, 2026, victory over the New York Liberty at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photo via the Seattle Storm)
Several Liberty Players Out
There is no denying that the Storm had a better showing than they have in their last 11 games, especially after the final result. However, when looking at this game, you have to acknowledge that the Liberty were without a few key players. Breanna Stewart, Storm alum, did not play in this game with the designation of rest. She received a great tribute video though pregame, thanking her for all she did with her time in Seattle. As one of the Liberty’s strongest offensive threats, Stewart coming out of the game was a huge benefit to the Storm.
The Liberty were also missing Satou Sabally due to concussion protocol, something the Storm were all too well aware of this season, when Malonga missed eight games for the same reason. New York also benched Rebecca Allen and Anneli Maley, two bench players who have been known to record points. Without a fully healthy Liberty team, the Storm used this to their advantage to take down the huge offensive threats. So, it remains a positive performance for Seattle, but you have to at least acknowledge that New York wasn’t at full strength.
Seattle wins the rebound battle
An issue for the Storm over the last few years has been their failure to control the glass, despite having elite-level talent in their front court. It’s been an area of their game that’s been largely inconsistent, and still is something they’re working on, but it was nice to see the Storm excel there tonight.
Seattle won the rebound battle by eleven boards in this contest against a lengthy New York Liberty team, still providing that length despite not having Breanna Stewart and Satou Sabally. An important statistical emphasis is the 13 offensive rebounds for the Storm to the Liberty’s 7, as Seattle capitalized with 20 second-chance points in this game. Additionally, the rebounds allowed this young and athletic Storm team to get out and run in transition, as they piled up their fast break points with 21 compared to New York’s four.
Of course, winning the rebound battle is something any basketball team strives for, but I just wanted to emphasize how it helped Seattle snap their long skid in this game. The Storm have the athleticisim and length to exceeed in the rebound battle, it’s just about having the mindset to do so on a consistent basis.
Back in the Win Column, Let’s Keep the Momentum Rolling
The Storm have finally ended their 11-game losing streak with a win against the Liberty, one of the top five teams in the league at the moment. As much as it stings, there is no denying that the Storm haven’t had the best performance to kick off the 2026 season. They have played 19 games and have only won four of them, going through the troubles that come with a rebuild season, especially considering just how young this roster is.
Now, we know the Storm can step up and perform well. The pressure is on; the Storm are in 14th place out of 15 in the overall rankings and they have the chance to climb the rankings, considering the growth and potential that they’ve shown. They need let their strong team mentality continue to carry them through the rest of the month and the rest of the season. While playoffs are a longshot and not necessarily the main focal point for this team this season, continued growth and success in that regard certainly are.
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Cover photo provided by the Seattle Storm.
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