After a two-game skid, the Mystics found a win in their crystal ball as they downed the Storm 78-64 in Seattle Wednesday night. Washington came out hot, piling in 28 points in the first quarter. Seattle’s response: a 9-point second quarter. By halftime, the game was already out of hand, as the Storm trailed 48-29.
Offensively, nothing was brewing for the Storm, who shot 35% from the field and 22% from three-point land. Jade Melbourne was the sole Storm player in double figures with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, on 75% shooting. Yet, after the game, Melbourne explained, “we need to do a better job as a group to generate better looks.”
Not only did Seattle’s shot selection raise some eyebrows, but on the other end of the court, Washington had their way with the Storm’s defense. “I also think too,” Melbourne continued postgame, “we didn’t get a lot of stops.”
That combination of bad offensive possessions, partnered with an ineffective defense, won’t win a lot of ball games.
With all that said, it was a particularly strange game for both squads, which can be attributed to the lack of an official for all 40 minutes of action. Wednesday night’s game was played with only two referees, one less than the standard three, which may have contributed to some blown calls for both teams.
All in all, this will be a game the Storm will want to move on from. Well, maybe with the exception of the fourth quarter, which Melbourne touched on in her postgame press conference: “I think what we hang our hat on is we beat them 12 to 19 in the last quarter… Let’s build on that.”
Both sides of the ball will need to be a whole lot more mystical for the Storm as they head on a two-game road trip to Toronto and then Dallas, who both sit at or above a .500 winning percentage.
Seattle will look to even the season series with Toronto as they take on the Tempo on Saturday, May 30, with tip-off scheduled for 10 a.m. PT.
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