Seattle Storm Lose to Golden State, Lose Eight Straight, Not Great Mate!

The Valkyries topped the Storm 76-72 to earn their second win over Seattle this season. Like every team that has ever been on a losing streak similar to this one, the Storm certainly have a lot of questions to answer.

For how even the first half was, resulting in just a 40-38 advantage in favor of Golden State at the break, the second half was defined by extreme highs and lows.

Seattle was completely flat coming back from halftime. Outscored by the Valkyries 26-15 in the third quarter, Seattle looked like a team unbothered by losing.

Yet, out of nowhere, the Storm would begin to brew in the final quarter of action.

The Seattle offense would start to click on all cylinders. Flau’jae, Dom, and Awa made important contributions, but it was Natisha Hiedeman’s statsheet deserving of the headlines.

Hiedeman finished the game with 26 points, a new career high, powered by five made 3-pointers.  T’s immense scoring output would serve as the yin to the Storm’s fourth quarter push. The yang: Seattle’s stifling defense.

For the first 9 minutes and 39 seconds of the final quarter, the Seattle defense would hold Golden State to only 5 points in the fourth. The contrast of the Storm’s defensive intensity and identity was jarring, which a spacious Climate Pledge Arena seemed to appreciate.

Seattle brought the game within a single point multiple times throughout the final minute of action, but was never able to overcome the once 15-point Valkyrie lead. A missed Johnson layup out of a timeout called by Coach Raman solely to advance the ball and a blocked, potentially game-tying, Hiedeman 3-point attempt in the final 30 seconds would help Golden State hang on to the victory.

To circle back to some of those questions for the Storm to answer: Where was the defensive intensity in the third? Is shooting 3-pointers at a higher clip than field goals a good thing (Seattle shot 43% from behind the arc in comparison to 38% from the field)? For Coach Raman, why call a time out only to advance the ball when you have the opportunity to also communicate with your players?

The Storm will have a chance to snap this marathon of a losing streak on the road as they take on the Portland Fire for the first time in 24 years on Wednesday, June 17th.