SEATTLE – The Seattle Storm took down the shorthanded Dallas Wings, 83-77, ending their three-game losing streak and capturing their first Commissioner's Cup victory. Seattle took advantage with the Wings missing two point guards, including rookie Paige Bueckers (BECK-ers). Although the Storm won the game in front of over 10,000 of their fans, they fell behind early.

Both teams started the game sluggishly, with Dallas gaining an early 20-19 lead. Myisha Hines-Allen (my-EE-shuh Hynes-AL-len) led the Wings with five points, two rebounds, and two steals in the quarter. Arike Ogunbowale (ARE-ree-kay OH-goon-buh-WALL-ay) scored four of her eight points in the period along with one rebound. Gabby Williams led in scoring for the Storm with her six points and contributed two rebounds and two steals in the quarter. Williams finished with a team-high 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win.  Seattle also kept the game close thanks to Li Yueru (Lee YOU-roo), who accomplished a personal milestone in the first period. She scored six points, including two three-pointers. This is the first game of her career where she made two three-pointers in a quarter. Dallas captured the lead early thanks to the battle of the boards, out-rebounding the Storm 17-8 after the period. In a low-scoring contest, a defensive specialist made her impact to close the half. 

Before Seattle and the Wings finished the half, Dallas extended their lead to 38-30. Dijonai Carrington (DEE-zhan-ay) helped the Wings take charge in the second quarter with her 12 points, six rebounds, and one assist. This is the most points and rebounds she’s had in a half this season. Carrington finished the contest with a season-high 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Although the Storm faced a tough deficit, Ezi Magbegor (EH-zee Mag-BEH-Gor) showed why she’s known for her defense. She had two points, three rebounds, and five of the team’s eight blocks in the first half. Magbegor’s five blocks tied her career-high, and she recorded them in less than two minutes (1:50). According to Elias Sports Bureau, this feat is the shortest amount of game time elapsed between a player’s five blocks in WNBA history. Dallas had a larger lead heading into the locker room thanks to their effort in rebounding, leading 30-17. As both teams ended the first half, Seattle came out with a higher sense of urgency.

With the Wings extending their lead to as high as eight points, the Storm cut their lead to one, down 55-54, before the fourth quarter. Nneka Ogwumike (NEH-kuh Oh-gwoo-MIH-kay)had 11 points through three quarters, along with her seven rebounds and two blocks. Erica Wheeler took over the second half, finishing with five points and four rebounds through three quarters. In the contest, she was a +18, which played a big part in Seattle’s comeback. Hines-Allen finished the third period with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals for Dallas. Despite both teams being in a close contest after three quarters, the Storm used their momentum to capitalize in the fourth period.

Although Seattle was victorious in this game, they lost the rebounding battle 48-31. Dallas Head Coach Chris Koclanes (Co-CLAN-us) spoke about how they view that part of the game as their identity, and how they’ll carry that momentum into the future.

“(We) talked about crashing (the glass) consistently on the offensive end as that being a part of our identity,” Koclanes said after the 83-77 loss. “...Our effort on the glass was fantastic…We got enough shots on the rim to win that game, so more will go in the future, and we’ll be alright.”

Even though the team didn’t end the game on top, their rebounding abilities are an advantage they can take away. Wings rookie center Luisa Geiselsöder (loo-EE-sa GAY-zel-sue-der) played a career-high 21 minutes, finishing with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in the loss. Koclanes complimented her defense and her effectiveness on that side of the ball.

“I think (Geiselsöder)’s a really smart defender, and I think her movements are underrated,” he said. “I thought she did a good job in space, and she can be really good at the point of attack on ball screens, too.”

Dallas is getting good production out of their rookies to begin the season, something that will serve them well in the future. The Storm earned this win after using the second half to claw back into the contest. They will travel to Phoenix to face the Mercury on Saturday, June 7th, before returning home to battle the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, June 11th. The Wings will continue their West Coast road trip as they head to Los Angeles looking to bounce back against the Sparks on Friday, June 6th.