SEATTLE -- The Seattle Storm cooled down the red-hot Minnesota Lynx in a complete team win, awarding them their first loss of the season, 94-84. After falling to the Lynx 82-77 in their previous meeting in Minneapolis, the Storm were on a mission to correct their mistakes. With the loss, Minnesota fell to 9-1, leaving the New York Liberty as the lone undefeated team (9-0). As both teams displayed their star power, Seattle prevailed in front of their home crowd. Like the rest of the contest, the first quarter was a battle for both teams. 

Both teams started the game ready to play, with the Storm leading 32-27 after the opening quarter. Erica Wheeler scored eight points and had four assists in the period. According to Seattle Storm PR, four assists in the quarter is tied for her most in a quarter since 2019. Wheeler finished with 20 points, two rebounds, and nine assists in the win. Nneka Ogwumike (NEH-kuh oh-gwoo-MIH-kay) also started the game with seven points, two rebounds, and one assist. She played a key role in the win, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Although Minnesota was down early, Napheesa Collier (Nuh-FEE-sa KOL-yer) was playing like an MVP favorite in the game. She scored 12 of her 25 points in the period to go with three rebounds and three assists. The Storm finished the quarter with 14 made field goals on 10 assists, becoming the first WNBA team to record at least 10 assists in a quarter more than once this season. Although both teams continued their battle into the second quarter, Minnesota proved why they are difficult to beat. 

Before Seattle and the Lynx finished the half, Minnesota took a 49-48 lead. Alanna Smith helped the Lynx back into the game with her nine points, three rebounds, and one assist before entering the locker room. Kayla McBride also played a part in grabbing Minnesota’s halftime lead, scoring nine of her 19 points before the break. Although the Storm faced a small deficit, Ezi Magbegor (EH-zee Mag-BEH-Gor) dominated the second quarter defensively. She had eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks in the half. She moved into fourth sixth on all-time rebounds in franchise history, passing Crystal Langhorn with 1,048. Magbegor also moved into sixth all-time in defensive rebounds with 753 and third on the Storm’s all-time offensive rebounds list with 294. Gabby Williams has been a vital part of Seattle’s performance with her eight points, five assists, and five rebounds in the first half. Williams has proven her case to be an All-Star this season as she continues to lead the Storm. As both teams came out of their respective locker rooms, the task for each team to outduel each other became tougher.

After falling behind as much as 11 in the third quarter, Seattle took a three-point lead going into the fourth, 68-65. Storm rookie Dominque Malonga (Muh-LONG-uh) came out of the half aggressively with six of her eight points, four rebounds, and two assists in the third quarter. Ogwumike also performed well after the break, scoring 10 points off of her four makes in four attempts (100%), adding three rebounds to her seven total. Even though Minnesota lost the game, Bridget Carlton finished with 11 points, six of which were scored in the third period. She also got one steal and one assist in the contest, but struggled with foul trouble, finishing with five. The Lynx struggled against Seattle’s defense in the second half, turning the ball over 12 times to the Storm’s 10. The Storm also took advantage of their size over Minnesota, scoring 50 points in the paint to the Lynx’s 32. Although Seattle seemingly played a complete game, there were plenty of areas to improve. Storm Head Coach Noelle Quinn commented on the improvements they still need to make, highlighting their rebounding and opening, and finishing quarters.

“One of our goals today was to start and finish quarters,” Quinn said after the win. “In the third, we had a little bit of a lull…the other emphasis has been rebounding, and today we did a better job and hopefully from here we’re going to build upon that. The last (emphasis) is our turnovers. A lot of that is controllable, and I know we want to play up tempo and fast, but there are things we have to be mindful of if we want to be a good offensive team as well." 

Seattle has emphasized the importance of rebounding and taking care of the ball, but starting and finishing quarters are also important as they continue their play this season. Minnesota experienced a first this year, suffering its first loss after a 9-0 start. The Storm moved to 6-4, although their play of late has shown that Seattle is better than their record shows. The Storm will stay on the West Coast as they’ll travel to face the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, June 14th. The Lynx will return home to face the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, June 14th, hoping to get back to their winning ways.