
The Seattle Storm have misplaced two of three video games for the reason that All-Star break and could possibly be up for a problem on the shocking Connecticut Solar on Monday in Uncasville, Conn.
Seattle (15-11) stays solidly throughout the playoff discipline because the regular-season two-thirds mark approaches, regardless of a brutal offensive recreation in a 69-58 highway loss to the Washington Mystics on Saturday.
Seattle led by 5 factors after the primary quarter, however scored simply 37 factors within the recreation’s closing three durations. For the sport, the Storm shot 22-for-67 (32.8 p.c) and 5-for-21 (23.8 p.c) from 3-point vary.
Seattle trimmed a 58-39 deficit with 1:36 left within the third quarter to a 60-56 hole on an Erica Wheeler floater with 5:02 to play, however couldn’t pull nearer.
The Storm had been led by Nneka Ogwumike, who shot 6-for-14 for 18 factors, however solely Wheeler with 12 factors joined her in cracking the double-digit scoring mark.
“We’ve to execute offensively,” Storm coach Noelle Quinn mentioned. “It is about self-discipline. Doing the suitable factor constantly is the place now we have to be higher.”
Alternatively, Connecticut (4-20) has stumbled by way of a depressing season however all of the sudden broke by way of offensively with a 95-64 house win over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday. A Connecticut workforce that entered the sport final within the WNBA in scoring, general taking pictures and 3-point taking pictures caught hearth.
The Solar set season highs in scoring and taking pictures (35-for-66, 53.0 p.c) and made a season-best 12 3-pointers in 29 makes an attempt (41.4 p.c).
Main the scoring outburst was veteran heart Tina Charles with 24 factors on 8-for-11 taking pictures from the sphere. Guards Marina Mabrey and Bria Hartley every tallied 15 factors, with Hartley sinking 4 of 8 3-point tries. Reserve Jacy Sheldon added 13 extra factors.
“We performed a terrific recreation,” Solar coach Rachid Meziane mentioned. “We had essentially the most deflections all yr, we had essentially the most transition factors all yr … Once we do factor, we simply need to do higher the following day.”
This recreation would be the regular-season finale between these groups, with Seattle holding a 2-1 season sequence edge.
–Discipline Stage Media