By Wyatt Yearout
The No. 1 Seattle Storm will shoot for its first 20-win season since 2011 and seventh in franchise history when it returns to action tomorrow to take on the Phoenix Mercury at Talking Stick Resort Arena, with tip-off set for 7 p.m./PT.
HOME TEAM: Phoenix Mercury (15-11)
VISITING TEAM: Seattle Storm (19-7)
TIP-OFF: 7 p.m./PT.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can watch the game on Twitter or WNBA League Pass, with live stats available at StormBasketball.com. Live updates will also be provided on Twitter by following @SeattleStorm.
LAST TIME OUT
Seattle took down the Indiana Fever 92-72 in its last contest to take a league-best 19-7 record into the All-Star break.
Breanna Stewart tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Sue Bird notched a double-double as well with 11 points and 11 assists. Bird has now had 11 assists in four different contests this season and is second in the league at 7.3 dimes per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Seattle is 40-30 all-time against the Mercury, with each road team being the victor in the first two matchups this season. The Storm won the last game on May 23, 87-71. Seattle was defeated by the Mercury in its season opener on May 20 by a final margin of 87-82.
This matchup is a rematch of last season’s first-round showdown of the WNBA Playoffs. The Storm fell to the Mercury, 79-69, despite a playoff career-high of 23 points from Stewart.
The Storm swept the Mercury during the 2018 preseason, collecting a 73-69 win in Seattle on May 8, followed by an 84-61 road win on May 12. Seattle moved to 7-5 all-time against the Mercury in preseason games, including 5-1 at KeyArena.
This matchup marks the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. Seattle is going for its 13th overall season series win over Phoenix, last winning the series in 2016.
SCOUTING PHOENIX
Phoenix is 15-11 on the season, currently tied for the fourth-best record in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Mercury fell to the Chicago Sky 101-87 in its last contest before the All-Star break. DeWanna Bonner put in 30 points and 13 rebounds for Phoenix despite the loss.
Diana Taurasi leads Phoenix on the season, currently averaging 20.3 points and 4.8 assists per game.
UP NEXT
Seattle returns to the Emerald City after five games on the road to take on the defending champion Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 3, with tip-off set for 7 p.m./PT.