Whitcomb, Magbegor tally 20 points each to lead six Storm players in double-figures

MINNEAPOLIS – With six players in double figures, a season-high 34 field goals, and just seven turnovers, the Seattle Storm had several numbers in their favor.

The biggest number not in their favor?

That was Minnesota’s No. 24.

Napheesa Collier poured in a career-high 33 points on Tuesday night, getting 24 of those during the second half, some of which doused multiple comeback attempts by the Storm, as the Lynx pulled away to a 104-93 victory inside the Target Center.

Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb countered with 20 points apiece for Seattle (4-10), Whitcomb’s total going into the book as a season-high, with the first 18 of those coming from behind the 3-point arc.

Jewell Loyd and Ivana Dojkic tacked on 14 each, Joyner Holmes added 11, and Kia Nurse chipped in 10.

It was just the second time the Storm has fallen short when six got into double-digit scoring, and the first time in regulation. The other such instance was a 110-106 overtime defeat at Washington on Sept. 1, 2017.

Minnesota (5-9) ended the first quarter on a 19-4 run, turning a 16-16 tie into a 35-20 lead – the most points allowed by the Storm in any quarter this season.

The lead grew to as many as 17 points twice during the second quarter, the last time at 44-27. Seattle answered with its own surge, outscoring the Lynx by a 20-9 margin to close the half and get within six, 53-47, at the break.

The Storm cut it to as few as four points twice early in the third, 53-49, then 55-51. It was still just a six-point margin at 80-74 heading into the final 10 minutes.

Collier put Minnesota’s first seven points onto the board in the fourth, starting with a traditional three-point play for an 83-74 advantage. Magbegor got it back town to seven at 83-76 on a pair of free throws with 9:25 still to play.

But that was as close as Seattle came. The Lynx went on an 11-3 run, pushing it back to a 15-point bulge at 94-79 – which Collier capped with another traditional three-point play.

While Collier grabbed most of the spotlight, the entire Minnesota starting five finished in double figures. Diamond Miller and Kayla McBride added 18 points apiece, Miller’s total going as a career high. Dorka Juhasz had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Storm had one of their better shooting nights of the season, hitting 34 of 74 (45.9 percent). That included their third-best performance from downtown, draining 13 of 31 (41.9 percent).

Seattle’s seven turnovers tied for a season low, matching what it had against the New York Liberty on May 30. The Lynx got just seven points off those miscues on Tuesday.

—— StormBasketball.com ——