5, 15, 7, DNP, 6, 4, 2, 2, DNP, DNP, 8, DNP, 10.

This was the minutes line for Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis through the team’s first 13 games. It was something completely foreign to her.

Mosqueda-Lewis had spent the last four years at UConn where she was playing minutes and was one of the best players in the country. She was the third overall pick in April’s draft and, now in the WNBA, was one month into her first professional season and the most minutes she had seen in a single game was 15.

She struggled to get open looks, stay in front on defense, and play at this faster pace. But then something happened.

As the game on July 10 against Phoenix got away from Seattle late, Mosqueda-Lewis checked in and quickly went to work. In her brief six minutes, she scored eight points and went 4-for-4 from the line.

Two days later, she came in again and helped to bring the Storm back from a 21-point deficit to cut it to eight in the fourth quarter. She had nine points and went 3-for-4 from three in 18 minutes.

There was no hesitation in her shot. Something clicked.

“I was just trying to keep positive thoughts and keep my confidence up, just keep on working,” Mosqueda-Lewis said. “It takes me time comfortable in a new system for the type of player that I am. I think being more comfortable in the system has let me play more free and play like my normal self.

“I feel a lot more confident. I feel like I have a good grasp of what my role is and what is expected of me.”

Mosqueda-Lewis struggled to find an early rhythm in a new system with a new team and assistant coach Ryan Webb took notice.

“I knew that she was making a big change because she went from playing almost every minute to playing not at all,” he said. “So, I just checked in. From then, we had this really open and honest conversation to just build that sort of relationship.”

The intensity of her workouts picked up.

Webb said, “The amount of work she is putting in is absolutely phenomenal. We’ll have a shoot around but she’ll have already been for 45 minutes. It’s that type of commitment.”

Despite the solid performances, as many rookies do, she found herself watching again.

Mosqueda-Lewis did not play the following game and was in for a combined 14 minutes between July 18 and 21. However, towards the end of a long six-game road trip, the Storm went deeper into the bench and called upon the rookie.

The Anaheim Hills, Calif. native capitalized on the opportunity and exploded for a career-high 15 points off the bench, going 6-for-11 from the field, to help Seattle to the 85-77 win at Los Angeles. It just so happened to be in front of her hometown crowd.

 

@kaleena23 erupts for a career-high 12 points off the bench! Tune in on NBA TV for the second-half.

A photo posted by Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) on Aug 11, 2015 at 8:31pm PDT

One night later, she did it again and scored 14 points, dished out three assists, and grabbed two boards.

KML! KML! KML! @kaleena_23 on fire right now with 9 points. @SeattleStorm trail 28-35 in the 2nd. #TogetherWeRise

— Storm Chasers (@SeaStormChasers) August 13, 2015

HALF | @kaleena23 with 12 off the bench and shooting 51.4 percent as a team. #TogetherWeRise

A photo posted by Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) on Aug 12, 2015 at 8:00pm PDT

“He’s been constantly talking to me about keeping my head up and working extra hard,” Mosqueda-Lewis said of Webb. “I’ve been doing extra workouts with him, doing extra work with [Sports Performance Coach Susan Borchardt], and I think playing one-on-one with Ryan and him getting me through reps has really me better.

“Once you do something so many times, you get confidence, it becomes second nature.”

Not only was she getting the shot she is known for (the three) but Mosqueda-Lewis attacking the basket and finding ways of getting good looks in the paint.

“We haven’t been able to practice but we’ve had shoot arounds. Her shoot around is different,” Webb said. “It’s a workout. It would be one thing to come in and get shots up but shoot around, we are going game speed. There a lot of one-on-one stuff. I think that has really helped her adjust to the speed.”

Mosqueda-Lewis seems to finally be figuring out her place and her potential is beginning to shine through. As the Storm hits the stretch run, she has a few more weeks to make a final impression on the season.

“All coaching aside, I’m a fan of this game,” he said. “As a fan to watch her make that change, it’s exciting. You see the potential.”