League-leading Storm is the first team to punch its ticket to the 2018 WNBA Playoffs
SEATTLE – With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Seattle Storm has clinched a playoff berth for the 2018 WNBA Playoffs, with the first of two single-elimination rounds set for Aug. 21. In what will be the franchise’s 14th WNBA Playoffs appearance, Seattle is still looking to lock up the #1 seed entering postseason play for the second time (2010) in team history.
Starting Monday, Aug. 6, current Storm 360 members, 2018 Storm package buyers and those who have placed deposits on 2019 Storm 360 memberships will receive information on their first chance to secure WNBA Playoff seats for any possible Storm home games. Single game tickets will be on sale as soon as Seattle has locked in dates for postseason home games, concurrent with finalizing Seattle’s postseason seeding.
Behind the play of leading WNBA MVP candidate Breanna Stewart, Seattle (20-7), has recorded the team’s first 20-win season since 2011, when the team finished 21-13. With 4 road games remaining, the Storm, 10-3 on the road, is on pace to set the best road record in franchise history.
Stewart, in the middle of her MVP-candidate season, is currently second in the league with 22.6 points per game (609 total points), pacing to set the franchise’s single-season scoring record, set by Storm legend Lauren Jackson in 2007 at 739 points. In July, Stewart joined Jackson as just the second player in franchise history to earn WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month and the first to do so since 2010, when Jackson earned the honor three times en route to leading the Storm to its second WNBA title. In addition to shooting a career-best 53.6 percent from the field, Stewart is on the verge of breaking her own single-season record (21) for 20-plus point games, currently at 19. She has scored 30 or more four times this season, including a season-high 35 points to go along with 10 rebounds vs. Dallas on July 14, one of six double-doubles for the 6-4 forward in 2018.
In her 16th-active WNBA season, Sue Bird is averaging a career-best 7.2 assists per game (181 total assists) and needs to average 7.9 assists per game the rest of the season to break the WNBA’s single-season assist record, currently set by Ticha Penichero in 2000, when she dished out 236 with the Sacramento Monarchs. Bird has dished out eight or more dimes in 13 games this season, including a season-high 11 assists (four times). She scored a season-best 21 points on July 8 vs. Washington en route to becoming the eighth player in WNBA history to eclipse the 6,000-point mark and ultimately becoming the Seattle Storm’s all-time leading scorer in franchise history, passing former great Lauren Jackson (6,007).
Fourth-year guard Jewell Loyd is in the process of recording her most complete season yet. The Lincolnwood, Ill., native is averaging 16.5 points per game to go along with career-highs of 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per outing, as well as a career-low 1.8 turnovers per game. She earned her first-ever WNBA All-Star appearance this season, finishing with 12 points off the bench to help ‘Team Parker’ come away with a win over ‘Team Delle Donne’ in Minneapolis. She scored a season-high 31 at Connecticut on July 20 and has matched the 29-point mark three times this season. She currently sits just 28 points from becoming just the third player (Bird, Crystal Langhorne) on the Storm roster with 2,000 points or more.
Seattle has two regular-season home games remaining. On Aug. 17 vs. New York (7 p.m./PT), the first 4,000 fans will receive a 2018 Seattle Storm team poster and on the regular-season finale, set for Aug. 19 vs. Dallas (4 p.m./PT), the first 3,000 fans will receive a #Stewie4MVP t-shirt. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting StormBasketball.com or by calling (206) 217-WNBA (9622).