Breanna Stewart Scores Season-High 29 Points; Seattle’s Record Stands at 4-8
ARLINGTON, TEX. – In the final contest of its four-game road trip, the Seattle Storm fell 88-79 to the Dallas Wings on Thursday at College Park Center.
Rookie forward Breanna Stewart led all scorers with a season-high 29 points, but Dallas used a dominant third quarter to pull away from the Storm after Seattle had overcome an early deficit. The Wings were ahead by 10 in the first period, and Seattle came from behind to take the lead before Dallas made its run in the second half.
Stewart, after combining to shoot 28.8 percent from the field in her previous five games, finished 8-for-11 from the floor and 12-of-14 on free throws Thursday night. The reigning Rookie of the Month nailed a three-pointer for the first time in five games. However, a balanced attack from the Wings, including 17 points apiece from Odyssey Sims and Karima Christmas, helped Dallas snap its six-game losing streak.
Storm forward Crystal Langhorne fell just short of season highs with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Jewell Loyd scored 12 points and Sue Bird added 11. The Wings were bolstered by a strong night from their bench, which recorded 23 points led by the 13 of rookie Aerial Powers.
Finishing the four-game road trip with just one victory, the Storm drops to 4-8 on the season.
Dallas opened up a 13-4 lead in the opening moments by making its first five shots, as all five Wings starters scored in the first three minutes. After taking a double-digit lead, the Wings were ahead just 25-21 after the first quarter as Stewart kept the Storm close with nine points. Seattle committed seven turnovers in the opening period before limiting its mistakes in the second.
Langhorne scored her third basket of the game to bring the Storm within one at 26-25, and Seattle would take its first lead of the game at 33-32 with 4:28 remaining in the half on a Stewart layup. Stewart continued to dominate in the second quarter, finishing the half with 17 points along with three blocks. Seattle held a 38-36 advantage at the break.
Langhorne had an explosive start to the second half, scoring six points in three minutes to help Seattle increase its lead. But the Wings would regain the advantage shortly after, and an 11-2 run by Dallas late in the period built a sizeable gap between the teams. The Storm’s turnover problems returned in the third, when it tallied six giveaways.
The Wings outscored Seattle 31-19 in the third quarter, shooting 11-of-15 from the field. Powers was dominant late in the period, scoring the final seven points for Dallas.
Led by Sims, Dallas maintained a double-digit edge for most of the fourth quarter. The Storm pulled within six in the final minute, but Sims and Glory Johnson converted free throws to seal the victory.
Seattle hosts the defending champion Minnesota Lynx, who have set a new WNBA record with an 11-0 start, on Sunday at 4 p.m.