By Wyatt Yearout
In its first playoff game at KeyArena since 2012, the Seattle Storm took down the Phoenix Mercury 91-87 to take a 1-0 lead in the WNBA Semifinals.
2018 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart led the way for the Storm with playoff career-high 28 points and seven rebounds, knocking down six three-pointers.
Jewell Loyd poured in 23 points, also marking a playoff career-high, along with five assists.
In her first career playoff start, Natasha Howard posted 20 points, which marked a playoff career-high as well.
Sue Bird registered her third career postseason double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.
DEFINING MOMENTS
After the Mercury and Storm traded the lead back and forth throughout the first two periods, the Storm got a couple key stops on the defensive end to help rattle off a 9-3 run towards the end of the second to help take a slight edge into halftime at 54-50.
The Storm opened up the third period outscoring the Mercury 10-2 to extend its lead at one point to 13 points at 65-52. Seattle was able to maintain the lead throughout the period and take a 79-67 advantage into the fourth. Howard posted nine points in the third period for the Storm.
Phoenix chipped away at the lead slowly but surely in the final period and cut the lead to just two points at 89-87 with just 1:40 remaining. With the Storm up a bucket, Jewell Loyd knocked down a big mid-range jumper at the one-minute mark to extend the lead back to two possessions.
The Storm got the stop on the other end, but then gave the ball back to Phoenix up four points with 14 seconds on the clock. Phoenix couldn’t get anything to go in the final seconds, leading to the Game 1 victory for the Storm.
NOTES
- The Storm won its first postseason game since Sept. 30, 2012, when the team defeated Minnesota, 86-79, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
- Seattle’s 91 points equaled a franchise high for points in a playoff game (91, at PHO, 9/5/2010)
- The Storm also equaled team playoff records for three-point field goals made with 13 (13, twice, vs. PHO, 8/24/2007 and at PHO, 9/17/2011) and for assists with 24 (24, vs. SAC, 10/5/2007).
- Stewart’s six three-pointers ties a franchise record for the most by player in the postseason (Lauren Jackson, six vs. SAC, 10/5/04).
- Stewart’s 28 points were the second highest by a Storm player in a playoff game (31, Jackson, at SAC (OT), 10/1/2004).
UP NEXT
Seattle returns to action on Tuesday for Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at KeyArena.