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Storm Late Rally Falls Just Short in 73-66 Loss to Washington

Magbegor records career-high 24 to lead Seattle effort

SEATTLE – They got the stops they needed at the defensive end. They got the shots they wanted at the offensive end.

However, not enough of those shots went in for the Seattle Storm.

Ezi Magbebor scored a career-high 24 points, but it wasn’t enough on Friday night as the Washington Mystics led from start to finish on the way to a 73-66 victory in Climate Pledge Arena.

Magbegor topped her previous career high of 21 points, hitting 10-of-16 from the field. The 10 makes was a career best, one more than the nine she hit against Washington last June 23.

She also had three blocked shots, the fourth-straight game she has had that many. The only other Seattle player to get three or more blocks in four consecutive games was Lauren Jackson, and she did that four times.

Rookie forward Jordan Horston finished with 10 points and a career-best nine rebounds. Along with the career-high 14 points she scored in Tuesday’s 66-63 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks, she is the first Storm rookie to hit for double digits in consecutive games since Breanna Stewart in 2016.

After allowing the Mystics (4-3) to shoot 48.6 percent in the first half (18-of-37), the Storm (1-5) tightened up considerably during the second half. They limited Washington to just 25.8 percent (8-of-31), and the 10 points they allowed in the third tied for the fewest allowed in a period by Seattle this year.

Seattle got some high-percentage chances, especially while erasing most of a 14-point deficit during the second half. The Storm, who were without the league-leading 28 points per game of Jewell Loyd because of a minor foot injury, hit four more field goals than the Mystics through the final 20 minutes, and twice came as close as five points before time finally ran out.

“They are obviously adjustments, because that’s what the game is. It’s just reminding them of what we’re supposed to be doing every single possession, and continue to talk and grow,” head coach Noelle Quinn said of the improved defense. “Now we have to marry the two. We have to hit these easy layups. These are close shots that we’re missing. We just have to focus on how we can put those two things together, offensively and defensively.

A traditional three-point play by Magbegor brought Seattle within five at 35-30 with 2:48 left before halftime. The Mystics then close the half on an 11-2 scoring run, and in doing so, didn’t miss a thing. They hit all four of their field goal attempts, including a 3-pointer by Natasha Cloud, and both of their free throws. The only Seattle points during that stretch came on a turnaround five-footer by Magbebor, and Seattle went into the locker room down by 14 at 46-32

It was still a double-digit deficit at 50-36 early in the third quarter when Seattle put together a 9-0 scoring run. Magbegor started it with a lay-in, then Horston hit the first 3-pointer of her career. A jumper by Horston and a turnarounder by Magbegor off an assist from Horston cut the deficit to 50-45 with 2:28 left in the third.

The Mystics were back up by eight at 56-48 entering the fourth quarter. Neither team scored for nearly three minutes until Brittney Sykes hit the second of two free throws with 7:13 to play. A Shakira Austin shot from the right corner Washington back up by 11 at 59-48 before Sami Whitcomb buried a 3-pointer that finally got the Storm back onto the board with 6:06 remaining, bringing them within 59-51.

Seattle got as close as 66-60 on a pair of Yvonne Turner free throws with 2:35 to go. A bad pass by Tiana Hawkins that went out of bounds at the 2:23 mark gave the ball back to the Storm, and the subsequently got three shots at it on the ensuing possession. Two fell short, one rolled in and out.

Washington pushed it back out to 71-61 with just 1:14 remaining.

Austin finished with her fifth double-double of the season for the Mystics, this one with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She helped Washington dominate the boards, 41-30.

BY THE NUMBERS 

— The Storm came in averaging 6.0 blocks per game, and that’s exactly what they finished with on Friday.

–Elaine Della Donne finished with 11 points for the Mystics, but did not score in the second half, as Seattle limited her to just three shots.

–Seattle had a season-high 17 assists, led by a career-high five for rookie Jade Melbourne off the bench.

— Horston’s nine rebounds included the Storm’s only two offensive boards of the night.

UP NEXT 

The Storm and Mystics play again on Sunday, tipping off at noon on ABC (Channel 4). Following the game, the Storm will formally retire Sue Bird’s No 10 jersey, raising it to the rafters alongside Lauren Jackson’s.