The (3-7) Seattle Storm fell to the (3-8) Phoenix Mercury at Climate Pledge Arena last night in their one-game home stand. Their four-point loss to the Mercury was their fourth consecutive loss of this young season. With several tough matchups coming up on their schedule, the question was asked about how they maintain their composure.
“It’s important to battle every night. We want to improve every time we step on the floor, and that started this morning.” Storm head coach Sonia Raman said. “Sometimes a win can validate progress, but the best teams walk in understanding whether they’re getting better and how that shows up.”
As this new collection of talent is still trying to figure each other out. Their ability to adjust will be critical to their success this season, as there will be more adjustments. They will need to reintegrate Dominque Malonga and Ezi Magbegor into the lineup once they are cleared to play.
Storm fans have recently gotten a good look at Awa Fam, their third overall pick in the recent WNBA Draft, as she has played the most minutes on the team in recent games. Against the Mercury, Spain’s Awa Fam got the first start of her WNBA career. She finished with a game-high 18 points and tied for the team high in rebounds in a team-high 32:39 minutes.
“She’s a tremendous force on both ends. She can ignite a fast break herself, which makes them dangerous in transition,” said Storm’s coach Raman of Fam. “In the half-court, she slows the game down, picks apart matchups, and runs inverted pick‑and‑roll actions you don’t see every night. We need a team approach—knowing personnel, understanding the scout, and making multiple efforts.”
“I found out this morning, so I came prepared,” Fam said when asked about her preparation to play. “I’m already chill — I know what I need to do on the court, how I can help, what my strengths are on offense and defense. If I keep doing that, I’ll keep earning minutes.”
After a late start to her WNBA season, Fam has certainly earned her minutes. Fam has averaged 44.9 percent from the field, five rebounds a game, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks a game early on this season. Fam has size, agility, and impressive shooting ability that the Storm could use right away on this young team. They just need to determine how her game transitions into WNBA action, and starting her against the veteran Mercury forward would be a good chance to see her play against stiff competition.
Fam got a good look at a true WNBA professional by facing the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas. The 2020 steals champion, 2023 rebounds champion, and 2025 assist champion, and six-time all-star Thomas gave the Storm a modest nine points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes in the win for the Mercury against the Storm.
“She’s a tremendous force on both ends. She can ignite fast breaks herself, which makes them dangerous in transition. In the half-court, she slows the game down, picks apart matchups, and runs inverted pick‑and‑roll actions you don’t see every night,” coach Raman said about Thomas, who recorded nine points, nine rebounds, and five assists. “It takes a team approach — knowing personnel, understanding the scout, and making multiple‑effort plays.”
The Storm travel to the Twin Cities to play the (7-2) Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, June 6th, in a nationally televised game on ABC, with tip-off scheduled for 10 am. The Mercury will make stops for games in Portland, Golden State, and Dallas before returning home to welcome the Sparks, Aces, and the Storm again on June 20th.
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