The (4-15) Storm used a team effort to get their first win in nearly a month, beating the (12-6) New York Liberty at home in Climate Pledge Arena. The Storm’s starters scored 22 of the team’s 24 points in the third period to fuel their decisive run. After losing 11 of their past 13 games, they showed some resilience by pushing the Dallas Wings to overtime in their previous matchup, before collapsing in overtime.
“We just wanted to win. We were tired of losing,” Storm’s Dominique Malonga said about their desperation to break their losing streak. “Especially being that close in the last game. Instead of getting down, we realized we were right there. It felt like tonight was just another quarter of that game — same energy, same fire. We sat in the locker room and said if we play like that the rest of the season, things will be totally different. And we showed that tonight by keeping the pace high, staying aggressive, defending, and grabbing rebounds. It all came down to defense.”
Coming off her career-high 28-point game against the Wings, Dominique Malonga led the Storm in scoring in that all-important first quarter, 28-24 over the New York Liberty. The Liberty were playing without Breanna Stewart and Satou Sabally. In this matchup, Dominique Malonga recorded her fifth 20+ point game of the season, while becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to reach both 500 career points and 200 defensive rebounds.
Storm rookie Flau’Jae Johnson scored nearly as many points as the Liberty in the second frame, as the Liberty were held to 11 points and Johnson erupted for 10 points in the second quarter. She also set career highs in points (28), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (4), and offensive rebounds (4). Johnson also tied her career high with three steals and finished with nine total rebounds.
“Just trying to be like Dom, you know,” Storm’s rookie Johnson said factiously. “My teammates were finding me. I was open a lot, and you’ve got to knock those shots down. I shoot a lot, so it’s about confidence. But really, our defense was so impactful — it led to immediate offense, and that’s when I play my best.”
Flau’Jae has been showing off her all-around game in recent nights. Scoring in double digits in four of the past six games, she was second in assists with nine against the Wings, and she’s led the team with 12 rebounds against the Sparks, displaying the talent that’s made her a focal point on this team.
“She’s incredibly hungry — to compete, to win, to impact winning,” Storm HC Sonia Raman said of Johnson’s development. “She’s in the gym every day, watching film, getting shots up, working on the things she needs to improve. She’s not waiting for the offseason; she’s doing it now, in real time, in practices and games. She’s a rookie, so everything is new, but she’s applying what she learns quickly. The points stand out today, but for me, it was the defense — the big stops, the steals, the way she attacked. She’s wired to find ways to get stops.”
The third quarter has been somewhat of a bugaboo for the Storm this season, but tonight they were intent on overcoming this hurdle. Storm’s Jade Melbourne completed a steal and a lay-up in the third quarter to regain momentum in that quarter. Melbourne’s the three-point play to put them up ten with 3:09 remaining in the third. She would finish with nine points in the pivotal third period that saw the Storm outscore the Liberty, 24-20.
“We know the third quarter has hurt us before, so now we focus on it. In past games, we had bad thirds and had to fight back. We don’t want to be in that position again,” Storm’s Dominique Malonga shared post-game. “So, every time we come out in the third, we want to punch first — and that’s what we did. A: We also tried not to be bothered by the refs. We can’t control that. We’ve let the refs get to us before, and it never ends well. Now we stay together, hold each other accountable, talk on the court, and come together. That’s what’s working — we stay together.”
As mentioned, this was a total team effort by the Storm. Jade Melbourne scored a season-high 18 points, including nine in the third quarter. She shot 54.5% from the field and dished out a game-high seven assists. Natisha Hiedeman finished in double figures for the 11th straight game and eclipsed 2,000 career points.
“The win was important because it showed the growth we’ve been going through. I was really happy for the players and proud of how they came together,” Storm HC Raman said about beating her former bosses. “That was the biggest thing. It was also great to see old colleagues, friends, and players I coached in New York — all love there for sure.”
The Storm will welcome the (12-5) Atlanta Dream to downtown Seattle on Saturday, June 27 at 6 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast locally on KOMO and CW Seattle and available to stream on Prime for users in Washington State. The New York Liberty will take on the Golden State Valkyries next, to wrap up their road trip, before returning home to face the Las Vegas Aces.
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