Cooke and Johnson Are Going OFF, and the WNBA Is NOT Ready for Seattle!

Emerald City, did you feel that earthquake on Friday night? Because Zia Cooke just dropped a career-high 25 points, and rookie Flau'jae Johnson had her best game of the season to lead our Seattle Storm to a HUGE 77-59 win over the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena! This wasn't just any win, either. This was sweet revenge for that gut-punch loss to the Sun just two nights prior. You just knew our squad wasn't going to let that slide again!

Cooke and Rookie Johnson Light It Up

Man, these two were absolutely cooking! Zia Cooke was on another level, scoring 16 of her 25 points in that electric first half alone. But don't sleep on Flau'jae Johnson, our No. 8 pick in the draft. She put up a season-best 17 points, hauled in seven boards, and dished out five assists. Talk about making a statement! Natisha Hiedeman chipped in 11 points herself, rounding out a dominant offensive performance. The Sun's Diamond Miller led them with 13 points, and Aaliyah Edwards added 10, but they just couldn't keep pace with our Storm. Brittney Griner missed her fourth straight game for them with a rib injury, which definitely helped us out.

Fighting Back and Finding Solutions

It wasn't all smooth sailing at the jump. We actually trailed 21-19 after the first quarter. But then Zia Cooke took over in the second, outscoring the *entire* Sun team 8-7 in that quarter to help us grab a 37-28 lead by halftime. We stretched that lead to 16 in the third, but the Sun tried to claw back, cutting it to just seven points early in the fourth with a quick three-pointer. No sweat for our Storm, though! Cooke hit a clutch free throw, and then Johnson drained a huge three-pointer, and the Sun never got back within single digits after that. They shot a dismal 35% from the field, with only 11 baskets in the final three quarters after nine in the first. Our frontcourt has been a bit of a MASH unit lately, with Dominique Malonga missing her third straight game in concussion protocol, veteran Ezi Magbegor still not playing, and our No. 3 pick, Awa Fam, just arriving from Spain after helping Valencia win a Spanish League championship. We're all waiting on pins and needles for her debut, but in the meantime, Joyner Holmes, signed earlier on game day, stepped up big time! She immediately contributed two points, five rebounds, and three blocks in just 15 minutes. That's the kind of hustle and grit you love to see! The Storm are back at Climate Pledge Arena for a second straight two-game set, taking on Washington this Sunday. Our squad is 2-4 right now and sits in a three-way tie for last in the Western Conference, but after a win like this, building momentum is everything! Let's get out there and show Washington what the Emerald City is all about!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.