Natisha Hiedeman's Buzzer Beat Miss and the Storm's Gut Punch Loss: Nobody Is Ready For Friday Night

Dude, can we even talk about last night? My heart is still pounding, but not in a good way. The Seattle Storm just took an absolute gut punch, falling 80-78 to the Connecticut Sun right here at Climate Pledge Arena. It was a brutal loss that snapped the Sun's five-game losing streak, and honestly, it felt like we gave it away in the final seconds. You know what that means: we gotta run it back on Friday.

The Collapse That Broke Our Hearts

We were right there! We led for most of the night, then trailed, then fought back! Jade Melbourne drove hard for a layup that put us ahead with just 59 seconds left. Then Mackenzie Holmes hit two clutch free throws with 40.8 seconds on the clock, extending our lead to three points. We were so close, man! But then Aaliyah Edwards cut it to a one-point game with a driving layup with 32 seconds to go. And then, the ultimate dagger: Kennedy Burke converted a three-point play with just 2.8 seconds left. Just like that, it was over. Our coach, Sonia Raman, said we "just had to transition back better." Yeah, no kidding. Natisha Hiedeman, who led us with 20 points and five assists, had a look at a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it just wouldn't fall. You could see how much she wanted it, saying "It happens. I really wanted that win." We all did, Natisha. We all did.

Friday Night: Rubber Match, Huge Stakes

This loss just makes Friday night's game even more insane. It's the rubber match of the season series, remember? We already smoked them 89-82 on Mother's Day back in Connecticut, so this is for bragging rights, and for us to get back on track. The Sun's coach, Rachid Meziane, was talking all about how his team "didn't panic" and stayed "locked in." We need that same fire, that same focus. What's gonna make it even tougher for us is that our starting center, Dominique Malonga, will miss her third straight game. She's still in concussion protocol, and we're missing her 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game big time. The Sun's 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner, who averages 15.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, is listed as questionable for Friday, but honestly, we gotta be ready for whatever. Natisha Hiedeman already said she's "ready to play again on Friday already." That's the attitude we need! This team needs to come out swinging. It's time for the Storm to clean up those "other areas" Hiedeman mentioned and prove we can close out games. We can't let this one loss define us. Get loud, Emerald City! Let's make Climate Pledge Arena a fortress and get this win!

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