3-11: The Storm's Early Season Slide Has Emerald City Fans Pacing

Ugh, another one, right? Our Seattle Storm battled hard, clawed back, but ultimately fell short to the Los Angeles Sparks, losing a Commissioner's Cup game 88-83 right here in Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday night. Nneka Ogwumike went off for 24 points, dropping seven of those in the fourth quarter, and grabbed nine boards to seal it for LA. Our Storm now sits at a tough 3-11 overall, and a brutal 0-5 in the Commissioner's Cup. What are we even doing out there?

So Close, Yet So Far for Our Storm

This loss just stings because we saw so much fight. Natisha Hiedeman led the charge with 16 points for the Storm, overcoming a slow start to keep us in it. Dominique Malonga added 15, and our rookie Flau'jae Johnson was an absolute beast, putting up 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Talk about doing it all! Awa Fam chipped in 12 points, and Jordan Horston added 11. Here's the kicker: we actually shot better from the field at 46.9 percent compared to their 38.7 percent! You'd think that would be enough. But dang it, Hiedeman missed a potential tying 3-pointer with just 6.3 seconds left on the clock. Erica Wheeler then made two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining for the final margin. That's a gut punch.

A Rollercoaster Ride We Didn't Stick The Landing On

This game was a total rollercoaster, and we just couldn't stick the landing. We started hot, right? Remember that early 7-0 lead? Malonga hitting a turnaround jumper and a three, then Horston adding a jumper? We were buzzing! Then the Sparks hit us with a 10-0 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Kelsey Plum, who finished with 19 points and 11 assists. We tied it up at 14-14, but then Cameron Brink, who scored 15 points off the bench, went on an 8-0 run herself, giving LA its largest lead of the period. But our Storm fought back! We got down 34-25, then went on an 11-0 streak with Malonga hitting two jumpers and Johnson adding a 3-pointer and a jumper. We regained the lead at 36-34! And then Rae Burrell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie it at halftime. After Dearica Hamby opened the third with a layup for LA, we went on another 11-0 run, capped by Hiedeman with a long jumper and a three for a 51-42 lead. We had it! But slowly, it slipped away, with Brink pulling LA within one point, 67-66, heading into the fourth. We just couldn't close it out. This 3-11 start is tough, Seattle. The fight is there, and we've seen flashes of brilliance, like those big runs and strong individual performances from players like Johnson. But the consistency isn't clicking yet, and we're letting games slip away. What's next for our Storm? We gotta find a way to finish these games and turn those flashes into full-game efforts. The season is still early, but we desperately need some Ws to get this ship right. Let's keep the faith, 12s, and keep cheering our team on!

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