Dominique Malonga's Absence Is Crushing the Storm, and Nobody's Talking About It Enough

Alright, Emerald City, can we talk about last night? Because that 80-78 loss to the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena wasn't just a loss, it was a gut punch. You could practically feel the air go out of the building with 2.8 seconds left on the clock. It stings, especially when the Sun were 1-5 and we were 1-4 heading into it. They celebrated like they'd won the championship, dousing their coach in the locker room, and frankly, who can blame them? They desperately needed a win, and we let them have it right on our home court.

Heartbreak at Climate Pledge

Man, that game was a rollercoaster of emotions. We trailed for most of the night, digging ourselves into a hole, but then the Storm showed some real fight! Jade Melbourne hit a driving layup with 59 seconds left to put us up, and Mackenzie Holmes followed it up with two clutch free throws with 40.8 seconds to go, giving us a three-point lead. You could feel the momentum shifting, right? We were *right there*! But then, Aaliyah Edwards got a driving layup for the Sun, pulling them within one, and the next thing you know, Kennedy Burke converts a three-point play with just 2.8 seconds on the clock. Game over. Natisha Hiedeman, bless her heart, had 20 points and five assists for us, but her 3-point attempt at the final buzzer misfired. "It happens. I really wanted that win," Hiedeman said after the game. You could feel it, Natisha, we all wanted it.

Where's Our Anchor?

And let's be real, a massive part of our struggles right now? It's Dominique Malonga. Our starting center is missing her third straight game in concussion protocol, and you can see the hole she leaves. This isn't just a role player, this is a force who was averaging 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game! That's huge production, and without her, we're scrambling. It’s tough watching the Sun pull off a win even without their 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner, who was out with a right rib injury, while we’re missing Malonga and struggling to close it out. Coach Sonia Raman touched on it, saying, "We just had to transition back better. We will be better on that one next time, but they got us on that one." "Better" has to come fast when you're missing that kind of talent.

Time for Redemption, Storm!

The good news, if you can call a quick turnaround good, is that we don't have to wait long for a shot at redemption. We're running it back against the Sun on Friday night, right here in Seattle. This is the rubber game of the season series, too, after we snagged an 89-82 win on Mother's Day back in Connecticut. Griner is listed as questionable for the Sun, but honestly, who cares? We need to focus on us, on cleaning up those "other areas" Hiedeman mentioned. She's ready to play again on Friday already, and so are we as fans. This isn't just another game, it's a chance to put that Wednesday night heartbreak behind us and show the league what the Storm can *really* do. Let's get it done!

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