Seattle's 0-for-10 Halftime From Three Point Land Is Why We're Still Reeling From That 79-56 Beatdown

Alright, fam, listen up. My fingers are still numb from Monday night's Commissioner's Cup clash down in Arlington, and not in a good way. The Dallas Wings just handed our Seattle Storm a brutal 79-56 loss, and honestly? It felt even worse than the scoreboard. This isn't just a loss, it's our third straight defeat, and the fourth road game in a row we've dropped. The 3-7 start to the season is a gut punch, and we need to talk about what went wrong.

The First Half Brickfest That Set the Tone

From the jump, Dallas owned this game. They blasted out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, finishing the first quarter up 16-10. We tried to claw back, getting within six points three times in the second, with Natisha Hiedeman even hitting three free throws to cut the deficit with 4:07 to play. But every time, Dallas had an answer. Paige Bueckers drained a three with 30.3 seconds left in the half, giving them a commanding 36-25 lead. Hiedeman was the only Storm player hitting double digits by halftime with 11 points, but the real killer stat? We went a shocking 0 of 10 from beyond the arc in the first half! That's just anemic, folks. Dallas also outrebounded us 25-17 in those first two quarters, showing their dominance.

Third Quarter Collapse and Flau'jae's Fight

If the first half was tough, the third quarter was a full-blown disaster. Dallas's defense cranked up, and we completely crumbled. We missed our first five shots of the period and coughed up three turnovers. An 8-0 Dallas run was finally stopped by Awa Fam's reverse layup, making it 44-27 with 5:39 left, but the damage was done. They just kept pouring it on, stretching their lead to a whopping 24 points at one point and going into the final period up 57-37 after a dominating third. Aziaha James, coming off the bench for the Wings, was a menace, leading them with 18 points on the night. Bueckers finished with 10 points, nine boards, and seven assists, showcasing their balanced attack where Arike Ogunbowale, Azzi Fudd, Jessica Shepard, and Maddy Siegrist each added nine points. The bright spot for us, and honestly, the only reason it wasn't a total wash? Rookie Flau'jae Johnson put up a monster 16 points and 10 rebounds. She fought, but one player can't win it alone when the team shoots a miserable 4 of 19 from deep for the entire game. So, here we are, sitting at 3-7, with three straight losses and four consecutive road losses. This Commissioner's Cup game was a rough one, and Dallas looked like a team on a mission, winning their third straight and fifth in six outings, plus their first Commissioner's Cup victory. We gotta figure this out, Emerald City! The season's still early, but these trends are concerning. We need to find our shot, especially from beyond the arc, and tighten up that defense. Let's hope the next game brings the fight we know our Storm have.

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