Mack Dropped a Career High on Our Storm and This Losing Streak Just Got Ugly

Alright, Emerald City, can we talk about this? Because my heart is a little broken, and I'm pretty sure yours is too. We just watched our Seattle Storm lose a tough one at Climate Pledge Arena to the Phoenix Mercury, 72-68, and honestly, it stings. It doesn't just sting, it *burns*, because not only did we drop our fourth straight game, but we let a 3-8 Mercury squad snap their SEVEN-GAME LOSING STREAK against us. You read that right. Seven. Ouch.

What Went Down on the Court

Phoenix's Natasha Mack went off, dropping a career-high 16 points and snatching 10 rebounds. Like, seriously? A career high against *us*? Kahleah Copper matched her with 16 points, and that duo was a problem. Phoenix grabbed a 36-33 lead at halftime, even though they were shooting just 35% from the field. Get this: they were 2-for-13 from three-point land in the first half. They barely hit anything and still led! Our Storm had Awa Fam leading the charge with a game-high 18 points, and Natisha Hiedeman chipped in 15. Hiedeman actually pulled us back, scoring 10 of the Storm's 22 points in the third quarter to give us a 55-52 lead heading into the final frame. For a second, it felt like maybe, just maybe, we had it.

The Fourth Quarter Fade Out

But then, the fourth quarter hit, and man, it was a rough one. Copper put the Mercury ahead 61-59 with 5:37 left, and we never saw the lead again. Phoenix's DeWanna Bonner, who had 5 of her 10 points in the final four minutes, hit a jumper, a fast-break layup, and a free throw to extend their lead to 68-61 with 2:39 to go. We clawed our way back, getting within one possession twice in the last 20 seconds, but Copper sealed it at the free-throw line, going a perfect 4-for-4. The most frustrating stat of the night? Phoenix went 10-of-13 from the stripe, while *we didn't attempt a single free throw all game*. Not one! How does that even happen? The combined three-point shooting was abysmal, 12-of-55 between both teams. We had 9,109 fans in Climate Pledge, and they deserved to see us close it out. Now, we're sitting at 3-8, same record as Phoenix, but we're looking up at them after tonight. This four-game skid is brutal, and it's got to stop. Next up, we're on the road to face Minnesota on Saturday. We HAVE to regroup, we HAVE to find a way to get to the line, and we HAVE to start closing out these games. Let's go, Storm! Time to turn this around!

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