The Storm's Six-Game Road Skid and Nobody in Portland Is Ready For It

Alright, 12s, let's just get to it. Our Seattle Storm is hitting the road again, heading south to Portland on Wednesday, and we absolutely need to talk about this road skid. Six straight losses away from home, and a brutal 0-7 record against Western Conference opponents. Yeah, I know. It stings. The good news? We're heading into this first matchup against the Portland Fire looking to break that frustrating streak and finally snag a conference win. It's Wednesday at 7:00 PM PDT, and you can bet every Storm fan will be locked in to see if our squad can turn things around.

Gotta Stop the Bleeding on the Road

Let's be real, a 3-12 overall record and that 0-7 mark in the Western Conference is tough to swallow. We're sitting 8.5 games back, and the season is still early, but every single win matters right now. Our defense has been putting in work, though. The Storm is fourth in the Western Conference with 25.1 defensive rebounds per game, and Dominique Malonga is a force on the glass, averaging 4.7 of those boards herself. That’s solid! But here's the kicker: Portland is scoring 81.5 points per game, and our Storm is allowing 83.1 points on average. That 1.6-point difference might not seem huge, but it's enough to swing games, especially when every possession counts. We’re going to need that defensive intensity for all four quarters if we want to shut down the Fire in their own building.

Offense Needs to Spark Up

Look, the numbers don't lie. Our shooting percentage from the field this season is 40.5%, which is 5.4 percentage points lower than what Portland has given up to its opponents. That's a gap we absolutely have to close. Over the last 10 games, we've only been averaging 74.8 points, while our opponents have put up 81.9. We've got to find ways to get those buckets to drop. On the bright side, some of our players are absolutely stepping up. Natisha Hiedeman is averaging 14.7 points and dishing out 4.2 assists per game, keeping our offense moving. And Flau'jae Johnson has been money from beyond the arc, hitting 1.3 three-pointers over her last 10 games. We need them to keep that fire, and the rest of the team to ignite around them. Adding to the challenge, Jordan Horston is day to day, and Ezi Magbegor is unfortunately out with a foot injury. We're going to need everyone who steps on that court to play with heart.

Time to Show the Fire Who We Are

The Portland Fire aren't exactly world-beaters themselves, coming in at 7-9 overall and 1-5 in conference play. They're at home, where they're 5-5, and they’ve got players like Emily Engstler, who's averaging 9.2 points and two blocks, and Carla Leite, who’s been hot with 13.2 points over their last 10 games. This is our first meeting against them this season, so we're walking into the unknown a bit, but we know what we need to do. This isn't just another game. This is a chance to break a six-game road skid, grab our first Western Conference win, and start building some momentum. So, tune in Wednesday night at 7:00 PM PDT on WNBA League Pass. Let's show Portland what the Emerald City is all about! Go Storm!

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