0-5 in the Commissioner's Cup: The Storm's Late-Game Woes Are Getting Hard to Watch

Okay, Seattle, we gotta talk. Our Storm just took another gut punch, falling 88-83 to the Los Angeles Sparks at Climate Pledge Arena last night. It was a Commissioner's Cup game, and yeah, it hurts even more because this puts us at a brutal 0-5 in that competition. We fought hard, we clawed back, we even shot better, but when the final buzzer sounded, it was another L. Man, this team is making us hold our breath until the very last second, and not in a good way.

Another Rollercoaster Ride Ends in Heartbreak

Seriously, this game had me screaming at my screen like it was the Super Bowl. We came out blazing, with Dominique Malonga hitting a turnaround jumper and a three-pointer, then Jordan Horston dropping a jumper to give us an early 7-0 lead just over two minutes in. You felt that energy, right? But the Sparks, led by Kelsey Plum's back-to-back three-pointers, went on a 10-0 run right after. It was back and forth, tied at 14-14 before Cameron Brink went on an 8-point run herself, pushing LA ahead. Horston closed the first quarter with a three, keeping us close at 22-17. Plum then hit a couple of driving layups to stretch their lead to 34-25 in the second quarter. But our Storm showed grit, man! Malonga hit two jumpers, and Flau'jae Johnson added a three-pointer and a jumper in an insane 11-0 streak that put us back in front, 36-34, with just over a minute left in the half. Then, a buzzer-beating three from Rae Burrell for the Sparks tied it up at halftime. Just when you think we've got momentum, a dagger!

The Fourth Quarter: Too Close for Comfort

The third quarter started with a Sparks layup, but then the Storm roared back with 11 straight points! Natisha Hiedeman, after a slow start, caught fire, capping that run with a long jumper and a three-pointer to give us a 51-42 lead. We had control! But the Sparks kept chipping away, with Brink getting a couple of free throws and a layup off an offensive rebound to pull them within one, 67-66, heading into the fourth. That's when Nneka Ogwumike took over, scoring seven of her game-high 24 points in that final quarter. Our Storm actually shot 46.9 percent from the field, hitting 30 of 64 shots, compared to the Sparks' 38.7 percent. How do you shoot better and still lose by five?! It all came down to the wire. Hiedeman, who led us with 16 points, had a potential tying three-pointer with only 6.3 seconds left, and it just didn't fall. Erica Wheeler then iced it with two free throws with 1.6 seconds to go. Malonga finished with 15, Johnson had a huge night with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, Awa Fam added 12, and Horston contributed 11. It's tough to swallow when the effort is there, the stats are decent, but the W isn't. This loss drops our overall record to 3-11, and that 0-5 in the Commissioner's Cup is a punch to the gut. We need to find a way to close these games, Emerald City. We need to turn these almost-wins into actual wins. The passion is there, the talent is there, but finishing strong is the piece we're missing right now. We gotta believe! Let's get it next time, Storm!

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