Awa Fam Went OFF For 18 and the Storm Still Choked Away Their Fourth Straight

You gotta be kidding me, Seattle. ANOTHER one? The Storm were right there, battling hard at Climate Pledge Arena last night, but somehow, we still found a way to let it slip. The Phoenix Mercury, who came in riding a SIX-game losing streak, snapped it against us, walking out of our house with a 72-68 victory. Our Seattle Storm just dropped their fourth straight game and now sit at a brutal 3-8 for the season in the Commissioner's Cup. Honestly, what are we even doing out there?

What Happened Out There?

This one stings because we had it, man. We clawed our way back after being down early, and Jordan Horston even drained a three-pointer with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, giving us a sweet 58-52 lead. You could feel the momentum shift, right? Nope. Just like that, Phoenix found another gear. Monique Akoa Makani ignited an insane 11-1 run for them, sinking a three-pointer, hitting four free throws, and then Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack piled on with baskets. Before you could blink, we were down 63-59 with less than five minutes to go. DeWanna Bonner delivered the gut punch with back-to-back shots and a free throw, pushing their lead to 68-61. Katie Lou Samuelson tried to play hero with a three-pointer that pulled us within two points at 70-68 with seven seconds left, but Copper iced it with two free throws. We just couldn't finish, shooting a dismal 38.4% from the field and only 9 of 33 from deep. Phoenix wasn't much better, but they found a way.

Bright Spots, But Way Too Many Questions

It's not all doom and gloom on the individual front, thank goodness. Rookie Awa Fam absolutely popped off, dropping a career-high 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. She was a beast, seriously. Natisha Hiedeman shook off a scoreless first quarter to pour in 15 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the third quarter that helped us tie the game at 44-all and even take a brief lead. Flau'jae Johnson added nine points, four boards, and five assists, even launching a desperate 32-foot heave at the halftime buzzer that would've tied it up. We even had a solid 6-0 run in the third with Fam and Mackenzie Holmes getting buckets, pushing us to a 53-48 advantage. The effort was there, the flashes were bright, but we just can't seem to put together a full 40 minutes. We gave up an 11-0 run in the first, then a 7-0 run in the second that gave Phoenix their largest lead at 32-19. We fought back every time, but these collapses are becoming a real problem.

This fourth straight loss and a 3-8 record in the Commissioner's Cup is a tough pill to swallow for our Storm. We've seen moments of brilliance, but the consistency just isn't there yet. This team has gotta dig deep and figure out how to close out games, because right now, every loss feels like it's slipping through our fingers. We need to turn this around, and fast.

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