Natisha Hiedeman Dropped a Career-High 26 Points, And the Storm STILL Can't Catch a Break

Can you believe it? The Storm, right here at Climate Pledge Arena, fought tooth and nail last night against the Golden State Valkyries, but still couldn't snap this brutal losing streak. It was 76-72, another heartbreaking loss, and it extends our slide to *eight* straight games. Eight. That stings so bad, especially when our squad showed so much fight.

The Brutal Rollercoaster of a Fourth Quarter

Man, this game had me on the edge of my seat, but not in a good way. The Valkyries looked like they were going to run away with it in the fourth when Janelle Salaun hit her fifth three-pointer of the night, giving them a 69-57 lead with just 4:23 left to play. It felt like the air went out of the building. But then, something crazy happened, the Valkyries just stopped scoring from the field. They went 1-of-16 to finish the game, and our Storm clawed their way back! We cut the deficit to just 71-70 and even had the ball, but Flau'jae Johnson's layup attempt just rolled off the rim. Ugh, gut punch, right? Golden State's Tiffany Hayes got fouled with 21.3 seconds left and knocked down two free throws for a three-point lead. We got it back to a one-point game again with 13.4 seconds to go, but Gabby Williams then hit two clutch free throws for a 75-72 lead. To seal the deal, Kiah Stokes blocked a three-point attempt on the other end. Just brutal.

Hiedeman's Heroics Can't Break the Skid

Let's talk about Natisha Hiedeman for a second, because that woman was on fire. She poured in a career-high 26 points, hitting five three-pointers herself. Seriously, what a performance from her, doing everything she could to drag this team back into it. On the Valkyries side, Salaun led them with 22 points and also had five three-pointers, including 13 in the first half to help them lead 40-38 at halftime. Gabby Williams, playing against her former team, was a problem with 19 points and was perfect on all five of her free throws, helping the Valkyries go 20-of-23 from the line as a team. Tiffany Hayes added 17 points off the bench, and Veronica Burton dished out eight assists along with 11 points. It’s just tough when the Valkyries built a 59-44 lead after going on a 19-6 run to start the third quarter. We battled back, but it wasn't enough to overcome their lead and our own late-game struggles. Our record now sits at a tough 3-12. Man, this is a really rough start to the season. So, what now? The Storm hit the road for their next game, heading to Portland on Wednesday. We NEED to get a win there, find some rhythm, anything to turn this ship around. The Emerald City is hurting right now, but we're still here, still cheering. Let's go, Storm, let's 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.