That 50-20 Paint Score Against the Lynx and Storm Fans Should Be PISSED

Okay, Emerald City, we gotta talk about what just went down. That 88-68 loss to the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center? Ugh. It was a total gut punch. Our Storm just got absolutely routed, especially after halftime, and frankly, we should be steaming. This was their seventh straight victory, pushing the Lynx to a dominant 9-2 record and atop the WNBA standings, while we’re left struggling at a tough 3-9. Oh, and yeah, they’re 3-0 in the Commissioner’s Cup tournament now, too. Ouch.

What Happened to Our First Quarter Fire?

Remember that first quarter? We actually came out firing! We were up 24-16 by the end of it, draining 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. There was real hope, right? But then the Lynx, led by Natasha Howard, who dropped a monster 27 points on us, started to wake up. Howard was just unstoppable, shooting an incredible 12-for-16 from the field. Their rookie point guard, Olivia Miles, was doing her thing too, stuffing the stat sheet with 19 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Before you knew it, Howard and Courtney Williams, who added 11 points and seven assists, combined for 17 second-quarter points. They flipped the script, taking a 45-43 lead into halftime. Howard even admitted, "On defense, we were, like, sleepwalking before we woke up in the second half.” Well, *they* certainly woke up, and we apparently hit snooze and never got back into it.

The Second Half Was a Complete Meltdown

Let's not sugarcoat it: the second half was a disaster. The Lynx scored the first 10 points right out of the gate in the third quarter. They absolutely owned the paint, outscoring us a shocking 50-20 there over the entire game. Coach Cheryl Reeve made it clear they discussed their effort at halftime, saying, "I thought they came with the appropriate effort, intensity, connectivity.” And man, it showed for them. Miles even sank her first three-pointer of the game midway through the third quarter, extending their lead to 60-48, and she immediately turned to pump up their home crowd. She dished five assists in that third quarter alone! We, on the other hand, couldn’t hit anything. Our team shot a dismal 3-for-14 and managed just 10 points in the third quarter. That’s a single-quarter season low for any of their opponents! Our shooting for the entire second half was a pathetic 24.1%, leaving our final game rate at just 34.9%. Twenty-three turnovers forced by the Lynx? TWENTY-THREE! That’s just unacceptable. Howard and Nia Coffey each finished with three blocks and two steals, just completely shutting us down defensively. This was a brutal performance.

We Need to Figure This Out, Fast

This loss hurts, especially watching the Lynx celebrate their league-best defensive rating and their ridiculous 180-9 record under Coach Reeve when they hold opponents below that 40% shooting threshold. We were nowhere near that mark. We are 3-9, struggling in the WNBA standings, and this kind of inconsistent performance isn't going to cut it if we want to turn this season around. We need to find our first-quarter fire, our defensive grit, and a consistent offensive flow, or it’s going to be a very long season for us and the 12s watching at home. Let's hope the next game sees our Storm come out with the effort, intensity, and connectivity they need to show us what they're truly made of. C'mon, Storm, let's get it together!

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