Skylar Diggins-Smith has breakout game to power Storm to rout of Mystics

SEATTLE – So much for Skylar Diggins-Smith’s shooting slump.

The six-time WNBA All-Star began the season connecting on 1 of 15 three-pointers — her fewest threes during a five-game stretch during her 10-year career.

None of that mattered Saturday night.

Less than two minutes into the Storm’s dominant 101-69 victory against the Washington Mystics at Climate Pledge Arena, Diggins-Smith raised up over a defender and buried a long three into the bottom of the net.

Over the next 38 minutes, she dropped an array of daggers, including a highlight reverse layup, while scoring 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, delivering a season-high eight assists and committing a season-low one turnover in her best all-around game since joining Seattle.

It was a 180-degree reversal for Diggins-Smith, who had as many field goals (23) as turnovers before Saturday. In her previous two outings, she converted 4 of 23 shots, including 0 for 6 on three-pointers.

“I don’t see what people are saying,” forward Nneka Ogwumike said. “I feel like people can look at the box score and have an opinion, but she gets our defense going. She finds people. She creates.

“I told her to stop thinking too much. That’s just my opinion on it. I know she can be very self-critical. But to the lay man, people can say ‘Oh, she’s not doing anything.’ But that’s not my experience.”

Diggins-Smith, who scored 10 points in the first quarter, got the Storm going early and canned a couple of free throws that put them up for good 12-11.

On the next possession, Ezi Magbegor emphatically blocked Aaliyah Edward’s layup attempt and at the other end Ogwumike drained a midrange jumper.

Then Diggins-Smith canned her second three-pointer for a 17-11 lead, and the Storm never looked back.

Seattle, which led 25-15 after the first and 50-41 at halftime, put the game away when it outscored Washington 26-18 in the third to go up 76-59.

The Storm’s Big Four feasted on the road-weary Mystics (0-6), who were at the end of a three-game road trip that began Tuesday in Los Angeles and included Thursday’s stop in Phoenix.

Ogwumike continued her red-hot start and scored a game-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Jewell Loyd added 18 points and four rebounds, which offset five turnovers.

And Magbegor, who also had five turnovers, chipped in 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

The Storm (3-3), which shot 61.7% from the field and connected on 12 of 22 three-pointers, also received 12 points from Sami Whitcomb off the bench.

Karlie Samuelson led the Mystics with 14 points and rookie Julie Vanloo had 12.

The Storm, which plays seven of its next nine games away from home, embark on a two-game trek that starts Tuesday against the Chicago Sky and ends Thursday versus the Indiana Fever.