Seattle Storm’s rally falls short vs. Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever

SEATTLE – Somebody needs to check Noelle Quinn’s blood pressure after the past 48 hours.

The Storm head coach was put through the wringer again Sunday afternoon after the Storm narrowly fell to the Indiana Fever 78-74 in front of a sellout crowd of 16,819 at Climate Pledge Arena.

After trailing for the entirety of the second half, a 10-0 burst of life late in the fourth quarter brought the Storm within two points, 73-71, with just over two minutes left.

Rookie reserve Dominique Malonga brought the Storm within one, 75-74, with 12 seconds, and after the referees added 2.3 seconds to the clock, the Storm thought they might actually make the comeback.

Sunday’s dramatics mirrored those of Friday night, when the Storm suffered a 108-106 double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. It was the league’s first double-overtime game so far this season and saw 10-time All Star Nneka Ogwumike record a season-high 37 points.

It seems that when it comes to the Indiana Fever, the Storm struggle to cover their bases.

It was Storm’s second time facing Indiana this season, with both occasions in Seattle. The Fever bested the Storm 94-86 on June 24, despite Seattle holding its main focus defensively, the second-year superstar playmaker Caitlin Clark, to a season-low six points.

Clark, however, was kept courtside on Sunday, missing her seventh consecutive game due to a right groin injury suffered July 15.

Without Clark on the court, the Storm did not have to worry about the Fever’s potent pick-and-roll, focusing their attention instead on Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, who dominated Climate Pledge with a season-high 31 points and 26 points, respectively, in the teams’ last meeting.

Mitchell went just 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-4 on three-point attempts for four points in the first half. Boston, who went 3-for-3 from the field for six points in the first half, just couldn’t get many shots off.

But while the Storm kept their eyes on Boston and Mitchell, once again, other Fever players slipped through the cracks.

Forward Natasha Cunningham was 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from three with a season-high-tying 16 points by midway through the third quarter, while Howard had 17 points and went 8-for-10 from the field.

Howard ended with a game-high 21 points, and Cunningham had 17. Boston broke away from the Storm’s defensive grip to finish with 16 points.

Central Valley graduate Lexie Hull played 17 minutes, going 0 of 3 from the field with two rebounds and two assists.

Malonga, the No 2. overall pick in this year’s draft, shined on the court with 12 points. She also recorded her 100th career rebound in the first half, becoming the second-youngest player in WNBA history to reach the mark.

Malonga recently became the youngest player in WNBA history to record a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on July 24 in the Storm’s 95-57 win against the Chicago Sky.

The Storm return to action Tuesday when they host against the Minnesota Lynx, who holds the WNBA’s best record, at 7 p.m.