Seattle Storm miss chance to clinch playoff spot with loss to New York Liberty
With the chance to claim a spot in the WNBA playoffs in their control, the Storm fumbled their opportunity with old friend Breanna Stewart playing a big role in making it a nervy next few days for Seattle.
Going into the regular season finale with uncertainty if the playoffs is in their future is not where the Storm expected to be.
The Storm watched a nine-point second half lead disappear and suffered an 84-76 loss to the New York Liberty on Friday night before a sold-out Climate Pledge Arena.
It was the second straight home loss for the Storm and eighth in the last nine games on their home floor. And there was clear disappointment afterward about the situation the Storm find themselves in 43 games into the season.
“We don’t want to … be in this predicament, but here we are. So we’re going to continue to show up and be pros every day, be leaders by example, how we come in and prepare and come out and get ready to compete. And that’s all we can do,” Storm guard Skylar Diggins said. “And if we don’t do that, then we don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.”
Seattle (22-21) began the night knowing a victory over New York would clinch a playoff berth after Los Angeles lost to Atlanta earlier in the evening. But the Storm were unable to capitalize on the opportunity to have a calm, relaxing weekend with a spot in the postseason already secured.
The Storm still hold the easiest path to a playoff spot as one more loss by Los Angeles or a win next Tuesday night against Golden State in the regular season finale would send Seattle to the postseason.
But if the Storm stumble again against the Valkyries and Los Angeles (19-22) wins its final three games — vs. Dallas, at Phoenix and vs. Las Vegas — then the Sparks would be playoff bound. Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker over Seattle.
“The sole focus is win the Tuesday game and let the chips fall as they may. Win and we’re in and not have to rely on what happens with whatever team,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said. “So that was the focus today. We didn’t do that. We have another opportunity on Tuesday and that is going to be where our energy is focused.”
Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 20 points and Diggins added 14. But after a 31-point outburst in the second quarter and a 47-39 halftime lead, the Storm were outscored 45-29 in the second half.
“It really was offensively the third quarter. I mean, 13 and 16 points is not going to cut it in the second half,” Diggins said. “And unfortunately, it was some similarities of the lulls that we had in the third quarter in the last game versus LA as well. So it’s something we definitely have to fix.”
The Storm seemed to be in position to take any drama out of the weekend leading 54-45 midway through the third quarter against the Liberty, who were playing without star guard Sabrina Ionescu as she rested a toe injury in the hope of being ready for the playoffs.
But lest you forget that the biggest star for the team in the Big Apple is Stewart. And when the Liberty needed a big play, Stewart provided one after another in the closing minutes.
Stewart finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. She scored the final 10 points of the game for New York — eight at the free-throw line — over the final 3 minutes as New York answered every push the Storm made.
New York also successfully won two coaches challenges that overturned foul calls in the closing moments and outscored Seattle 21-12 at the free-throw line for the game.
Just as important as her scoring was three straight defensive stops Stewart made midway through the fourth quarter after the Storm had pulled within 67-64. Stewart recorded blocks on three straight possessions and New York cashed in. Kennedy Burke’s three-pointer and Rebekah Gardner’s driving basket after the third block gave New York a 72-64 lead.
The Storm pulled within 74-72 after Wheeler’s three-pointer and Ogwumike’s basket, but Stewart answered with a driving basket of her own and started her own personal 10-point run to close out the game.
Seattle led by nine early in the third quarter after Brittney Sykes completed a three-point play to take a 54-45 lead. But New York didn’t go away, pulling within 60-59 going into the fourth quarter and took a 61-60 lead on Burke’s basket to open the final period. Ogwumike answered, but three-pointers from Natasha Cloud and Stewart led to a Seattle timeout with 7:15 left trailing 67-62 and the Storm were never able to regain the lead.
And now comes a weekend of watching the scoreboard for what happens with Los Angeles on Sunday and getting ready for Tuesday night.
“We still have another opportunity. So I don’t have time to be frustrated, really,” Ogwumike said. “I got to rest and get ready for Golden State.”