The Seattle Storm were to take on the Washington Mystics in a battle between two winless WNBA teams on Sunday. Seattle came in without superstar Nneka Ogwumike, who injured her ankle two nights ago versus Minnesota but remained confident of a win. Jewell Lloyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith were available to lead the visiting Storm.
The Mystics pushed the New York Liberty in their season opener before bowing out 85-80. They hoped to give their fans a first home win against Seattle. Ariel Atkins, Julie Vanloo and Karlie Samuelson were expected to lead Washington’s home defense.
Seattle Storm vs Washington Mystics game player stats and box scores
Seattle Storm game player stats and box scores
Washington Mystics game player stats and box scores
Seattle Storm vs Washington Mystics Game Summary
The first quarter between the Storm and Mystics was quite sloppy. Both struggled to execute well on both ends, leading to an uneven 18-15 start that saw Seattle take an 18-15 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The second period showed improved flow from both the Storm and the Mystics. There were several missed wide-open shots, but the execution was crisper and more forceful. Seattle had a 39-24 lead following Skylar Diggins-Smith's short jumper.
The Washington Mystics, though, sprinted toward the end of the first half, blitzing the Seattle Storm with a 10-0 blast behind Ariel Atkins. Still, it was the visitors who took a 39-34 halftime lead.
The third quarter had the Mystics firing on all cylinders. They grabbed a 45-43 edge following Ariel Atkins' 24-footer with 6:50 remaining.
Atkins' torrid shooting continued, but the Storm kept up behind Ezi Magbegor and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Washington was in the driver's seat, leading 64-62 before the final frame.
The fourth quarter, though, belonged to the Storm. Seattle leaned on Jewell Lloyd on offense and clamped down on defense to limit the hosts to 11 points. Ezi Magbegor's presence in the paint was also a big part of the Storm's dominating 10-minute performance.
The decisive disparity in the fourth quarter allowed the Seattle Storm to walk away with their first victory of the season. The Washington Mystics remained winless after caving in the last period to succumb to an 84-75 loss.
Jewell Lloyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ariel Atkins and Karlie Samuelson 3-pointers tonight
Jewell Lloyd couldn't get anything going from deep on Sunday, missing all six of her tries. Skylar Diggins-Smith was just slightly better, hitting 1-of-4 attempts from that range.
Karlie Samuelson had a 3-for-8 line while Ariel Atkins finished with a 3-for-7 clip from that distance.
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