The Seattle Storm are hitting a serious rough patch since the FIBA World Cup break, and frankly, it is getting tough to watch. Our girls got handed a 13-point loss by the Golden State Valkyries, and then the Las Vegas Aces absolutely clobbered them 98-77 in another game. That is a 21-point difference, an absolute gut punch for anyone bleeding green and blue in the Emerald City.
When One-Point Wins Are The Exception, Not The Rule
Let me tell you, this WNBA post-break play has been weird. Before the pause, all eight playoff spots were locked in, right? You would think with the season winding down, every game would be a nail-biter. But since play resumed, it has been a total blowout fest. We are talking about playoff teams absolutely running over non-playoff teams, like it is practice. Before Monday night, playoff teams were a staggering 13-0 against teams out of the running. The only game determined by a single-digit margin? That was the Dallas Wings beating the Phoenix Mercury by five points on Saturday.
Then, Kahleah Copper finally showed some fight on Monday, dropping 31 points, grabbing 5 boards, and nailing the go-ahead, last-second layup to give the Mercury a one-point win over the Wings. It was a heroic effort, the kind of competitive basketball we all crave. But that one game is the *only* exception to the rule. Most games since the break have been laughers, including our Storm’s losses. The Golden State Valkyries winning by 13 points against Seattle, and then the Aces smashing us by 21? It is a trend that should have every Storm fan wondering what is going on.
Are Our Playoff Teams Getting Shaky?
It is not just the Storm that has looked off. Even some playoff teams are showing cracks. The Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever, who face off in Indianapolis tonight in the *only* playoff-bound matchup, have looked the shakiest of all the playoff teams since returning. The Lynx’s 12-point win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday? That was considered “too close for comfort” when you consider the Atlanta Dream blasted Connecticut by a franchise-record 44 points. The Lynx allowed a whopping 31 points in the second quarter after holding the Sun to just 12 in the first. Yes, they stretched their lead to 20 points eventually, but their head coach Cheryl Reeve still issued a postgame warning.
If a 12-point win is concerning for a playoff team, what does that say about our Storm’s 13-point and 21-point losses? It tells us there is a problem. While the WNBA has been serving up a “bounty of uncompetitive basketball” lately, our Storm have been on the wrong end of it, and it is a bad look for a team that has punched its playoff ticket. Tonight’s Lynx-Fever game is the only showdown between playoff teams, offering a glimmer of competitive hope in an otherwise flat WNBA landscape. But for us here in Seattle, we are looking for our Storm to find their fire again, and soon, because this recent play is not going to cut it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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