After blowing a 16-point lead and erasing a three-point deficit in the final two minutes, the Storm needed to stop the Los Angeles Sparks from scoring at the end to secure a nail-biting 90-87 win on Sunday.
Check that, Seattle needed three straight stops in a one-possession thriller that had a crowd of 11,301 at Climate Pledge Arena on their feet, clapping and chanting “defense.”
And making the task even more difficult, the Storm were without Jewell Loyd (right knee) and Ezi Magbegor (concussion) — their leading scorer and top defender — who each missed their first game of the season.
“They were pivotal,” coach Noelle Quinn said when asked about the late stops. “Not just for the win, but for this group because we had not had a ton of reps in these moments and these scenarios. No matter who the team is, you can’t replicate these things in practice.
“I thought there was a grit to that group and a communication level and a physicality to that group and a will to want to get those stops.”
Here’s a rundown of the Storm’s final three defensive gems.
— Ahead 88-87, backup forward Victoria Vivians blocked Rae Burrell’s off-balance layup with 44.1 seconds left.
— On L.A.’s next offensive trip, Odyssey Sims blew past Vivians, but missed a layup thanks in part to Gabby Williams, who altered Sims’ shot at the rim. Burrell secured the rebound and Skylar Diggins-Smith intercepted her pass for a critical turnover.
— Following a couple of Diggins-Smith free throws to go up three, Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson launched a hurried three-pointer over her former Tennessee Vols teammate Jordan Horston that hit the side of the rim as time expired.
“Everyone in this league is a great player, so you’re not going to blow out anyone,” Williams said. “It’s always going to come down to possessions like that most of the time. The fact that we’re getting a lot of practice in these situations is going to be good for us and it shows a lot the fact that we’re able to get those stops at the end.”
The Storm also showed they could prevail when short-handed and relying on a much-maligned corps of reserves that’s drawn criticism for their lack of production.
“I wouldn’t say a benefit, but it’s good to see some of the minutes that some of the players got today,” Quinn said. “Everyone is a pro and the expectation is to stay ready and be ready when their numbers are called. It was good to see what we can do with two key pieces missing, but I don’t want to play without those two.”
Seattle, which started guard Sami Whitcomb and center Mercedes Russell, leaned heavily on it stars Nneka Ogwumike (23 points, seven rebounds and two steals), Williams (season-high 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals) and Diggins-Smith (19 points, six assists and three steals).
Horston added 16 points off the bench for the Storm (24-14), which is riding a four-game winning streak and swept the season series against the Sparks for the first time since 2015.
“I’ve only played in one other uniform,” said Ogwumike, who spent the past 12 years with the Sparks. “There’s a lot of history of course with my time in L.A. But it also speaks to two great teams over the course of years and several matchups that I’ve been a part of.”
After poor performances in the first quarter in the past two outings, Quinn hoped for a better start on Sunday and the Storm raced out to an 18-8 lead in the opening minutes.
Seattle went up 22-10 late in the first quarter and controlled the second period to take a 52-38 lead into halftime.
Late in the second, Ogwumike drained a step-back, midrange jumper over Dearica Hamby that pushed her past former WNBA great Katie Smith (6,452 points) and into 10th place on the league’s all-time scoring list.
Ogwumike has 6,466 points during her 13-year career.
“It’s next-woman-up,” Ogwumike said. “I think our first-quarter starts haven’t been where they need to be. Today, with missing two big pieces, that was kind of our focus and we were able to come out strong in the first quarter and maintain that level of play for four quarters.”
Los Angeles outscored Seattle 27-21 in the third and trailed 73-65 at the start of the fourth.
With Ogwumike on the bench for a long stretch in the fourth due to foul trouble, the Sparks went on a 16-3 run that erased the Storm’s 76-65 lead. Sims converted back-to-back baskets that put Los Angeles ahead 81-79 with 3:39 left.
The lead changed five times before Diggins-Smith put Seattle up for good with a couple of free throws with 50.7 seconds remaining. She scored the last six points for the Storm at the line and converted all 10 of her shots at the charity stripe.
“When you think about getting into postseason play, teams can’t just target one player,” Quinn said. “We’ve become potent and have a lot of firepower in a lot of areas. … To have an amazing point guard who cannot only distribute, but can score — it gives us a variety of ways to find some offense.”
The Storm, which scored 90 points for the third time in the past four games, shot 46.5% from the field, including 5 of 22 on three-pointers while connecting on 86.4% on free throws (19 of 22).
Hamby led the Sparks (7-31) with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Jackson had 22 points and Sims added 20 points and five assists.
Seattle is one game behind the Las Vegas Aces (25-13) for fourth place in the standings heading into their big showdown on Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena, which is possibly a playoff preview.
The Storm must win their final two games — they play at the Phoenix Mercury in Thursday’s regular-season finale — and needs the Aces to lose their last two to secure the coveted No. 4 seed that guarantees home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Quinn was unsure if Loyd and Magbegor would be available Tuesday.
“We’re going to have to match and exceed the energy that they have,” Ogwumike said. “It’s almost kind of a blessing in disguise to play them ahead of the playoffs. I know that it can feel stressful, but as a professional and knowing this league, that is a preview that is appreciated going in, knowing that’s what the matchup is going to be.”
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.