Seattle Storm Clinches Crucial Victory Against Mystics in Dramatic Finish
The Seattle Storm found themselves in a familiar situation on Sunday, with a tied score against the Washington Mystics. However, star Nneka Ogwumike changed the script, scoring a free throw that secured a crucial 84-82 victory for the Storm.Seattle coach Noelle Quinn emphasized the importance of the victory, especially after a series of close losses. The team had lost its first five August games by four points or less.We’ve been in a lot of these situations lately and maybe we haven’t had a timeout or we’ve had to be on the defensive. To finally have the opportunity to have time on the clock and give it to our best player to make a play, it feels great. It feels like the dividends that are paying off with the repetitions we’ve had in a lot of these close games.
Noelle Quinn, Seattle coach
Despite the convincing wins in Chicago and Dallas, Sunday’s game seemed to follow a pattern similar to previous defeats. Although Ogwumike achieved a career high with six three-pointers and surpassed 30 points for the second time this season, Seattle saw the Mystics erase a 13-point lead in the third quarter.
Washington tied the game in the last minute with a basket by Kiki Iriafen and a three-pointer by Sug Sutton, setting the stage for Seattle’s final play. According to Ogwumike, star point guard Skylar Diggins altered the play planned by Quinn during the timeout. Diggins anticipated a defensive switch, which led Ogwumike to slip instead of block, resulting in the winning shot. Brittney Sykes, another team star, expressed her confidence in Diggins and Ogwumike’s execution in the final moments of the game.
