Seattle Storm conquers Vancouver in historic WNBA game: Epic!

Seattle Storm Wins in Vancouver in Historic WNBA Game

In an unprecedented event, the WNBA held its first regular season game outside the United States, with the Atlanta Dream team as the home team, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver in front of almost 16,000 fans. The encounter saw the Seattle Storm, just 140 miles from where they played against Atlanta on Wednesday, take advantage of the Vancouver fans’ support to secure a 90-88 victory. This triumph broke a six-game losing streak for the Storm and a six-game winning streak for the Dream, both the longest streaks at that time in the league.

“It was an incredible fanbase tonight. First time in Vancouver, they showed a lot of love. We love coming here, playing in front of this electrifying fanbase. I know it was a Dream home game, but it felt like a Storm home game. We really leaned on them tonight to secure that win.”

Skylar Diggins, Seattle player

Rhyne Howard, from Atlanta, who scored 21 points, also commented on the atmosphere:

“Honestly, it felt like a home game for Seattle. For us to play in front of so many fans isn’t strange, but to do it here, at this historic moment, felt good.”

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta player

The victory was crucial for the Storm, who needed to break their losing streak, which had caused them to fall in the standings. A loss would have placed them half a game behind the Los Angeles Sparks, fighting for a spot in the WNBA playoffs. The game was full of excitement, with the Dream starting a 16-2 run in the final quarter, erasing a Seattle lead that reached 15 points and taking the lead by up to five points with 2:59 left. It was then that the Vancouver fans, who were showing jerseys and kits from the Storm, the WNBA expansion team Toronto Tempo, and the NBA’s Grizzlies, became a key factor. Diggins scored seven of Seattle’s 13 points in the final quarter, and Ezi Magbegor was crucial on defense, recording the team’s three blocks. The Storm managed two defensive stops in the final 20 seconds, maintaining a slight lead.

“Big Ezi blocks, big defensive stops from the group and we just grinded out this win. We’ve been in situations like this the last few weeks, so it’s like the same routine, persevering in every moment”.

Noelle Quinn, Storm coach

Beyond the result for both teams, the importance of the match resided in the fact of making history by expanding the reach of the WNBA.

“The atmosphere was great. I think the fans were really into the game and enthusiastic, so it was great to play in front of these fans and in this stadium.”

Brionna Jones, Atlanta player

For Seattle, this was the second consecutive time they played in Canada, after a preseason game in Edmonton the previous year. Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike highlighted the importance of this event:

“We are grateful to be in this region. For us to be able to play the international games in Canada and also be the first international game in the regular season, it shows the growth of this league”.

Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle player

Starting next year, regular season games in Canada will no longer be a novelty. The Tempo team will join the WNBA as an expansion team in 2026. The next time the WNBA plays in Vancouver, Canadians will have their own team to cheer for. During Friday’s game, Toronto President Teresa Resch and General Manager Monica Wright Rogers jointly announced that the Tempo will play a pair of regular season games in Vancouver next season.