Storm Late Rally Falls Short

IMG Seattle Storm

By Bo Crouch ~ Axess Sports

SEATTLE — Sometimes basketball games are won with great shooting nights. Sometimes they're won with star performances and sometimes they're won simply because one team is willing to keep fighting when nothing is going right.

That was the story Friday night.

The Golden State Valkyries shot just 36 percent from the floor and an even uglier 21 percent from three-point range. Seattle, meanwhile, knocked down ten threes and got a brilliant 26-point performance from Natisha Hiedeman.

On paper, this looked like a game the Storm should have won. But basketball games aren't played on paper.

They're won in the paint, at the free throw line, and in those uncomfortable stretches where possessions get ugly and someone has to decide they want it a little more. For most of the night, that team was Golden State.

Seattle came out looking like they intended to run the Valkyries out of the building. Hiedeman opened the scoring with a three-pointer after forcing a turnover and quickly settled into a rhythm that Golden State never truly solved. Awa Fam, continuing to earn the trust of the coaching staff, followed with an early three of her own and looked comfortable from the opening tip. There was a confidence to Seattle early. Jordan Horston was pushing the pace. The Storm were turning defense into offense and building an advantage that reached 11 points in the opening quarter.

It felt like one of those nights where the younger team simply overwhelms its opponent with energy.

Golden State never let that happen. The Valkyries didn't answer with a huge run. They answered with patience.

Janelle Salaün started finding space along the perimeter and knocking down shots. Tiffany Hayes came off the bench and immediately began attacking downhill, forcing Seattle defenders into difficult spots. Gabby Williams wasn't shooting particularly well, but she continued to do all the little things that rarely show up in highlights and almost always show up in winning.

Slowly, possession by possession, the game began to change.

That's what was impressive about Golden State. There was never a moment where they looked rattled.

The Valkyries didn't shoot well. They weren't especially sharp offensively. But they kept attacking the basket and they kept getting to the line.

By the end of the night, Golden State would attempt 23 free throws and make 20 of them. Seattle would make just 12. In a four-point game, that's huge. You pair that with dominance off the bench where the reserves outpaced the Storm 40 to 16

This was thanks in no small part to Salaun. Salaün quietly put together one of her best performances of the season. The French forward finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, knocking down five three-pointers and repeatedly delivering big baskets when Seattle appeared ready to swing momentum back in its favor. She was the answer every time the Storm asked a question.

A Seattle run.

A Salaün three.

A defensive stop.

A drive by Hayes.

A free throw by Gabby Williams.

It wasn't flashy basketball.

It was winning basketball.

The Storm still had its moments. Actually, Seattle had quite a few. Hiedeman was sensational. Her 26 points led all scorers, and she did it in every conceivable way. Pull-up threes. Transition opportunities. Tough finishes in traffic. There were stretches in the second half where she looked like the best player on the floor.

If you're Seattle, that's one of the biggest takeaways from this game. The Storm are young and they're going to make mistakes, but they are getting better not only in their individual game but as a team. They're going to have possessions where the offense disappears and defensive rotations break down. However, they're also beginning to find players they can build around.

Fam continues to be one of the most intriguing. The rookie played nearly 35 minutes and finished with eight points and six rebounds, but those numbers don't tell the full story. She defended multiple positions, battled inside, spaced the floor and looked increasingly comfortable playing meaningful minutes.

Dominique Malonga had her moments as well. Nine points. Eight rebounds. A few possessions where her size and athleticism jumped off the screen. The consistency will come. The talent is obvious and that's what makes Seattle interesting.

This team isn't finished. It's growing. The fourth quarter felt like a glimpse of what that future might look like.

Golden State stretched its lead to 15 points in the third and looked ready to put the game away. Seattle refused. Hiedeman kept scoring. Malonga fought for rebounds and second-chance opportunities. Fam cut the lead with a basket inside. Jade Melbourne attacked relentlessly and converted a difficult reverse layup with 13 seconds remaining that brought the Storm within a point.

Suddenly, a game that felt over was alive again.

The crowd sensed it and the atmosphere inside Climate Pledge Arena had an almost playoff level of electricity. The players could feel it as well. For a moment, it felt like momentum had finally shifted.

The Valkyries showed that good teams know how to finish. Even on nights when the shots aren't falling, when the crowd is against them and even when a young, talented opponent keeps coming.

Golden State trusted their veterans. Gabby Williams stepped to the line and calmly knocked down three late free throws. The Valkyries got the stops they needed. When Melbourne's desperation three fell harmlessly away as time expired, Golden State walked off the floor with a 76-72 victory that felt far more important than a single win in the standings.

Seattle showed promise.

Golden State showed poise.

And in a league increasingly shaped by young stars and expansion franchises trying to find their identity, Friday night felt like more than just another game.

It felt like a preview of what's coming next.