Storm Start Slow, Make Me Very Nervous, Then Completely Ruin The Lynx
A nervy first half gives way to a complete and total destruction
Whew! That was scary there for a minute! For almost the entire quarter I saw my worst nightmares of what this Storm season could look like torturing me from my computer screen. Interior dominance from an experienced post player, terrible rotations that gave up both easy outside shots and unchallenged layups, an offense stuck in the mud, and superstars who looked slowed by injury (Stewie) ineffective (Sue) or not getting the ball enough (Jewell). Fortunately this, like all my nightmares (right? Me writing newsletter couldn’t be a continuation of a nightmare, could it? COULD IT?!?), eventually ended and both I and the Storm awoke to the reality that this team is still very very good. If the second half is any indication, this year’s team is deeper and more balanced than the last and that, as they say, is going to be a problem for the rest of the league.
That first quarter though, yikes! Perhaps it was new building jitters but dang, the Storm looked like garbaggio. Part of it was Sylvia Fowles just being Sylvia Fowles, if my favorite knitter gets you deep in the paint you’re deader than dead. She put poor Ezi Magbegor in the torture chamber on what seemed like every possession and Jantel Lavender didn’t do much better. The Storm were extremely sloppy with the ball in that first quarter as well, commiting five turnovers which led to easy baskets for the visiting Minnesotans. Ariel Powers also got wherever she wanted to start as the Lynx jumped out to an eight point lead and I jumped out of my comfortable position on my couch to get some nerve induced leftover garlic knots from an earlier pizza order.
Surprisingly it was the much maligned second unit that brought the Storm even in the second quarter. Stephanie Talbot, Jantel Lavender, Epiphanny Prince, and Briann January tightened up the defense, erasing the deficit within the first few minutes of the second quarter. Talbot in particular looked spry on both ends of the court, stepping out to block a Bridget Carleton three then gathering the loose ball and streaking away for the layup on the break. If the Storm get the pre-Olympics Talbot of last season (her post-Olympic production was awful but not like funny awful) then it’s going to be a fun season.
The third quarter was a classic Storm destruction, steals and threes abounded. The starters came back in and rolled the Lynx into a small ball then tossed them into the trash and then set the trashcan on fire just for good measure. They outscored their shorthanded and frankly gassed looking opponents by 20. Easy buckets on the break and within the flow of the offense seemed to come on every possession. Jewell nearly sank everything she shot, Sue was dropping dimes like she had gotten too much change from a particularly vindictive retail employee (did this happen to me recently? It did! I saw all those quarters in the register! What did I ever do to you expensive coffee shop barista?!? I’m sorry I made a face when you said you only had lavender green tea! I just think the stuff tastes like soap!), and Stewie showed some life after a maybe-she’s-not-all-the-way-back-from-that-achilles-injury looking first half. It was a delight and it led to a fourth quarter of pure relaxation for everyone except for me because I ate that garlic knot.
All that being said, the Lynx were very very short handed. Two of their bench players signed with the team the DAY BEFORE the game, transactions in the WNBA are wild as hell. The Storm won’t be able to crawl back into games against teams with full practicing rotations BUT if they get the startings going right out of the gate? This is going to be a fun season.
Brain Drizzles
All the newcomers looked pretty good, both Jantel Lavender and Gabby Williams showed good defensive presence and an ability to hit from the outside. Gabby in particular was strong on the defensive end, getting her hands in the mix and using her strength to rip the ball away from driving players. No shade to Katie Lou Samuelson but if Gabby can put up this kind of night on a regular basis than that trade was highway robbery (which honestly, is that even a thing anymore? Who gets robbed on a highway?).
EPIPHANNY PRINCE! The baller still balls, she hit five of six shots including a sick finish at the rim and three triples in just over 17 minutes of action. Her scoring and ball handling off the bench will prove crucial this season.
I am slightly worried about interior defense against stouter post presences (*cough* Liz Cambage and Jonquel Jones*cough*) while Mercedes Russell is out. Sylvia Fowles bullied whomever was guarding her in the first half and would it not for her running out of gas in the second, could’ve gone for 30 at least. The Storm did a better job double teaming her but that’s not going to work against some of the stacked rosters in the W.
Some quick around the league notes since I watched a lot of the other games last night. The Fever look way less sad than last season but the Mystics are going to be a lot to handle when Alisha Clark gets back. Some truly terrible late game execution from the Sky last night. Up three with a minute to go they went: turnover on an undeflected inbounds play coming out of a timeout, foul on a non-shooter’s three point attempt, no shot before the end of regulation. That’s real bad. Sure they were short Allie Quigley AND Kahleah Copper but dang. I may also eat some crow about people overrating the Jordin Canada signing for the Sparks, she looked good as hell. The Becky Hammon Aces are the scariest team in the league.
THAT’S IT FROM ME! See you Monday after our Storm showdown with the aforementioned EXTREMELY SCARY Aces!