Brief-handed Seattle Storm lean on stars to carry them previous top-seeded Las Vegas Aces in WNBA semifinals opener

LAS VEGAS — The Seattle Storm had been on the street and down a starter to damage as they started the WNBA semifinals Sunday at No. 1 seed Las Vegas. However the Storm’s different 4 standard starters — all previous No. 1 draft picks — did what they’ve made nice careers of doing greatest. And Seattle struck first with a 76-73 victory in Sport 1 at a sold-out Michelob Extremely Enviornment.

Guard Jewell Loyd and ahead Breanna Stewart, back-to-back high picks by the Storm in 2015 and 2016, had 26 and 24 factors, respectively. Each are among the many most unstoppable clutch scorers within the league, they usually got here by many times Sunday for Seattle.

Guard Sue Bird, the crew’s high choice in 2002, had 12 assists and no turnovers. It was the precise quantity she wanted to interrupt the WNBA profession playoff document for assists; Hen now has 342. She can also be the profession chief in regular-season assists, ending with 3,234. Hen, who turns 42 in October, will retire at season’s finish.

And middle Tina Charles, who was the highest decide by the Connecticut Sun again in 2010 and joined the Storm in late June, had a Seattle franchise document 18 rebounds. With out ahead Gabby Williams, a robust defensive presence who’s sidelined by concussion signs, the Storm nonetheless held the Aces effectively beneath their season scoring common.

“Coming into this recreation, the factor I knew I may management was simply being on the boards,” stated Charles, who additionally scored 13 factors. “Begin early shops, get second-chance alternatives. I do know these are at all times key come playoff time.”

It is also key for a street crew to get off to an amazing begin in a best-of-five collection, and No. 4 seed Seattle did that.

Stewart, who additionally had six rebounds and three blocked photographs, turned simply the fourth participant in WNBA historical past to attain at the least 20 factors in seven consecutive playoff video games. That goes again to her final 4 video games of the 2020 postseason, when the Storm gained the franchise’s fourth championship. She was injured and unable to play within the 2021 playoffs. Stewart was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2018 and 2020.

Loyd, additionally a key a part of the 2018 and 2020 titles, both scored or assisted on the ultimate 10 factors of the sport for Seattle.

“Jewell is enjoying with quite a lot of confidence, and we want that,” coach Noelle Quinn stated. “We’re not going to achieve success if Jewell shouldn’t be at her greatest — level clean, interval. I feel she understands that and he or she’s locked into that.”

Loyd had 38 factors towards Las Vegas when these groups met within the regular-season finale on Aug. 14. The Storm nonetheless misplaced that recreation, however the final result was totally different Sunday.

“I’ve labored quite a bit within the offseason for these moments,” Loyd stated of her efficiency within the clutch. “We have been in these conditions quite a bit in several schemes. Choose-and-roll is one thing I wish to be in. … That is sort of simply again to enjoying within the park, with the ability to create your photographs and simply have enjoyable.”

The sport wasn’t a lot enjoyable for the Aces, who got here in having averaged 90.4 factors within the common season and 98.0 of their two first-round playoff wins. When the Aces final performed right here on Aug. 20, they closed out their opening collection towards a depleted Phoenix Mercury crew, scoring 117 factors and hitting a WNBA-record 23 3-pointers. Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon stated her crew seemed too tight Sunday, particularly within the first quarter when the Storm took a 26-15 lead.

“We performed just like the world was on our shoulders,” Hammon stated.

Typically, the Aces — who’re additionally and not using a regular-season starter in Dearica Hamby — are excellent in transition, however they had been outscored on the fastbreak 16-0 by the Storm. MVP candidate A’ja Wilson had simply eight factors, capturing 3-of-10 from the sphere. Chelsea Gray led the Aces with 21 factors. The Aces have a few days to regroup earlier than Wednesday’s Sport 2 right here in Las Vegas (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET).

“There have been instances once we had been passive, or we had been settling slightly bit with outdoors jumpers,” Grey stated. “We’ll see on this subsequent recreation how we reply. I imply, holding this crew to 76 factors after they have a prolific offense, that is not too shabby. We have simply received to be extra on level so the scores they do get are slightly bit more durable. Not simple putbacks or simple transition factors.”

After all, that is simpler stated than achieved, particularly with Hen working the Storm’s offense. This was her fiftieth profession recreation, counting playoffs and the common season, during which she had at the least 5 assists and no turnovers. Subsequent on that record is retired Minnesota Lynx level guard Lindsay Whalen with 36. Whalen can also be now second on the profession playoff help record, as she had 341 in 13 playoff appearances. Whalen might be inducted into the Naismith Corridor of Fame in two weeks.

Hen is a lock for that very same honor in a couple of years. That is her sixteenth postseason look, and he or she has a mixed 24 assists and one turnover within the Storm’s three playoff video games to date this yr. A few of them Sunday had been incredible passes, together with two lengthy, completely positioned tosses to Loyd for layups.

“She’s one of the best level guard in our recreation for a motive,” Quinn stated of Hen. “You speak about how she thinks the sport, how sensible she is, selecting her spots and nonetheless capable of be very efficient on the ground.”