Postgame Notes & Quotes: Storm Clinch No. 1 Seed In Playoffs, Win 85-77


SEATTLE NOTES

Game Highlights

• Seattle led 62-61 when Breanna Stewart hit a 3-point field goal with 8:19 to go in the game, igniting a 16-2 run that put the game away. She had 8 of the 16 points in that run.

• Seattle has secured home court advantage throughout the 2018 WNBA Playoffs. The only other season that Seattle entered the postseason as the #1 overall seed was 2010, the same year the team won its second WNBA Championship.

• On Seattle’s first made three-pointer (Breanna Stewart, 9:10 in first quarter), the Storm broke the WNBA’s single-season record for three’s. The previous record was Phoenix (283), achieved in 2007. Seattle now has 296 on the year.

• With a 22-point performance tonight, Breanna Stewart broke her own single-season franchise record for 20-plus point games, earning her 22nd tonight. Her previous record was 21, achieved in 2017.

Key Stat Of The Game

• Breanna Stewart’s 9th double-double of the season was extremely efficient. She only took 8 shots from the field, making 6, and was 5 of 6 from three-point range. She added 15 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks and an assist.

STORM PLAYER NOTES & TEAM HIGHLIGHTS WNBA MVP CANDIDATE BREANNA STEWART

• Breanna Stewart’s 15 rebounds, combined with her 22 points, mark her 9th double-double this season, 30th of her career.

• With 22 points tonight, Breanna Stewart, who has scored 727 points this season and needs to score 12 points on Sunday vs. Dallas to match the franchise’s single-season scoring record, currently held by Lauren Jackson (739 points, 2007).

• Storm forward Breanna Stewart, who entered today’s game averaging 22.0 PPG, second-best in the league, scored 22 points. She reached the 2,000-point plateau with a free throw at the 6:05 mark of the 4th quarter and is the fourth-fastest and second-youngest WNBA player to achieve this feat.

• With 5 three’s, Breanna Stewart tied a career-high for three’s made, which she has now achieved 2 times.

• Breanna Stewart added 2 assists and 2 blocks, while shooting 83% from distance (5-for-6), in 35 minutes of play tonight.

• Tonight marked Breanna Stewart’s 100th-career game.

WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER CANDIDATE NATASHA HOWARD

• Natasha Howard scored 12 and grabbed 8 rebounds. Her +23 plus/minus number (in 23 minutes played) was a team high.

SUE BIRD

• Guard Sue Bird recorded a game-high 6 assists. She now has 221 assists on the season, tying her own franchise record for assists in a season. (2003, 221)

• Sue Bird connected on 3-of-4 from distance, bringing her season 3FGM% to 44.8%, the best of her career. (44.4%, set in 2016)

JEWELL LOYD
TEAM SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS New York 77 7-26 Charles (21) Stokes (15) Boyd (5) Seattle 85 25-8 Stewart (22) Stewart (15) Bird (6)

• Guard Jewell Loyd finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists.

ALYSHA CLARK

• Forward Alysha Clark scored 9 points, making all three of her two-point attempts. She is one of the best all-time WNBA shooters from that range.

CRYSTAL LANGHORNE

• Veteran Chrystal Langhorne came off the bench to record 8 points (tied for 3rd highest for her this season) and 5 rebounds (one board off her season high) in 16 minutes of action.

• Seattle’s 85-77 win tonight clinches the Storm’s flawless bounce-back record. The Storm did not lose back-to-back games in 2018, the only WNBA team to achieve that feat in 2018 and the fifth team to do so all-time in WNBA history. (Phoenix 2014, Connecticut 2012, Houston 2000 & 1998)

• Seattle set a franchise record for points scored. With one game remaining, the Storm have scored 2,872 points. (2017, 2,808 points)

• Seattle is now 23-4 with the starting line-up of Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Alysha Clark, Breanna Stewart and Natasha Howard.

• The Storm set a WNBA record for three-point field goals made in a season with 296. (2007, Phoenix, 283)

• The Storm had double figure three-point field goals made for the 13th time this season and 7th time in the last 11 games.

• Seattle won despite committing 19 turnovers. (2nd most, tied, in 2018)

• Seattle, leading 46-43 at the break, is now 21-1 when tied or leading at halftime.

• With today’s win, Seattle takes the season series over the New York, 3-0, the 9th series win over a team this season (Atlanta 1-2 and Dallas 2-1 with one game to play). The Storm has now swept four season series, 3-0.

• Coach Dan Hughes has led the team to the best season-to-season turnaround in franchise history with a 10-win improvement over 2017. (2009, 20 wins to 2010, 28 wins)

LIBERTY TEAM NOTES

• Katie Smith is the second former Storm player to come back to Seattle as a WNBA head coach. (Sandy Brondello)

• Tina Charles had her 17th 20+ point game of the season and 5th in a row.

• Kiah Stokes had a season high 15 rebounds (12 at Indiana on 6/2), two shy of her career best. She added 3 blocked shots, the third time she has done so this season.

• Sugar Rodgers notched 12 points, all of which came in the fourth quarter, as she drained four of eight looks from behind the arc.

• Four Liberty players had to sit out the game with injuries (Epiphanny Prince, Kia Vaughn, Amanda Zahui B and Shavonte Zellous)

STORM QUOTES:

STORM HEAD COACH DAN HUGHES

(On the game overall) “Well I thought New York really competed. I thought Tina Charles was Tina Charles so it became a tough game for us. The thing I told the team at halftime was that it’s supposed to be tough this time of the year, it’s just supposed to be. They wouldn’t go away, we’d make a run, they’d make a run, but I thought the key was that we took better care of the ball down the stretch. We had some issues not valuing the ball. I thought [Breanna] Stewart really made some big plays. The ones that we all see when the points go on the board but she made some tough plays rebounding-wise. She made some defensive presence plays and I thought that really shot us forward down the stretch as well.”

(On Breanna Stewart’s impact) “That’s the thing having my first year with Stewart is that there’s so many factors that she helps you win by. Not just put up numbers, she helps you win games. She does tough things. She impacts the game in a direct line with success – with winning. I kind of thought she was that way but, yeah, she’s truly a great player that understands greatness in more than just scoring or drawing attention to herself. She seeks greatness because she seeks winning. If that’s a defensive presence, if that’s a defensive rebound, if that’s a hustle play, if that’s a hard drive, she gets that, and that I have learned to cherish.”

STORM FORWARD BREANNA STEWART

(On the fourth quarter play) “We felt like, eventually, we were able to get back into our rhythm. And we were a little bit more aggressive in that fourth quarter. I had some good looks and we were able to bring it all together.”

STORM GUARD JEWELL LOYD

(On being number one seed) “We obviously knew it was there. I don’t think that we have been caught up on it. We like knowing that it’s in our back pocket, but we are just trying to get a good rhythm. Playing in front of our fans, they energize us, and we want to finish out the season strong. This is pretty awesome, I hadn’t really thought about it until just now. Once it sets in, we will just be focused, and come out on Sunday.”

(On what makes Stewart the MVP) “You look at the stats and it’s pretty evident. What’s she’s doing and how’s she doing it, is really phenomenal. It hasn’t been just one month, or just one game, it is every single game. If we need a bucket she is there, if we need a big stop, she makes a block. She is making the right shots, she is making the right reads. She is just consistent.”

STORM GUARD SUE BIRD

(On the fight that the Liberty put up)

“No, I’m not surprised. This is the same game that we played against them a week ago. We were expecting that. Unfortunately, I have been on teams where at the end of the season we aren’t in the playoff run, it doesn’t mean you just roll over and die. You play for pride, you play for each other. Especially if they sense that they have a chance, it’s going to light their fire. I think that is what happened, as the game went, they sensed that they had a chance. Luckily, we were able to make enough plays at the end to extend that lead and have that cushion. ”

(On the 29 points of three-pointers)

“Our game plan is not to go out there and shoot a ton of three’s. I think that we have capable three-point shooters and when they are open they are going to shoot them, and that’s what you saw. Yeah 29 is a lot of three’s, but we had some great clips. We have that ability. There have been some games this season, similar to tonight, similar to the last time we played New York, where the game goes and all of the sudden we expand the lead just like that. It doesn’t always work out that way but when it does, we put teams away in a blink.”

LIBERTY QUOTES:

NEW YORK LIBERTY HEAD COACH KATIE SMITH

(On the game) “It’s a repetitive record for us. We’re in games and the third quarter is usually somewhat of a deciding factor for us. We’re in ballgames, we’re tied, we’re doing stuff then there’s a period of time where we don’t hit shots, we turn it over and the other team takes advantage with offensive rebounds, finishing layups, knocking down shots – that’s the gap. We then can’t get ourselves back into it. We have to get shots on the rim and can’t let them make runs like that. Teams are too good and we can’t spot them like that in those little stretches. Usually there’s one point during the game that allows them to get that 10-point cushion and then we can’t quite get it over the hump.”

(On what she’s telling the team as the season nears the end) “Play hard. Ever since we found out we’re out of playoff contention they’ve still battled. We’ve got a lot of people playing minutes who didn’t play that many early. There’s always something to improve upon, always something to do to earn a spot next year or earn more money somewhere. Again, it’s a pride thing of going out and competing. I have been proud of them every night they’ve come out. A lot of people are asked to play a ton of minutes and they’ve been willing to do so. I’m happy and proud of their effort, but again, lots of little things we can do better and we’ll keep coaching them.”

(On Seattle) “They’re solid. The young bucks have grown up. They’ve got multiple go-to players who are going to consistently drop 15 or 20 points a game. You have the best point guard in the league delivering it and a bunch of other players who fill in and do their jobs. Obviously Natasha Howard has had a heck of a year coming off of Minnesota and just growing into her own. They have lots and lots of pieces to work with, but the main three that they have – if you get that every night, they’re a tough match up.”

NEW YORK LIBERTY CENTER TINA CHARLES

(On the game)

“I thought we fought hard and gave a great effort. We were in there in spurts. In the first quarter, they got a big jump on us and we cut down their lead by halftime. Everyone played well and contributed seeing how we only have eight players.”

(On what the difference was down the stretch)

“That’s what the great teams do. They have great chemistry and a great coach. They’re supposed to be doing that.”

(On nearing the end of the season)

“I take pride every time I put on this uniform. It’s no secret the state of our organization and the sale of it – you never know what’s going to happen next year. Me wanting to come here and play in New York and play for my hometown team – I’m very thankful to be wearing this uniform. I just go out and play hard. For everyone else, I can’t really say where they are. It’s kind of hard for some players to not be in the postseason and not even making double-digit wins. For me, I just take pride putting on the uniform and just go out and play hard.”