Two nights after stumbling through a season-opening loss in Phoenix, the Seattle Storm showed exactly why their veteran-laden roster can’t be written off.
Behind a dominant 23-point, 19-rebound performance from Nneka Ogwumike and a late push led by Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams, the Storm outlasted the Dallas Wings 79–71 on Monday night at College Park Center.
The result was more than a win. It was a response.
“This is the WNBA. Everybody’s trying to win,” Diggins said. “It just came down to who could make plays—and we landed the plane.”
Seattle, now 1–1, did more than make plays. The Storm set a tone early with nine 3-pointers in the first half, then leaned on its experience to put the game away after Dallas closed the gap to three in the fourth quarter.
It was exactly the kind of performance head coach Noelle Quinn expected from her leadership core, especially after what she described as an “uncharacteristic” opening-night showing.
“They didn’t like how we started the season—and they didn’t wait for me to say something,” Quinn said. “Nneka [Ogwumike], Skylar [Diggins], Alysha [Clark]—they all held themselves accountable. When your leaders do that, the team follows.”
A Performance Rooted in Leadership
Ogwumike, in her second season with the Seattle Storm, delivered one of her most impactful games in recent memory, dominating the glass and scoring in key moments. Diggins added 21 points and nine assists, including two critical baskets in the fourth quarter that helped Seattle reassert control.
Williams, meanwhile, played a near-flawless two-way game—finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. She was also credited with 10 deflections and drew the primary defensive assignment against Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale, who shot 2-of-14 on the night.
“She played the whole damn game,” Diggins said. “She’s our best perimeter defender. She can rebound, shoot, pass—do it all. We rely on her for that.”
Quinn called Williams’ commitment “incredible,” especially in light of her full-season availability and Olympic-level conditioning.
Wings Surge Behind Bueckers, Then Stall
The Wings made it interesting behind another strong performance from rookie Paige Bueckers, who scored 19 points and added eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 37 minutes. Dallas outscored Seattle 20–10 in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 66–63 early in the fourth.
But just as quickly as the momentum shifted, the Storm slammed the door. Ogwumike hit back-to-back shots in the paint, and Diggins followed with a layup and a feed to Ezi Magbegor to cap an 8–0 run.
Bueckers continued to show polish beyond her years but acknowledged the growing pains postgame.
“We carry [our competitiveness] for quarters, and then we have lapses,” Bueckers said. “We’ve done a good job fighting back, but we’ve got to figure out how to minimize those mental lapses and really play an entire 40 minutes together.”
Ogunbowale was held to 2-of-14 shooting and just one made three in eight attempts. Williams’ defense, combined with Seattle’s ability to mix coverages, made a clear difference.
“That was really Gabby’s assignment,” Ogwumike said. “We all touched it a little, but Gabby set the tone. Arike is a scorer—you have to defend her as a team.”
Seattle Storm’s Recalibrated Identity
After an offseason that saw Jewell Loyd exit, Seattle entered the season with questions about how quickly the new group would gel. Monday night offered early signs of what that identity might be: organized, defensive-minded, and led by players with championship expectations.
“We want to play with tempo and pace, but we can’t be in a hurry,” Quinn said. “There’s a difference between being quick and rushing through reads.”
Quinn downplayed talk of lineup changes after the season-opening loss, calling it “a one-game sample size.” Instead, she focused on trust and accountability within her veteran core—a foundation she believes will define this team’s ceiling.
“We wanted to come in and be intentional about how we built this team,” she said. “Tonight showed the work we’ve put in these past three weeks.”
The Storm return to Seattle to face the unbeaten Phoenix Mercury on Friday in a rematch of the season opener.
