Seattle Storm Defeat Dallas Wings 48-34 in Defensive Slugfest

SEATTLE, WA - The Seattle Storm took a big step toward the playoffs on Friday. They beat the Dallas Wings 48–34, holding them to only 34 points at Climate Pledge Arena. The win was the Storm’s eighth in their last 11 games. Now, they’re at .500 with an 18–18 record this season. Meanwhile, the Wings fell to 9–27.

In a game with strong defense and low scoring, Seattle jumped to a 28–16 lead after the first quarter. The Storm led 48–34 at halftime. They tightened their defense, forcing the Wings into 15 turnovers. Dallas shot only 33.3 percent from the field, hitting just 5 of 15 attempts in the first half.

Nneka Ogwumike was key for Seattle, putting up 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ezi Magbegor also scored 6 points, making all 3 of her shots. Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 6 points and had a team-high 5 assists. Brittney Sykes led all scorers with 7 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in only 13 minutes.

Dallas was led by rookie star Maddy Siegrist, who scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. All-Star guard Paige Bueckers added 11 points, shooting 2-for-5 and sinking 6 free throws. The Wings had a tough time with their offense. They only made one field goal in the second half. Also, they shot 33 percent from the foul line, hitting 5 out of 15 in the first two quarters.

Seattle coach Noelle Quinn praised her team’s defensive intensity postgame. ““Tonight, we bent but we didn’t break,” Quinn said. ““We stuck to our game plan and communicated during every play. Our hustle on the boards and in transition was key.”

The Storm play on Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces. The Wings host the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.