Team in the spotlight
Back on June 28, the Seattle Storm were in fourth place in the standings with an 11-7 record. They were well behind the top two teams in the league, the Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky. On that day, the Storm also got a boost. They acquired a former MVP in Tina Charles who left the Phoenix Mercury.
Charles was one of the best players of the Mercury this season. She appeared in 16 games with the team and averaged 17.3 points during that span. The Storm got a certified bucket in Charles and added another weapon to their arsenal. In the five games she’s played for her new team, the Storm have gone 4-1, including a 2-1 record last week.
Charles played big in both of Seattle’s wins last week, averaging 15.5 points in a shade over 20 minutes per game in those two games. While Charles has been helpful, Breanna Stewart is still the one leading the charge for the Storm. She averaged 18 points in three games last week, including a 23-point performance in the 106-69 beatdown of the LA Sparks.
The Storm are now just 1.5 games away from the top spot with a 15-8 record. The Sky remain on top at 16-6, while the Aces follow closely behind at 15-7.
With Charles in tow, the Storm have another player they can lean on as they continue to push for the top seed in the 2022 WNBA Playoffs.
Game of the week
The Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun are two teams in the middle of the standings. Last week, the two faced off in a thriller that had a direct effect on both of the teams’ standings.
Midway through the game, it looked like the Mystics were going to run away with an easy win, building up a 17-point lead late in the second quarter. Behind Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones, the Sun made their move in the third quarter, storming back to cut the deficit down to just five points heading into the final period.
It was a tight, physical game at that point. The Sun were able to tie the game at 66 as Jones powered her way in the paint for two points. The Mystics had their chances to win the game but they couldn’t find the go-ahead bucket, leading to an extra period.
In OT, Courtney Williams and Alyssa Thomas scored on back-to-back midrange baskets to give their team a four-point lead. That was enough to hold off Washington.
That win by the Sun kept them in fourth place in the standings with a 14-8 record. The Mystics stayed in fifth with a 14-10 slate.
Big-time baller
Facing a team as loaded as the Aces, a player will need to pull out all the stops to get the win. That’s what Sabrina Ionescu did when the New York Liberty traveled to Las Vegas last week. Ionescu tallied another triple-double, finishing with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead the Liberty to the huge upset win.
Her previous triple-double wasn’t enough to get the W so Ionescu upped the ante.
Sabrina Ionescu's performance vs the Aces was one for the ages...
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 7, 2022
- 1st player with 0 turnovers in a triple-double in WNBA history
- 2nd player with multiple triple-doubles in a single season (Candace Parker)
- 3rd career triple-double, T-most in WNBA history pic.twitter.com/PaNM8x7Ubl
With the Liberty fighting for a playoff spot, expect more magic from Ionescu, as she tries to tow her team to important wins.
Did you see that?
Another WNBA player has unveiled her signature shoe. Stewart showcased her newest sneaker, the Puma Stewie 1, during the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game.
The 10th signature series to hit the hardwood in WNBA history — @BreannaStewart laced up the @PumaHoops Stewie 1s at #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/Jg7ihq4H6F
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) July 10, 2022
