The Seattle Storm have won back-to-back games for the first time this season and will ride that momentum into Wednesday night’s contest against the visiting Dallas Wings.
The Storm (6-19) lost a franchise-record 10 straight games before picking up back-to-back road victories — 83-74 over the Chicago Sky on Friday and 85-62 over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
Seattle star guard Jewell Loyd recorded 26 points and eight assists in the easy win over the Fever to raise her scoring average to 24.3 per game.
Loyd, a five-time All-Star, has a chance to set a WNBA scoring mark this season as she is in close proximity to Diana Taurasi’s record of 25.3 set in 2006.
“She’s the best guard in the league,” said Storm center Mercedes Russell, a teammate of Loyd for six seasons. “She scores in multiple ways. She’s a three-level scorer, an elite player and a multiple All-Star.”
The Storm and Wings split two games earlier this season, with Loyd averaging 34.5 points in those contests. She tallied 30 in a 95-91 home loss on May 26 and 39 during a 109-103 road win on June 17.
Arike Ogunbowale scored a career-high 41 points for Dallas in the latter meeting during an entertaining shootout with Loyd. Ogunbowale scored 26 points in the first meeting. She ranks fourth in the WNBA at 21.6 points per game.
Dallas (14-11) is coming off Sunday’s 104-91 road loss against the WNBA-best Las Vegas Aces. It was just the Wings’ third setback in 11 games.
Teaira McCowan posted her sixth double-double of the season against the Aces by scoring a season-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting and collecting 14 rebounds.
“I think we’re the best when we’re playing inside-out,” Dallas coach Latricia Trammell said afterward. “So, I think she did a fantastic job, and she shouldn’t lay her head down because she did what she was supposed to do.”
Satou Sabally scored 19 points for her seventh straight double-digit outing. She recorded her first career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Friday’s 90-62 rout of the Washington Mystics.
–Field Level Media
