The Seattle Storm were the last WNBA team to win a game this season.
They’ll try to make it two in a row when they host the Washington Mystics on Friday night in the first of two games between the teams.
The Storm (1-4) appeared headed to a fifth consecutive loss Tuesday night when visiting Los Angeles raced to a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
But Seattle got within 38-35 at halftime, took its first lead (42-40) midway through the third quarter and held on for a 66-63 victory.
“There never was a moment where I felt we were out of it,” Storm coach Noelle Quinn said. “This group is youthful and inexperienced, but what they lack there they’re strong in their chemistry and camaraderie. They support each other. They empower each other. I think that helps us in those moments to stay super positive.”
Jewell Loyd scored 25 points and got lots of help from rookies Jordan Horston, Jade Melbourne, Ivana Dojkic and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu.
“I don’t think tonight they played like rookies at all,” said Loyd, who is averaging a league-high 28 points per game. “They were locked in and focused.”
The Mystics (3-3) saw visiting Minnesota get its first win of the season (80-78) Saturday night when Tiffany Mitchell made a tie-breaking putback with three seconds left and Ariel Atkins missed a shot from beyond halfcourt at the buzzer.
“For us, it’s a matter of focus right now,” Atkins said. “That’s the only thing that I can really attest to. I think we just need to lock in to each other, focus on what we have going on the court and be intentional about what we’re doing every single possession.”
Minnesota turned the game around with an 18-3 run that gave it a 10-point lead at the end of the third quarter.
“I didn’t think it was just the end of the third,” Mystics coach Eric Thibault said. “We just had lapses. … We’re not a good enough team to have three or four minutes where we just lose our minds.”
Elena Delle Donne leads Washington with 19.8 points per game.
The Mystics and Storm play again Sunday in Seattle.
–Field Level Media
