The Seattle Storm, led by Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, are still developing as they attempt to find a rhythm with Jewell Loyd.
Despite having a challenging schedule that includes three of the four games away from home, including back-to-back sets versus Washington and New York, the Storm are 1-3 on the year.
“It requires time.” People immediately expect success when they see a roster, according to Ogwumike. “We have three unofficial games under our belt and one official one over the last week. Simply put, it takes time.
Ogwumike’s ankle ailment has kept him out of the Seattle Storm’s previous two games, which hasn’t helped. Though it is anticipated that she will return to the starting lineup shortly, maybe on Wednesday when the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark visit Seattle Storm.
The early setbacks don’t worry coach Noelle Quinn.
“I aim to utilize the initial 10 games as a minimum sample size,” she declared prior to Monday night’s defeat against the New York Liberty. “We’ve already faced combat. been traveling since early. It will require some time, and the vets are here.
The Storm should learn from Liberty’s successful season-long strategy. Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot were brought in by New York, and it took them some time to develop a rapport. Eventually, New York advanced to the WNBA Finals but fell short against Las Vegas.
“I don’t look at other teams from a coaching or competitive standpoint,” Quinn remarked. However, reference points are a must. Although their crew is different from ours, they took some time to adjust. This serves as our point of reference. However, New York found methods to prevail.
Seattle will arrive. In addition to assembling the squad, Diggins-Smith is regaining her balance on a personal level. She was on maternity leave following the birth of her second child; thus, she missed the previous season.
She remarked, “I definitely don’t take it for granted.” “It’s wonderful to be back with this group and their network of support.”
Once again, Las Vegas is in the lead, with New York trailing closely behind the Aces. Minnesota and Connecticut came next. The Lynx was followed by Phoenix and Dallas. With two games split against the Wings, Chicago made the largest move, climbing four spots to sixth. The Seattle Storm dropped five positions to ninth place, trailing just Atlanta and Seattle Storm. Washington, Los Angeles, and Indiana completed the poll.
Although Caitlin Clark, the first overall choice in the draft, has yet to win a game in the WNBA, she has appeared more at ease with each passing game. In the four games, she has averaged 17 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds. Clark is only taking about 13 shots each game, but he is shooting 41.2% from the field.
She has played Connecticut and New York twice, always looking better in the second game. When Clark twisted her ankle against the Sun in the first half of the game on Monday night, she did have a worry. She made a comeback in the second half and nearly led the squad to its first triumph. The Fever will now travel to Seattle, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas for a three-game road trip.
In contrast, Clark made the most of the news during her WNBA debut week. Several rookies also had strong debuts. In her first two games, Angel Reese averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. She will undoubtedly raise her field goal percentage from 34.8%. Despite playing against two extremely talented players, Tina Charles and A’ja Wilson, Cameron Brink averaged seven points, five rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.
With an impressive week of 16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists, Alyssa Thomas helped the Connecticut Sun open the season 3-0. Napheesa Collier of Minnesota and A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas were among the other players that received votes.
Connecticut vs. Chicago on Saturday. Rookie Angel Reese plays her first-ever home game after spending the first three games of the season on the road. Due to a shoulder injury sustained during the preseason, fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso is currently absent for the Sky.
