Jewell Loyd drops career-high 39 points to lead Storm in complete win over Dallas Wings
SEATTLE – Admittedly, Jewell Loyd savors matchups with Diana Taurasi, which explains why she’s had more 30-point performances against the Phoenix Mercury than any other team.
But there’s also something about Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings that gets Loyd going.
The Storm star scored 25 points in the first half and saved her best for the end by dropping 11 points in the fourth period to lead Seattle to a 109-103 win on Saturday afternoon at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
Loyd finished with a career-high 39 points and Ogunbowale tallied a personal-best 41.
As good as Loyd was — and she was sensational — her supporting cast proved to be the difference in the win with all five Storm starters scoring in double figures for the first time this season.
Ezi Magbegor finished with 15 points and four blocks, Ivana Dojkic tallied 14 points and seven assists, and Kia Nurse had 11 points and three three-pointers.
However, center Mercedes Russell was the unsung hero with her biggest game of the season.
Storm coach Noelle Quinn tweaked the lineup and replaced rookie forward Jordan Horston with Russell to combat Dallas’ big front line.
The fifth-year veteran center rewarded her coach with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Still, Saturday’s game, which featured three of the league’s top scorers, hinged on whether Seattle could convert enough three-pointers to counter the Wings’ size advantage.
Seattle connected on a season-high 17 shots behind the arc, while Dallas enjoyed a 50-22 points-in-the-paint disparity.
Loyd got it going early with 13 points in the first quarter. She beat the buzzer at the end of the period with a put-back on Sami Whitcomb’s missed three-pointer that gave the Storm a 26-22 lead in a quarter in which neither team led by more than four points.
Seattle unlocked a 34-34 tie midway in the second quarter with a 20-5 run, which began with two free throws from Horston and an unconventional seven-point possession.
Momentum swung toward the Storm when Loyd canned a three-pointer, drew a technical foul on Ogunbowale and hit the ensuing free throw for a four-point play. Seattle retained possession, which ended with Dojkic draining a three-pointer for a 43-34 lead.
About two minutes later, Loyd whipped a pass from the post to Nurse for a three-pointer to go up 54-39 with 2:18 left.
Behind Loyd’s 25 points, the Storm led 55-47 at halftime.
Loyd went scoreless in the third quarter, which largely explains why Dallas outscored Seattle 28-19 in the period and the Storm trailed 75-74 heading to the fourth.
Seattle returns for a three-game homestand that starts Tuesday against Connecticut.