The Seattle Storm finally have a reason to exhale. On Monday night in Los Angeles, they snapped a nine-game road losing streak that had tied the second-longest in franchise history, beating the Sparks 82-64. And it was a rookie who made it happen.
Flau’jae Johnson dropped a season-high 23 points, scoring Seattle’s first 13 points on her own. Two nights earlier, she’d scored one point on 0-for-5 shooting in a loss to Portland. That’s the kind of swing that makes you wonder what clicked between Saturday and Monday. Whatever it was, the Storm (6-17) will take it.
The win also broke a 12-game losing streak against Western Conference opponents. That’s a lot of streaks ending at once. Seattle’s last road win came on May 10. The two-game overall losing streak? Also gone.
Johnson finished 9-for-19 from the floor with five rebounds and three assists. She shot without hesitation, attacked the rim, and generally played like someone who forgot she’s a rookie. Natisha Hiedeman added 15 points, Jade Melbourne chipped in 11, and Katie Lou Samuelson hit three 3-pointers for nine points off the bench.
The game wasn’t close for long after halftime. The Storm led 48-37 at the break, then held the Sparks to eight points in the third quarter. Eight points. That’s the lowest-scoring quarter L.A. has managed all season. The Storm pushed the lead past 20 and coasted from there.
Dearica Hamby led Los Angeles with 17 points. Nneka Ogwumike, facing her old team, put up 14 points and 11 rebounds. But the Sparks were shorthanded. Kelsey Plum sat out with a lower left leg injury. Cameron Brink was still out with a left ankle issue. That’s two key pieces missing, and the offense showed it.
One bright spot for Seattle that isn’t getting enough attention: Dominique Malonga grabbed nine rebounds and became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career boards. She’s also the first player under 21 to hit that mark. Not bad for someone who’s still figuring out the league.
The Storm keep rolling on their road trip Thursday in Atlanta. The Sparks head home to face Indiana on Wednesday.
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