The Seattle Storm’s season ended after losing Game 4 to the Las Vegas Aces 97-92 on Wednesday.
The loss was especially cruel knowing it would be Sue Bird and Briann January’s final contest in front of Storm fans at the Climate Pledge Arena. Game 4 was a barn burner with three lead changes and three ties during four quarters. Breanna Stewart and Jeell Loyd lost a lot of weight during the series rout, with Stewie dropping 42 points and 4 rebounds while Loyd had 29 points and 4 boards.
Stewart became the fifth player in WNBA playoff history to score at least 40 points and play all 40 minutes, tying her 42-point outing for the most individual playoff points.
“We’re a tough duo to stop,” Stewie said of Hunter Hames. “We are both still early in our careers and we know how scary we can be on the court. “You saw it last night.”
Stewie shares how much he loves playing with Jewell.
Stewie- “We are an unstoppable duo. We are both still early in our careers and we know how scary we can be on the court. “You saw it last night.”
— Hunter Haimes (@hunter9h) September 7, 2022
As good as Stewie and Loyd were on Wednesday, Seattle couldn’t find a third scorer to help ease the pressure.
Meanwhile, the Aces were led by four double-digit scorers, with Chelsea Gray leading the way with 31 points and 10 assists, including 15 points and 10 assists in the fourth quarter, followed by Aja Wilson with 23 points, 13 boards, 3 blocks and 1 assist. steal. Jackie Young had 18 points and five rebounds and Kelsey Plum rounded out the aces with 15 points and four dimes.
The loss plunged Seattle into an unknown future. The Storm have only two players under contract for next season and eight players, including free agents Stewie and Gabby Williams. Tina Charles later became a free agent. She reportedly Deselect According to Percy Allen of the Seattle Times after the season ended. Loyd is now the longest-tenured player on the Storm roster.
Jewell Loyd on next year’s team – “I found a player I want to play with. People have seen my game, the way Stewie and I play, and I want them to be here. There will be a few calls and chats to recruit, but I’m not a recruiter so I hope it happens organically.”
— Balanced Sports (@balanced_sports) September 7, 2022
The final between the Aces and Chicago Sky-Connecticut Sun semifinal series winners begins Sunday.
