Rookie center Dominique Malonga was a bright spot in an otherwise heartbreaking loss for the Storm on Friday night.
The Storm fell to the host Las Vegas Aces 90-86 in front of a sellout crowd of 10,415 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, marking their fourth consecutive failed comeback and longest losing streak this season.
As is becoming a habit, Seattle had to step on the gas in the fourth quarter. The team narrowed their deficit, 71-70, two minutes into the fourth quarter with Malonga’s driving layup, the culmination of the Storm’s 24-6 run that began with three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Storm tied it up off Malonga’s free throw, 75-75, for the first time since the first quarter.
The 19-year-old, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft, dominated with a career-high 22 points and her second career double-double with 12 rebounds, coming off the bench.
“(Malonga) has been trending upwards for a while now and just playing above and beyond her age and experience right now,” Storm forward Gabby Williams said after the game. “She’s a huge reason that we are able to stay in these kinds of games, and she’s only going to get better from here.”
The Storm entered Friday in a three-game hole and looking to crawl out, while the Aces rode in high on a two-game winning streak, having won four of the last five.
Forward Ezi Magbegor, the Storm’s defensive stalwart, came out hot offensively. She went 3-for-3 for eight points within the first five minutes of the first quarter, including 2-for-2 on three-pointers. Her production across five minutes equated her total points production during Tuesday’s loss to the Lynx and nearly matched her points per game average this season (8.4).
All-Star guard, Brittney Sykes, whom the Storm acquired in a trade with the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, came off the bench in the fourth minute as a substitute for guard Erica Wheeler.
Sykes, who told to reporters Friday morning that she asked the Mystics for a trade, struggled to find her place in her debut with Seattle. She was 0-for-4 in the first quarter and was 1-for-6 halfway through the second quarter.
Seattle trailed 23-17 heading into the second quarter, after a 5-0 run by the Aces to end the first period. Las Vegas shot 60% from beyond the arc, nearly doubling its regular season average of 32.4%.
The Aces extended their lead to 47-36 entering halftime, after scoring 14 points in the paint compared to the Storm’s four during the second quarter.
Las Vegas was also disciplined with its shots, shooting 48.6% from the field and 50.0% beyond the arc. Conversely, Seattle shot 38.2% from the field and 28.6% from three.
Storm star guard Skylar Diggins contributed five assists during the half but couldn’t find the net herself. She took just two shots, both three-pointers, and missed both. The Aces held the Storm’s other star shooter, Nneka Ogwumike, to just eight points on 3-for-4 shooting before halftime.
Diggins and Ogwumike led the Storm with 24 and 25 points, respectively, in the team’s last game against the Aces, a 90-83 win on June 20.
Las Vegas center A’ja Wilson ran circles around the Storm’s defense. The three-time WNBA MVP and birthday girl went 8-for-16 with 18 points in the first half.
Seattle cleaned up its play in the third quarter, outscoring Las Vegas 27-24 and narrowing its deficit to 71-63 with a 6-3 run to end the period. The Storm improved their shooting, going 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
Williams and Malonga broke away from the Aces’ defensive clutches, tallying nine and eight points, respectively, in the third quarter. They stepped up for the Storm, as both Ogwumike and Diggins were held scoreless in the third.
Malonga continued to shine, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, while holding Wilson to just five.
“Confidence comes with more and more reps, and I’m getting more and more reps,” the rookie said. “Coach trusts me more and more…so now when I step on the court, I just know that I can bring it, and I just try to do the simple thing, do what I am good at: finishing in the paint, rebounding the ball, and (setting) a good screen, and do those things really well.”
Williams added: “(Malonga) is also putting in more work than anybody right now. She’s the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. She’s here on the off days, and it’s really starting to show.”
Wilson ended with 29 points, a fitting tally for her 29th birthday, while Aces guard Jackie Young added 26.
Erica Wheeler finished with 16 points and two assists, while Sykes improved her play in the second half for 14 total points on 5-for-14 shooting, six assists and two rebounds.
“With one practice under her belt, the explosiveness to the rim, her ability to get in the paint and the free throw line, it will continue to improve,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said. “She can also initiate getting us into offense…. She picked up our stuff pretty quickly, and she is going to continue to help us tremendously.”
Williams also had 14 points, while tallying four assists and three rebounds. Williams’ third assist marked her 500th career.
Ogwumike ended with 12 points, and Diggins went scoreless for the first time this season.
“(Diggins) is receiving different coverages with other teams’ best perimeter defenders,” Quinn added. “She still (had) six assists and one turnover. Still finding ways to try to impact the game. She’s a competitor, and she will be better.”
The Storm continue their road trip, heading to Los Angeles to face the Sparks on Sunday. Seattle recently battled Los Angeles into two overtime periods on Aug. 1, the league’s first double-overtime game this season. The Storm’s comeback attempt failed, losing 108-106 at Climate Pledge Arena.
“(We have to) continue to focus on the things that were positive today,” Quinn said moving forward. “(Malonga’s) minutes were positive. 30 points in the paint in the second half to get that up to 38 and eventually win that battle. Being down 19 and fighting back to make it a one possession game. Continuing to pour into the things that we’ve been doing at a high level. We will get over the hump. Now, we have the pieces that we feel can get us there.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
