Seattle Storm Rally Past Las Vegas Aces to Force Game 3 in WNBA Playoffs
Storm Comeback Forces Game 3 Against Aces in Thrilling WNBA Clash
LAS VEGAS – Skylar Diggins led the charge with 26 points and seven assists, while Nneka Ogwumike added a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds, helping seventh-seeded Seattle Storm erase a 14-point third-quarter deficit and force a decisive Game 3 against the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces on Thursday night.
For Seattle, Marie Malonga chipped in 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Erica Wheeler scored all 11 of her points in the final quarter. Diggins also poured in 11 points in the fourth to keep the Storm in contention.
Las Vegas was paced by Jackie Young, who had 25 points, and A’ja Wilson, who finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Jewell Loyd contributed 13 points but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the closing seconds.
The Storm’s comeback began when Diggins buried a 3-pointer with 4:03 remaining, cutting the deficit to 79-73. Wheeler followed with a three-pointer exactly a minute later, bringing Seattle within three.
Seattle crept closer, down by two, before Young converted a three-point play to push the Aces’ lead to 82-77 with 1:47 left. Wheeler’s jumper later made it a three-point game at 83-80. After Loyd split a pair of free throws, Diggins hit a 19-foot pull-up jumper to bring Seattle within 83-81 with 53.4 seconds remaining.
Malonga then completed a three-point play to give the Storm their first lead since the second quarter. Diggins sealed the victory with a jumper in the lane with 4.2 seconds on the clock.
The loss marked Las Vegas’ first defeat since a 111-58 blowout by the Minnesota Lynx on August 2. The Aces had finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak and routed Seattle 102-77 in Game 1 of this series.
Young had been dominant in the third quarter, scoring 14 points, including 12 during a 16-5 run that extended Las Vegas’ lead to 63-51 with 3:12 remaining. She added another floater with 1.1 seconds left in the quarter, giving the Aces a 69-61 advantage heading into the fourth.
Wilson scored four quick points early in the final quarter to stretch Las Vegas’ lead to 75-63 with 7:06 left. She had 16 points in the first half, helping the Aces hold a slim 45-44 lead at the break. Seattle countered with 15 points from Diggins and 13 from Ogwumike.
Seattle’s strong start mirrored their Game 1 first quarter, scoring 21 points, nearly as many as they managed in the first half of their previous matchup.
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