Aug 23, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; A detail view of a basketball on the court prior to game three of the first round between the New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports Jewell Loyd recorded 30 points, five rebounds and five assists to lead the Seattle Storm to an easy 97-76 victory over the visiting Dallas Wings on Saturday night in the first of a two-game set.
Nneka Ogwumike added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists as Seattle (12-6) improved to 3-0 on a nine-game homestand. Ezi Magbegor added 13 points, Jordan Horston registered 12 points and 11 rebounds and Skylar Diggins-Smith had 11 points, five assists and three steals for the Storm.
The 30-point game was Loyd’s second in a row and third overall this season. She made 16 of 17 free-throw attempts.
Arike Ogunbowale scored 24 points for her 15th 20-point outing of the campaign. The Dallas star knocked down six 3-pointers and added five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Teaira McCowan had 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting and Natasha Howard contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Wings (4-14), who lost for the 12th time in the past 13 games.
The Storm host Dallas again on Monday.
Seattle shot 49.2 percent from the field, including 5 of 17 from 3-point range. The Storm were 28 of 30 from the free-throw line while Dallas was just 6 of 14.
The Wings made 45.7 percent of their shots and were 6 of 18 from behind the arc.
Seattle ripped off the first 10 points of the third quarter — the last five by Magbegor — to open up a 64-41 advantage with 8:15 left in the period.
Ogunbowale buried the first of her three third-quarter treys to give Dallas its first points of the period. The Wings were later within 13 before the Storm finished the period with eight straight points.
Sami Whitcomb’s jumper with 37.9 seconds left gave Seattle an 80-59 lead entering the final stanza.
Horston’s basket made it 86-63 with 6:39 left in the contest and the Storm closed it out.
Loyd scored 12 first-half points as the Storm led 54-41 at the break. McCowan had 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the half for Dallas, which shot a solid 58.1 percent over the first 20 minutes.
Seattle led 28-25 after the first quarter but increased its lead to 45-32 on a three-point play by Diggins-Smith with 3:42 remaining.
Diggins-Smith drove for a basket with 7.8 seconds left to account for the 13-point halftime margin.
–Field Level Media
