Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn addressed the lingering effects of Jewell Loyd’s injury after their 83-76 Game 2 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, ending their first-round playoff series. Loyd, the Storm’s six-time WNBA All-Star guard, played her second game back after missing three due to a right knee injury, but struggled to regain her rhythm, shooting 5-of-18 and scoring just 15 points over the two playoff games.
“From what I know, she was OK to go and had been feeling good,” Quinn said, via Percy Allen of The Seattle Times. “Obviously, she hadn’t played in a few games and some of that flow and rhythm that Jewell plays with, it wasn’t necessarily there. To play the defending champs, you have to be sharp and healthy and considering that injury came a week and half ago, there’s probably some residue from that.”
The Storm faced the tough task of reintegrating Loyd, who had been a critical player for them in past playoffs, averaging 19.3 points in seven previous postseason games against the Aces. However, the timing of her return impacted the team’s cohesion, which Quinn acknowledged.
“Maybe it can be the fact that I only played 12 games with them,” she said. “The fact that Ezi and Jewell were out and had to come back. There was just some disconnection that we had tonight. Vegas, you can feel it, they’re very attached and I think that’s what it takes to win on the road.”
Storm can’t keep foot on the gas against Aces
Seattle battled hard in both games, holding a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter in both matchups against the two-time defending champions. However, they ultimately ran out of gas, particularly in Game 1, where they failed to score in the final minutes. Despite a stronger showing in Game 2, the Storm couldn’t hold off Las Vegas’ late surge, led by Kelsey Plum’s 29 points and A’ja Wilson’s 24-point, 13-rebound performance.
Gabby Williams led the Storm with a career playoff-high 20 points, while Loyd finished with 15 points. Still, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Aces, who are 17-4 against the Storm over the last four years.
Now, the Storm turn their attention to the offseason, aiming to build on a season where they improved from 11-29 in 2023 to a 25-15 finish in 2024.
“Going from 11 wins to 25 and the playoffs feels successful,” Quinn said. “I’m such a competitor though. I want more. I’m proud of our group and I’m proud of where we came from, from last season. It hasn’t been talked about a lot. … But I don’t need acknowledgment. I’m just doing my job.
“I’m on borrowed time, so I realize the importance of not wasting moments. I feel like in the big picture we had some success, but I think that this group could have done more and I feel responsible for that. So, we will continue to build.”
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