If the Seattle Storm have its way on Tuesday night, that will be the evening where we as WNBA fans will be bidding farewell to the wubble.
In Game 1, it was Sue Bird setting a personal record for most assists in a single WNBA Finals contest. For Game 2, the entire Storm team decided to get in on the dimes act.
The Storm dished out an eye-popping 33 assists and crossed the century mark en route to a 104-91 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. Seattle now has a stranglehold on the series and is one win shy of its second championship in three seasons – and its fourth in franchise history.
That fourth would tie the Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx for the most ever in the W’s 24-year history.
AC, QUEEN OF THREES#StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/3M1zuEozUH
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) October 4, 2020
👌 @breannastewart #StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/wslELkkxOW
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) October 4, 2020
😤 @jordin_canada #StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/FL9bsNl7Db
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) October 4, 2020
A huge factor in the Storm’s successful Game 2 was 3-point shooting. Seattle managed a robust 12 for 26 (roughly 46%) from downtown. That included five of eight courtesy of Breanna Stewart who led all scorers with 22 in addition to five assists and four rebounds.
Both Natasha Howard and Alysha Clark had big games as well. Howard scored 21 points with eight rebounds plus two blocks and Clark chimed in with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds. Ten of those 33 assists came courtesy of Sue Bird who also scored 16. Off the bench, Jordin Canada finished with 10 points.
D-Rob with the steal, Suga Sug with the range!@justDROB // @14Sugar #ALLIN ♦️♠️ // #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/MJ3MxoJRku
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 4, 2020
A thing of beauty 👌@_ajawilson22 #ALLIN ♦️♠️ // #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Q3aCtE5qiP
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 4, 2020
N🚫PE@_ajawilson22#ALLIN ♦️♠️ // #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/URMze4U2rU
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) October 4, 2020
The league’s MVP, A’ja Wilson scored 20 with seven rebounds. Angel McCoughtry added 17 points with eight rebounds and three assists plus two steals. We have not said her name much throughout the season but Emma Cannon was a key player off the bench for Las Vegas as she scored 17 points with five rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 14, dished out five assists and was four out of six shooting from 3-point range.
Interestingly enough – if not for the 33 assists that the Storm managed, the Aces’ 29 would have set a new Finals record. And Las Vegas was not too shabby themselves from behind the arc as a team – the Aces were 42% from three. They only took five free throws as a team (and made all five (with four coming via Wilson) to the Storm’s 15 (and 12 made).
The game began as an up-tempo contest that played to the Storm’s strengths – and resembles many WNBA All-Star Games with not a lot of defense and not too many fouls being called. At the conclusion of one quarter, Seattle led 31-24. Las Vegas began to execute its transition offense to greater efficiency in addition to utilizing its defense to slow the game (and the Storm offense) to its pace.
The Aces only trailed at the half 48-42 and claimed a few leads in the third quarter before the Storm offense looked like … the Storm’s offense for much of the remainder of the game.
Hear from the @LVAces after Game 2 of the #WNBAFinals Presented by @YouTubeTV https://t.co/KEbxHRtCWu
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 4, 2020
Hear from the @seattlestorm after Game 2 of the #WNBAFinals Presented by @YouTubeTV https://t.co/j4f9LHydgN
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 4, 2020
Game 3. Tuesday. 7 p.m. ESPN. TSN.
