Storm closes out the preseason with a loss
Published 1:30 am Sunday, May 7, 2017
Herald news services
PHOENIX — Early turnovers and a poor shooting performance in the first half doomed the Seattle Storm on Sunday as they lost their WNBA preseason finale to the Phoenix Mercury, 72-55.
Seattle, which concluded the preseason with a 1-1 record, opens the 2017 WNBA season on Saturday at Los Angeles. The tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
On Sunday, Phoenix evened the all-time preseason series with Seattle at 5-5. Stephanie Talbot and Cayla George led the Mercury with 16 points apiece.
Seattle got off to a rocky start, missing its first four shots and committing five turnovers to fall behind 13-4.
Phoenix, meanwhile, was hot from the outside, making five early 3-pointers as it built a 25-13 advantage.
Things didn’t get much better for the Storm in the second quarter, and the Mercury took a 46-29 lead into halftime. Seattle never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
The Storm shot just 35 percent (8-for-23) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, compared to a 57 percent (16-for-28) for Phoenix.
Jewell Loyd led Seattle with 13 points and five rebounds. Sami Whitcomb came off the bench to score 12 points, including three 3-point field goals. Jenna O’Hea dished out a team-high four assists for the Storm.
