The Seattle Storm conclude their three-game road trip today in Chicago when they face the Sky.
For the Storm, it is there first look at Gonzaga alum Courtney Vandersloot, who the Sky made the third selection in the first round of the WNBA Draft this past offseason.
But that is not what today is about. The Storm need a win. They are 0-2 on the current road trip after dropping games to the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Minnesota Lynx, and have seen their record fall to a disappointing 7-6.
The Storm have made it a habit of falling behind early on the road, they often comeback, but seldom complete the job.
“It’s definitely something we’ve talked about (falling behind),” Storm point guard Sue Bird said after Saturday’s loss to Minnesota. “We know we have to fix it. We can’t go into those lulls because it gives teams opportunities to get big leads on us. Even though we do come back, it’s a lot of energy to do that and then sometimes it’s difficult to get over the hump, tying it or taking the lead.”
But Bird said fatigue isn’t the problem down the stretch.
“We’re fine at the end. That’s when you’re supposed to be tired,” Bird said. “I don’t know what happens. If I knew, I think I’d fix it quicker.”
The Storm desperately need a win today to avoid dropping to .500 on the season and distancing themselves from the top teams in the Western Conference.
It won’t be easy for the Storm, while the Sky have struggled on the road, they have been fantastic at home, seeking a franchise-longest win streak of six games today.
The Sky will rely on Sylvia Fowles to carry the load offensively. Fowles leads the WNBA, scoring 20.4 points per contest. Epiphanny Prince isn’t far behind for Chicago. She averages 16.2 points per game.
For the Storm to win tonight, falling back on what they do best — play defense — will be key. Something head coach Brian Agler reiterated after the loss to Minnesota.
“I like the way that we’re playing, the way we can defend,” Agler said. “When you can defend, you can stay in games and you can win games.”
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