Storm vs Liberty Preview: Lloyd vs Stewart, Liberty’s Slump May Lead to Another Loss

On August 31st at 10 AM, the WNBA regular season continues with the Seattle Storm hosting the New York Liberty.

The Seattle Storm have performed quite well this season, currently holding a record of 19 wins and 11 losses, placing them fourth in the league. However, the Storm’s recent momentum has been somewhat sluggish, having only won 2 out of their last 5 games after the Olympics, losing unexpectedly to teams with inferior records like the Dream, Fever, and Mystics. Fortunately, in their last game against the Dream, they managed to get revenge with an 85-81 victory, as Lloyd scored 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Ogwumike added 18 points, also avoiding a losing streak for the team.

The Storm’s defensive pressure this season has been impressive, averaging 9.7 steals per game, and their rebounding protection has also been excellent, grabbing an average of 35.5 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the league. The core of the Storm is Lloyd, who averages 20.4 points and is the team’s top scorer; alongside her are Ogwumike, Diggins, and Magbegor, all of whom can score in double digits, making the Storm very difficult to defeat when they find their rhythm, but they can lose to any team if they perform poorly.

The New York Liberty’s momentum this season has been extremely strong, with a current record of 26 wins and 6 losses, placing them first in the league and securing a playoff spot. However, the Liberty’s recent momentum has dipped slightly, losing two out of their last three games, including an unexpected loss to the last-placed Los Angeles Sparks in their last game, ending the Sparks’ seven-game losing streak. In that game against the Sparks, the Liberty were completely passive, failing to put much pressure on the opponent defensively, with Stewart scoring 32 points and 6 rebounds in vain; Ionescu struggled, shooting 7 out of 21 (3 out of 14 from three-point range) for 18 points.

The Liberty’s performance on both offense and defense this season has been eye-catching, though their morale has been somewhat low recently, and the team has also faced injury issues. Starting center Jones remains questionable due to injury, missing the last game. Additionally, Ionescu has also been dealing with some injuries, which may be contributing to her recent poor form. This will also be the Liberty’s third consecutive away game, affecting their stamina to some extent, depending on how well they can adjust.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Liberty winning the previous game where Lloyd underperformed, shooting 5 out of 17 for just 13 points, and the team made only 3 out of 18 three-pointers. In the past five meetings, the Liberty have also come out victorious, giving them a psychological advantage. However, given their recent slump, it remains to be seen whether the Storm can seize the opportunity for revenge.

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