- 3 months ago
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00:00Продолжение следует...
00:30It's her second year because she came out earlier and was drafted earlier.
00:34Dominique Molonga is stunning.
00:36Stunningly good for how young she is too.
00:39Third youngest player still in the WNBA despite being a second year player.
00:43Don Molonga.
00:44Always the youngest player.
00:46McBride catch and shoot.
00:48That one short.
00:49Natasha Howard the rebound.
00:51Shot clock didn't reset.
00:53Boy, there's the presence of Don Molonga right there.
00:56McBride really had to rush that shot to get it over.
01:00And then another turnover for Flavie.
01:02That's three in the quarter.
01:05McBride coasting in.
01:06Points off turnovers.
01:08Timeout Sonia Rahman.
01:09And all of a sudden you look up.
01:11And what was a one-point halftime lead is a nine-point deficit.
01:16A 14-4 run here for the Minnesota Lynx.
01:23And they lead by nine.
01:26Sure, with those passes, it's just a little soft over the top of the defense.
01:30And Minnesota, one of the best teams in the WNBA, turning those mistakes into points.
01:35Possessions matter.
01:36Late in games, right, when you're in those close scenarios.
01:38But you have to get to those close scenarios by taking care of the ball right now.
01:41Kids are fired up, though, because they just had a let's get loud sign on the twins here on the
01:49video screen by Jimothy, the famous viral raccoon.
01:52I should say viral video raccoon.
01:54Probably not good to say viral raccoon.
01:59Jimothy's like the most popular animal in the Seattle area in the last two weeks.
02:02Oh, no, the turnover again.
02:05How about this?
02:06Six turnovers in five minutes.
02:09They had seven the whole first half.
02:12Got 13 now.
02:13And the part that's tough is Minnesota only has four.
02:16That's how well they're taking care of the ball.
02:20Miles bounce pass.
02:21Almost gives it up.
02:23Juhasz Stonewall ripped away.
02:25Jordan says, give me that.
02:28Dom running the floor.
02:29And that's tipped away.
02:30Man, there's been a lot of, even the non-turnover passes have been tipped this quarter.
02:36I get that you trust Dom and you're trusting her more and more in crowds, but that is too tight
02:42of a window in transition.
02:45I mean, you like to see the confidence, but these passes have been really dangerous.
02:52And they're contagious, right?
02:53They compile with hesitation.
02:55You start hesitating and doubting whether passes are going to go through.
02:59So for the storm, take a moment, take a breather, get your confidence back.
03:03Well, the refs had no idea who to give this ball to.
03:06So they're going to do a jump ball.
03:07And it was right in front of Cheryl Reeve.
03:11I thought this last touch, Courtney Williams, if we can get a look at it again.
03:15Cheryl Reeve obviously disagrees with me.
03:27I think Jade was protesting maybe too much contest.
03:31Like, why am I not getting the foul call?
03:33Well, to Cheryl's credit, she had a better look than I did.
03:36She was right in front of her.
03:37She was five feet from it.
03:38So we've got a video review here.
03:41And we'll take a couple of looks at it here.
03:44Abazi Merkovich and R.J. Johnson, your three officials that we'll look at in front of us.
03:51And again, the storm potentially with another turnover here.
03:54Pressure in the corner.
03:55You don't want to get caught right there.
03:59It's just a risky pass.
04:01It's another risky pass.
04:02And it looks like it's off Jade Melvin to me.
04:05So that likely will be the 14th turnover of the game.
04:10And Seattle will have matched their turnover output of the first half in the first five minutes and 19 seconds
04:15of this quarter.
04:17Yikes.
04:17You are not going to hang with Minnesota playing like that.
04:20And I guarantee you, Cheryl Reeve, what do you think she's preaching at halftime?
04:23It's always going to be defense.
04:25She's always trying to improve that defense.
04:27And she has called her team out relentlessly over the past five, six games, saying their defense is nowhere to
04:32be found, calling out her guards in specific, that they can't play one-on-one.
04:37They weren't stopping players.
04:38And the storm scored over 100 points in the last game.
04:41So I think halftime adjustments, you're seeing Minnesota crowding the paint.
04:46They're in gaps.
04:47And they're exploding out of those gaps when they see an opportunity, a cross-court pass.
04:51And this is a very good statistically defensive team for Cheryl Reeve, as it always is.
04:56As number three in field goal percentage defense, number two in scoring defense.
05:00But to your point, I mean, they gave up 102 to Seattle in the last game.
05:07I mean, they're top five in just about every defensive category when you look.
05:11I mean, top one and two in these ones, top three, they are so good.
05:15And that's been without Nafisa Collier, who we've already said was the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, four-time
05:21all-defensive team.
05:22And it will be interesting to see her minutes in the second half, because she's already played 14.
05:27So when Dominique Malanga was coming back, we saw her play 15 and then kind of 20, slowly creep up
05:32to 25.
05:33Right before the all-star break, how much do you want to play your five-time all-star?
05:38I think with Malanga, too, they ramped up really slowly because of the age, and then also it was a
05:44concussion, too.
05:45And they're just being really extra, extra conservative.
05:48And look where Seattle is as far as playoff chances versus where Minnesota is.
05:53Minnesota is going to be fighting all year long for home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
06:01So I would imagine that Nafisa will be ramped up pretty quickly, and we've already seen 15 minutes.
06:07I mean, she's going to play 25 in this game.
06:11We've got another one.
06:12Yeah.
06:14Another controversial decision here, and that ball is knocked away.
06:19Courtney Williams has it.
06:20Baseline jump shot, no good.
06:23Dom, another rebound, number seven on the game.
06:25Working on another double-double.
06:27She's got 10 in her career.
06:39Dom with it against Howard.
06:41Kickback, Jade, three on the way, off the mark.
06:46That ball is tipped out of bounds.
06:47We'll keep it with Seattle.
06:49And the new 14-second shot clock.
06:56Storm have to get a good look here, an easy look.
06:59I think they're going to go to Dom.
07:05Bounce pass Malanga.
07:06Good extra touch to Nafisa Hyder.
07:08And that's good basketball right there.
07:11Malanga draws multiple defenders inside the paint just barely off the pick-and-roll.
07:16Sees her teammate wide open.
07:18That was big.
07:19That brings it back to a two-possession game.
07:24There's the high-pitched defense screen from all the camp kids here today.
07:31Miles.
07:32No-look pass into the hands of Melvin to Hydeman against Williams.
07:38Can't get it to go.
07:39And Natasha Howard knocks down Jade Melvin.
07:42It'll be Seattle basketball underneath.
07:44First foul on Howard.
07:47And quite a collision down there with Natisha Hydeman.
07:51But other end, rewind.
07:52Just watch how much of an impact Dominique Malanga has by being around.
07:57Keeps enough distance to make Olivia Miles think about it.
08:00And then ends up turning it over.
08:02Just Dominique Malanga, even when she's not blocking a shot, she is impacting it.
08:07Just the third Lynx player to even get a foul today.
08:09It's been a very foul-free basketball game.
08:15Oh, good look from 18 from Zia Cook.
08:18A little short.
08:22Cook was two of seven in the first half.
08:27Miles tries to spin it up there against Dom.
08:30Can't do it.
08:30It's a convoy the other way of white jerseys.
08:33Horstin, tough layup.
08:34Can't get it to go.
08:36Jump stop right there.
08:37I think you go off two feet.
08:39Miles tries to finish on Dom.
08:41Good luck with that.
08:43Jordan, the other way.
08:44The one-two.
08:45And she has bumped and fouled.
08:47And we'll go to the free throw line.
08:48Kind of an awkward landing there as you see Jordan kind of flexing that left leg a little bit.
08:55And that's the fourth foul on Courtney Williams.
09:00Into the third quarter.
09:01I mean, that will impact the way she plays the rest of the game as a physical defender.
09:05But you see Jordan's knee buckle here.
09:08That left knee.
09:09Not something you want to see in the fast break.
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09:18Bernard Law Group.
09:19Big results are no accident.
09:23Port-of-sale substitutions coming in for Seattle.
09:26As the first free throw is missed.
09:28Katie Lou, Steph Dolson coming in right now.
09:32And Alifam will replace the shooter.
09:38We've mentioned only three players have fouls for Minnesota.
09:41Courtney Williams has four of the seven.
09:45You don't normally see a player in foul trouble when your team only has seven fouls.
09:56Up top, Caldwell.
09:58And she snuggles that one home.
10:00And it's back to an eight-point game.
10:07First bucket of the game for Maya Caldwell.
10:12Looked against McGraw.
10:14Spins into traffic.
10:15Loses handle of it.
10:18Williams has it.
10:20Caldwell again.
10:21Look out.
10:22Boy, when you got somebody coming off the bench, striking two threes in a row,
10:26giving you a double-digit lead.
10:29That's a sign of a great basketball team.
10:31Hot hands.
10:32And once again, in transition.
10:34Got to find those shooters.
10:36Cook, can she find it?
10:37There it is.
10:38She was two of eight before that shot.
10:41And both, I think she's getting a lot of minutes against this Minnesota team
10:44because they are undersized.
10:45So going with a smaller lineup, Zaya's been great in two straight games.
10:50Forced in the rebound off the miss.
10:54Skip pass.
10:55Cook sets her feet.
10:56Drives in.
11:00Hoorstin was open for a moment inside.
11:02They didn't see her.
11:04Zaya the drive.
11:05Shot pass.
11:06I don't know if the shot was blocked or a pass was blocked or whatever,
11:09but it ended up in the hands of Jordan Hoorstin for the layup.
11:13Will the statisticians give her the assist?
11:15That's right.
11:16I doubt it.
11:18But Jordan Hoorstin, hey, there is something, too, finding yourself in the right spot.
11:25Howard drives in on Dolson.
11:27That's too strong.
11:28Gets her own rebound.
11:29Putback is no good, but a foul inside on Seattle.
11:35Seattle's defense has done a good job on Natasha Howard, the all-star, who's having an incredible season.
11:40She only had six points in the first game.
11:42She only has eight tonight.
11:44And nothing looks easy.
11:45Lala Fahm has been standing by us for about three minutes of real time trying to check into this game.
11:55She's just hanging out.
11:57Now Flaugé joins her.
11:59But she was coming in for the shooter in the last Seattle free throw.
12:05And we haven't had a stoppage until now.
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12:19Howard with the 11 rebounds last game, six of them on the offensive glass.
12:24Today, she's got seven more boards, two offensive.
12:31Howard splits, and it's a seven-point game.
12:33And Flaugé back in the game after those turnovers early in this quarter.
12:37How does she respond?
12:38You know she's got all the confidence in the world, but this minute is important for her.
12:43Katie Lou, can she get on the board here?
12:45But no, for the second straight game, Katie Lou's going to the free throw line off a three-point foul.
12:52Now, on Monday night, she made it, so it was a four-point play potentially.
12:56Today, she's got a chance for three.
12:59And Katie Lou has been really, really good off the bench.
13:04Fourteen of her last 19 from the field coming in, including eight of her last 12 from three over the
13:10last five games.
13:11And she is earning herself more and more minutes as Ziya Cooke is off the bench.
13:15Yeah, major impact, seven points in 15 minutes on Monday.
13:18And she actually had a chance for more than that because, remember, that was the flagrant one call, the reckless
13:23closeout.
13:23So you were calling maybe 13 points on two possessions because that happened to Flaugé as well.
13:32Yeah, Seattle had the opportunity, the six-point possession and a seven-point possession.
13:36They got the six-point.
13:38They didn't get the seven-point.
13:40In and out on the final, but it's a five-point game.
13:44And it would be Minnesota ball.
13:46So, key last 54 seconds here.
13:49Seattle can get a couple of stops.
13:52They've got an opportunity for two stops and two buckets.
13:56Yuhasz, no good.
13:57Oh, but they can't get the rebound.
14:00Wow.
14:01Minnesota's done a better job on the offensive glass in this half.
14:08And I scored fast, Carglo.
14:10Yuhasz tests her hand again.
14:12And that one goes.
14:13Man, that is a killer.
14:15You force a miss from three and don't get the rebound, and they get a three anyway.
14:20And Yuhasz, the confidence to shoot again.
14:23I mean, the EuroLeague MVP of this past season, the youngest player to do it, you like the first shot
14:30miss, but you've got to finish the play.
14:33Item with five.
14:35Checks the clock.
14:36Got to get it up.
14:37And she does.
14:38Misses.
14:40Oh, we'll try to keep it alive.
14:42Two seconds left.
14:43The one-two in the lane, and boy, fortunately for Seattle, that was almost a five-point Minnesota run in
14:51the last 30 seconds of this quarter.
14:54Seattle down eight going into the final frame.
14:59Minnesota Lynx had seven offensive rebounds for seven second-chance points.
15:03I think you'll take that if you're Seattle.
15:05In the third quarter alone, they had seven offensive rebounds for eight second-chance points.
15:12You definitely will not take that if you're Sonya Ron.
15:15And plus the turnovers, points-off turnovers, it's a deadly combo.
15:19So, there's another turnover there for the Storm.
15:22Nine points-off turnovers in the third quarter by Minnesota.
15:26They had only eight in the first half.
15:30And it's frustrating because you held Olivia Miles to two points.
15:33Caleb McBride to two points.
15:35But if the other players, Maya Caldwell, Collier, getting going.
15:43Awa against Yuhasz.
15:45Hand-off, Blasje.
15:48Fades to the right and misses.
15:50And no Dominic Malanga to start the fourth quarter.
15:52Same thing that we saw on Monday.
15:55Collier out there playing 16 minutes thus far.
15:59Caldwell three.
16:00That's a staggered.
16:01Great box out there, though.
16:03By the storm.
16:05Awa had a clear path right to that rebound.
16:10Bomb catch-and-shoot three.
16:13Off the mark.
16:15We're going to get a foul.
16:16And we're going to stay here.
16:17And this may be an upgrade.
16:18This could be a huge break for Seattle.
16:23It's going to be a personal foul on Maya Caldwell.
16:25It looks like they will not look at it for a potential upgrade.
16:29Usually contact to the head and neck area is an auto-look review.
16:37And Sonia Raman, you can see her, read her lips in front of us.
16:40She said, you know, look at that.
16:41Yeah.
16:41It's on the rebound.
16:42The elbow is up high.
16:43I mean, they're tangled up.
16:45But the precedent is usually reviewed in those scenarios.
17:02And they give it to Courtney Williams.
17:14They call the foul on Williams, so that is five.
17:17She's got to come out.
17:19Courtney Williams only played 20 minutes.
17:23And she's going to play for a while with the five fouls.
17:28Coming off the 21-point game.
17:30She is scoreless today on 0-5.
17:36Oh, Plaget throws it right to the defender.
17:41Good trap spot for Seattle.
17:42They get it.
17:43Miles might have to call a timeout.
17:44No, she gets rid of it.
17:46Collier, the step-through move.
17:49Too strong.
17:49Swooping in.
17:50Another offensive rebound.
17:52This one by Caldwell, but stepping out of bounds.
17:55Is Minnesota will be Seattle basketball.
17:58Minnesota in the second half.
17:59There's no other way to say it.
18:00They have out-hustled Seattle on the glass.
18:02They have.
18:03And it is a tough thing to recover from when you're doubling way out here at half court
18:08to try and get back and make sure everybody boxes out.
18:10But that's what you give up if you're going to try and trap and double.
18:14And at halftime, we were talking about the awesome rebounding by Seattle.
18:17They were destroying Minnesota on the glass.
18:19It has not happened here in the second half.
18:21Ooh, the step-through from Swaget.
18:23Hey, how pretty is that?
18:25You heard a collective, ooh, inside of this arena.
18:29That was so smooth.
18:30Six-point game.
18:32And the kind of play she needs right now because there might be a lack of confidence
18:36with how many turnovers she's had in the second half.
18:38You feel like it's one stop and one bucket away from this place exploding.
18:41There's the stop.
18:45They can get it to a one-possession game with a three.
18:49Fahm's going to put her head down and get a shot blocked.
18:52But it will be Seattle basketball underneath as Kayla McBride sprints to midcourt to check in.
18:58I think I could watch this over and over and over again.
19:01And the collect loves that right-handed finish.
19:06But that's tough to do.
19:08To keep your balance.
19:10She always finds the open space around the rim.
19:13I saw a little flash of D-Wade in that move.
19:16Yeah, absolutely.
19:18That gathered over the top of the defense.
19:22Bumping foul.
19:23So Seattle's at least collecting some fouls here on Minnesota.
19:27That's already three.
19:29So, and this is shooting.
19:32So, there's only going to be max one more foul that doesn't put Seattle at the line this quarter.
19:44Katie Lou.
19:48With the free throw.
19:49So, that was a off-the-ball foul with the automatic free throw.
20:01Now Seattle with a conventional two can make it a one-score game.
20:05Ooh, crossover dribble by Plage.
20:07Back to Jay.
20:10Plage, three.
20:12Off the mark.
20:13Tipped around.
20:14Taken by Miles.
20:22Tipped around.
20:23Collier.
20:23Head down.
20:24Looked like she traveled.
20:26But it doesn't matter.
20:27Even better than the travel call is Plage going one on zero.
20:31I'll take that no call every time.
20:35Easy two points.
20:39Here's Collier inside.
20:41Gets it to go.
20:42Back to seven.
20:51Johnson works the dribble.
20:53Bounce pass Fong.
20:56Katie Lou.
20:57No good.
20:59Miles the rebound.
21:06Olivia against Awa tries to thread the needle and can't.
21:10Turnover on Minnesota.
21:14And big-time substitutions coming for Seattle.
21:18Dominic Malanga did not play the first almost four minutes of that quarter.
21:22Not in foul dribble.
21:24No.
21:24But Heideman now involved in the game as well.
21:27Could be a big momentum swing.
21:28So you've got a fresh Malanga that can dominate the post.
21:32He has dominated this game.
21:33Seven of ten, fifteen points, eight rebounds.
21:36Leading all-storm scores.
21:39Melbourne.
21:42Heideman fakes the three.
21:44Plage tests her hand.
21:45Can't get it to go.
21:47Malanga can't run it down in the corn.
21:49Seattle has not shot the ball well from three.
21:52Five of twenty-six.
21:54That is 19%.
21:56That is one of their worst on the season.
22:01Their worst three-point shooting game.
22:04Fifteen percent against Atlanta.
22:07Three of twenty.
22:09Miles gets her shot blocked.
22:11Seattle's got to run.
22:13And they've had their best success.
22:18Good defense by Caldwell.
22:20Stopping everything there on that possession.
22:24Feed inside.
22:26Malanga with the touch on the fadeaway and score.
22:29Three-point game.
22:31That's what I love to see.
22:32Early on, she was banging around in the post and fighting through physicality.
22:35In this scenario, she didn't need to take that extra double.
22:39She took the slight fadeaway after she's already made those tough physical buckets.
22:44Big three on the way.
22:45Leaning into it is Nia Coffey.
22:48And she knocks it down and it's back to six.
22:57On the curl cut, Malanga too strong and is fouled.
23:02And Don Malanga will go to the free throw line for two shots.
23:05Trying to add to her 17 on the game.
23:09Boy, just when Seattle appears to be knocking the door down, Nia Coffey strikes from the wing.
23:17BECU over 13,100 in attendance today.
23:22And that brings Seattle's average up to the second most in franchise history behind last year's 11,835.
23:32They're only a few hundred a game below that.
23:35So there is a chance that Seattle can eclipse their all-time attendance record.
23:42I mean, you've got Indiana coming in the next game after the All-Star break.
23:46You know the average is going to go up after that one.
23:48They're going to be close to number one by the time that game ends.
23:50And it's so cool to see Storm fans just understand what's going on this year.
23:56They're so exciting.
23:58Yes, their record is not where they want to be.
24:00But if you're not here now, you can't say that you were here in year one of the rebuild
24:04and the excitement of where they were.
24:07You know, I mean, it's just in five years from now, hopefully a couple WNBA championships.
24:11Well, when they've rebuilt before, that's what has happened.
24:15Yeah.
24:15Sue and Lauren, Jewel and Brianna, that is what's happened when they have rebuilt.
24:21Here's McBride.
24:24And they certainly have an incredible trio of young guns on this team.
24:30And there's a turnover caused by Seattle's double-teaming defense.
24:354.54 left, four-point game.
24:38Seattle very much into this one.
24:39Not the high-scoring shootout that we saw on Monday night.
24:45Just because of the field goal percentage is not nearly as high.
24:49I mean, Seattle's is about 10% lower than it was in the last game.
24:53Minnesota's also about 10% lower.
24:59Wondae with it.
25:00Gets a seam into traffic.
25:02But Awa.
25:04High post, Dom.
25:07High low, tough decision there.
25:11Too many bodies.
25:14That's just the recognition that's going to come.
25:20And you've got a whistle inside as Jade was caught on a small, or on a big, rather, in there.
25:54Second foul on Jade.
25:55Oh, myles nearly gives it up.
25:57Tough D by Flaugé.
25:59I don't know if that was a shot or a pass, but it was blocked by Milonga.
26:02It probably was a shot since there was one left on the clock.
26:09Big possession here for Seattle.
26:12Oh, Hydeman, good look for the lefty.
26:15Can't get it to go back to iron.
26:17Rebound, Myles.
26:18Seattle has had a number of chances.
26:20Down three, four, five points, and they haven't put it in on any of them.
26:24In another clutch game, right, where we're going to see how they respond.
26:28I mentioned at halftime, are you bringing people together?
26:31Are the huddles coming together?
26:33Who's speaking?
26:34Calm things down.
26:35You cannot have turnovers like right now.
26:37What kind of conversations are going on?
26:39You see Jade speaking.
26:41You know you see T speaking.
26:44You've got to turn the tide at some point with these clutch games, losing 11 in a row.
26:49Get those stops.
26:50And, yes, the challenge is massive against the number one team in the WNBA,
26:54but you had them right here on Monday.
26:57When you see teams in any sport improve a lot from year to year,
27:02it's usually their record in close games.
27:04And a pretty good indicator of what kind of year you're going to have the next year is
27:08were you a good team that really struggled in close games?
27:10That's probably going to even out, especially when you're as young as Seattle is next season.
27:15And it might even start to even out in the tail end of this year
27:18as these youngsters get more experience in those games.
27:21And a season where you thought you'd have Ezzie Mack before for more games.
27:26That would have been a veteran presence in these late scenarios.
27:29Ezzie's going to be like a free agent pickup in the offseason for next year.
27:35Here's Eidemann with it.
27:37Jade.
27:39That one's ripped out of her hands out of bounds.
27:40That's 1.3 on the shot clock.
27:44So Seattle's got to get something off quick.
27:46It's got to be a touch.
27:47Touching in.
27:48Almost off the jump.
27:53Oh, the lob to Dom.
27:55How pretty was that?
27:56Beautiful.
27:58Orchestrated by Sonya Rahman.
28:00She was calling that play from midcourt.
28:03And Cheryl Reeve cannot be happy that her team just gave up a big bucket like that
28:09with 1.3 on the clock.
28:12In today's game, she's got 21 right now.
28:16Don't wait.
28:17This offer only lasts for the next 24 hours.
28:20Let's take a look at Dom.
28:21Draining buckets presented by Southwest Plumbing.
28:24Heating, air, and electric.
28:25Right from the tip, she has looked so comfortable, making sure she's getting the inside looks,
28:30posting up deep, hitting from three.
28:33And as you just saw, scored in 1.3 seconds with 1.3 seconds in the shot clock.
28:38Sonya Rahman, great play.
28:39It's right.
28:40Oh, beautiful pass to Natasha Howard.
28:42There is the difference between a really young team and a really veteran team.
28:46You've got the Hall of Fame head coach in Cheryl Reeve.
28:50You've got two all-stars, pick-and-roll game, out of the timeout, easy layup.
28:54Yeah, and Howard's scoring, but you've done such a good job on McBride.
28:58Hasn't taken a shot in this quarter.
29:00Only has two points in the second half.
29:04But this is, like you said, the veteran.
29:07Dom has to meet Kayla McBride and kind of hard hedge
29:11because she's been killing you Monday and today.
29:14And it's just, you don't have time to recover.
29:16Natasha Howard, the wide open lay-in.
29:20If you're Dom, the only thing you really can do is make that pass harder.
29:26And Dom has been a presence down there.
29:28As you mentioned in the break, four blocks for Dom.
29:30That's a season high.
29:3221 points and nine rebounds.
29:34She's done all she can.
29:35She's flanked by the 12 of Heidemann, 10 for Fahm, 11 for Flaugé Johnson.
29:41Not only a season high for Malaga blocks, but a career high for Malaga.
29:48The bench for Seattle, not as explosive as it's been in the last few games.
29:53They are only four of 16 in the game.
29:58Zia Cook has seven on three of 10.
30:01Three for Horst and three for Samuelson.
30:03But Sonja Rahman's going to ride with the five starters here for the last 3-0-4
30:07and this one in a six-point game.
30:09And I think they're going to get something special going here.
30:13Cannot turn the ball over.
30:14Watch for turnovers.
30:17You don't want to be making cross-court passes.
30:19You're going to see some pick and roll here and a lot of space to work with.
30:26And Rahman's been very good at out-of-timeout calls.
30:28Yes.
30:29There's Johnson with it.
30:31Good defense by Caldwell.
30:32But Johnson gets fire.
30:33Oh, can't get it to go.
30:35Last touch by Seattle.
30:37It'll be Minnesota basketball.
30:39Oh, man, what a move.
30:41Just not quite the finish.
30:43And it's just that little extra spin on the ball that she's so good,
30:47typically, off the glass.
30:49But still, get a stop here.
30:58All right, here's the miles.
31:00We've got the shot clock.
31:02Could be this possession thus far by Seattle.
31:04And a reaching foul of 4.8 on Awa Fahm.
31:09Only the third-team foul on Seattle.
31:12So Minnesota will inbound.
31:14But the next, actually, we're not inside the two-minute yet.
31:17So there could be another foul by Seattle without a free throw.
31:21There could be another foul by Seattle.
31:26Collier tows the line.
31:28Back iron.
31:29Dom goes up for it.
31:31Ooh, they're going to stay right here.
31:34Seattle has a challenge.
31:35They used one earlier, but they won.
31:42We'll see if Sonya decides the challenge.
31:45Again, 2.19 left.
31:47She's going to take a look.
31:48And why not?
31:49I mean, you can't take them with you for the next game.
31:55You're down six.
31:56You're down six.
31:57This is a possession you absolutely need to have.
32:00So the trio of officials are going to come back and take a look.
32:03Let's see here.
32:08That looks like Howard's left hand.
32:10Agreed.
32:11It's in between Dom at first.
32:13Yes, Dom touches it first and then knocks it into Howard's left hand.
32:17Yep.
32:18I see the exact same thing.
32:20Yeah, she pushes it out of bounds.
32:21Absolutely.
32:21That's clear.
32:22It's a good challenge.
32:23And I think coaches, we saw Cheryl Reeve wait a few seconds before, and she missed the opportunity
32:28in the last game to ask for a challenge.
32:30Because I think they're waiting almost for the reps to convene, the officials to convene
32:34and just make the call on their own so they don't have to use the challenge.
32:36Right.
32:37And that's why I think we saw a bit of a hesitation for Sonia Raman to just give the officials
32:41a chance to maybe do it on their own.
32:43But as a great challenge here, I think it's going to be successful.
32:48Got plenty of all-stars in the building.
32:50Let's take a look at the all-star teams coming up for this weekend.
32:53We mentioned Natesha Heidemann in the three-point shootout, but Team Coop with Dom Malanga on
33:00it.
33:01And Natasha Howard as well.
33:02Sonia Citron, Paige Beckers, Marina Mabry.
33:04And then Team Spoon with Plum and Mitchell.
33:11There's Boston and Clark, Alicia Gray, Ryan Howard, Keith Uriah Fenn.
33:16Man, what a squad.
33:17That seems bloated.
33:18Absolutely.
33:20Got Miles and Courtney Williams on that team.
33:24Two Minnesota teammates.
33:26Well, Seattle wins the challenge.
33:28So Sonia Raman is now over 500 on the season in challenges.
33:31She's 9-8 and 2-0 today.
33:33Might have been one of the quickest challenges we've seen in a while.
33:38Seattle has one timeout plus the reset left.
33:45Oh, Alwafam wide open inside.
33:47But Fláje will take the three and miss.
33:49Get her own rebound.
33:51Scoop it up.
33:51She can't make the three from behind the arc, so she's going to do it the old-fashioned
33:56way at the free throw line.
34:00How can you not love the hustle from the rookie guard?
34:05Always crashing the boards.
34:07Nobody knows where your shot is going better than the shooter.
34:12And Fláje, that's what happens.
34:14You're rewarded when you chase your own shots.
34:17And nothing will frustrate an opposing coach.
34:19Yes.
34:20That play right there.
34:22She's like, are you kidding me?
34:24Fláje just went between three of our jerseys to get a rebound?
34:28And how about the assignment on Olivia Miles right now?
34:31Defensively.
34:32Fláje with the rip.
34:33It's one-on-one the other way.
34:34She's got Dom trailing.
34:36Step through.
34:37Move by the rook.
34:38It's a one-point game.
34:42Five points for Fláje Johnson in 10 seconds.
34:48And all of a sudden, Minnesota's got a game on their hands.
34:53McBride with it.
34:54Crowd is juiced now.
34:58McBride on Dom.
34:59Nothing doing it.
35:00Oh, Fláje could have another pick right there.
35:02Miles gives it up.
35:04Collier forces it up.
35:07And we're going to get a three-shot foul.
35:11Did it get off before the shot?
35:13I think it did.
35:14I think it did.
35:16Yep.
35:17Wow.
35:20How about Fláje Johnson making such an impact?
35:24But this is what we're looking at.
35:26Awafam absolutely gets her on.
35:27That's a veteran play by Nafisa Collier.
35:30Drawing the foul on the shot.
35:32Knowing the rookie will bite.
35:35Fláje with the rip here.
35:37Boy, if she was looking for that other pass, she was going to take that to the house as well.
35:40Just went right over her head.
35:42But Fláje has ignited the crowd here.
35:45But now three free throws coming for Nafisa Collier.
35:49And that was going to be a rushed buzzer-beating three.
35:53She wasn't set or anything.
35:54And those are the plays that Seattle's rookies, Seattle's youngsters are not going to make next year or the year
36:03after that or the year after that.
36:04And that play is exactly why they're losing these games.
36:09Yeah.
36:10And the last game, it was that almost over and back that Dom just misread.
36:15But Awaf, knowing she needs to close out, right, on a great shooter, a former MVP runner-up, Nafisa Collier,
36:22that's a lot of pressure.
36:24But, yeah, you can't have the straight slap across the arm.
36:30Awaf knows it.
36:31You know, she was caught right away.
36:33There's no question about the foul.
36:35And that is a player with seven-plus years experience, Collier at the line.
36:41But I'm still so impressed with Flauja Johnson.
36:44You have to call out the positives in a season like this.
36:47And after she had five turnovers maybe to start that third quarter early into the fourth quarter, it didn't matter.
36:54You see her have confidence over and over again with that W-slam cover that she had with Dominique Molanga
37:00and Awafam.
37:02I mean, they were asked questions.
37:04And confidence is one of the things she's always talking about.
37:07Flauja's got 16 tonight.
37:09Flauja with five games out of the last ten where she has scored 23 or more.
37:15She didn't have any in her first 18 games of her season.
37:19Collier knocks down the second.
37:21This one to make it a two-possession game.
37:24And how bad have they needed Collier tonight?
37:27I mean, Fort Myers has had to sit the bench because of foul trouble.
37:31Oh, Minnesota doesn't win this game without Collier.
37:33Right.
37:34And here she is making a clutch play with less than two minutes to go.
37:39And playing clutch minutes after not playing since September.
37:42Two ankle surgeries in the offseason for Collier.
37:45Seattle's got to make a play.
37:47Bomb has it against Collier.
37:51Back to Flauja.
37:52She seems to be the most comfortable with the ball in her hand in these type of scenarios.
37:56Molonga three.
37:57Back iron.
37:58Rebound Collier.
38:00Trapped in trouble.
38:01Heideman saves it off of Miles.
38:04Seattle basketball.
38:09Minnesota is arguing that the ball hit Heideman while she was laying down out of bounds.
38:16Let's take a look at the right.
38:21Tremendous hustle here.
38:23Yeah.
38:24No.
38:25Well, I think it might have hit Heideman.
38:27I don't know if the first bounce was inbounds or out of bounds.
38:30Here we go.
38:34That's off Leticia.
38:35Yeah.
38:36She does everything she can to matrix out of that.
38:39What a hustle play.
38:42That's a tough break.
38:43I mean, those are the breaks you get when you're 21 and 6, and those are the breaks you don't
38:46get when you're 6 and 22.
38:47I mean, that's just the way it goes, because there is nothing more than a Tisha Heideman could have done
38:52in that play.
38:53Nope.
38:53Absolutely not.
38:54So it's going to be Minnesota ball with 51.8 left in a four-point game.
39:03Now, in a situation like this, Alyssa, do you want to extend the game by playing foul ball,
39:11or are you cool letting Minnesota tick this thing down to, like, 28 seconds before they get a shot off?
39:19I mean, I don't think you love having them use the entire possession.
39:23I think we're going to see some pressure defense from the Storm as much as you can without fouling,
39:26trying to get a turnover, trying to get a steal as quick as possible,
39:30and make Minnesota make a mistake.
39:32You definitely do not want to see playing your typical defense.
39:36It has to be intense defense.
39:37I don't think you need to foul right away.
39:39because it forced Minnesota into something uncomfortable.
39:43Seattle hasn't subbed since the 6.39 mark.
39:47They've got some fatigued starters in there right now.
39:51Minnesota's made a couple of substitutions.
39:54They've got Caldwell off the bench in the game.
39:59It's a two-possession game right now.
40:01I almost, I'm with you.
40:03I lean towards aggressively trapping, getting after it.
40:07If you foul, you foul, but if they make two free throws, it's still a two-possession game.
40:11Yeah, so it does not change how many possessions you're down, and you're saving crucial clock time by doing it
40:19that way.
40:19Yeah.
40:20Yeah.
40:21Yeah.
40:22Yeah.
40:23So the review has been confirmed and overturned.
40:30It'll be Minnesota basketball.
40:36Right now, energetic defense for the Storm is what you have to see flying around, using the length of Awafam,
40:42Dominique Malanga, making everything tough as Minnesota advances the ball.
40:49For the reset timeout by Minnesota.
40:52Is that just to avoid the pressure?
40:54It's not like Minnesota needs to move the ball up.
40:57No.
40:57You also have the other timeout, so you can't advance after that timeout.
41:02And I think just easier because you have to hold back court if you absolutely need to pass back there.
41:10Howard with it.
41:12Tom playing up tight.
41:16There's McBride with it.
41:19Aggressively switching by the Storm.
41:22Collier inside and scores.
41:25They only used about 12-13 of the clock.
41:3037.2, and it's a six-point game.
41:34But you see Minnesota just making these veteran plays down the stretch.
41:39And they're just going for the best shot.
41:41Not afraid to take a good shot rather than run time off the clock.
41:46Nafisa Collier, there's no more efficient bucket in the game that close to the hoop.
41:51Reset timeout by Seattle.
41:52So neither team has a reset, but both of them have a regular timeout.
42:00Going to Fláje.
42:02Fláje driving in.
42:04Giving it up.
42:05Awaf creating room.
42:06Shot blocked.
42:07Kick back out Jay.
42:08One more to Fláje.
42:09She's got to get a shot up.
42:10Natesha does.
42:12And misses.
42:13Rebound Nafisa Collier.
42:16And that'll just about do it.
42:20Miles is fouled.
42:21And she will go to the free throw line.
42:23And I like the look that, oh, well, God.
42:25That's a good pass from Fláje Johnson.
42:27It's just that trusting that either you go up, you can't fear getting your shot blocked.
42:33You might get fouled or they might just give it to you because at that point, Minnesota has a comfortable
42:39lead.
42:39I would love to see the alternate universe of Dommalanga just going and getting that ball on Monday night instead
42:47of trying to force a pass back into the front court.
42:50Yeah.
42:51And the alternate reality of if Iowa doesn't foul that three-point shot.
42:54Yeah.
42:55What do the outcomes of this game, these two games, look like?
42:58Because at least one of them could have been different.
43:00Yeah, absolutely.
43:01It's one single moment in each game where Minnesota makes you pay for every single possession you give them because
43:08they are veterans.
43:09And Olivia Miles plays like she's 28 right now.
43:13She just knows what to do with the ball.
43:15But the fact that the Storm continue to have enough confidence to get into these games, they weren't supposed to
43:21be hanging around with Minnesota this late in the game today or on Monday.
43:25And they continue to prove that they have the kind of offense to do it.
43:28Both of these teams playing better defense in this game because of, you know, we were in the hundreds at
43:34this point on Monday.
43:36What a finish.
43:37Well, as long as we're talking ultimate realities, what if that shot goes down?
43:40Yeah.
43:41And Kwasi was kind of leaning on this shot.
43:44And it seemed like maybe she thought there was less time left than there was.
43:51And so she was just trying to get it off as quickly as possible.
43:53You saw her there, leg kicking, kind of leaning to the side when there was nobody even close to her.
43:59And she had a second and a half to shoot that ball.
44:01And she was 5 of 7 from 3 before that.
44:03It was a great night, a beautiful play.
44:05Couldn't have drawn it up better.
44:07And she said after the game, she was very irritated with herself for missing it.
44:10But she also has the perspective to know, I'm going to get a lot more of those in my career.
44:15And hopefully all of them are in Seattle.
44:18Yes.
44:19You want to keep her here in the Emerald City as long as you can.
44:21But you've got to love the confidence.
44:23She said, I want that shot.
44:25I want to take those shots as a rookie.
44:32So Seattle in desperation zone now with 19.7.
44:36Got to get a quick three.
44:38Oh, well, baseline nearly gets it ripped.
44:42Jade's got to trigger it up.
44:43That one's badly missed.
44:44Plage the rebound.
44:45She'll circle back around.
44:47Crossover on McBride.
44:48Gets her elevated.
44:49Misses the shot.
44:50Rebound Caldwell.
44:51No need to foul here.
44:53Three seconds left.
44:53But Heidemann's going to do it anyway.
44:55And all of a sudden, the final score of this game is not going to be indicative of what this
44:59game was.
45:00Because Minnesota might win by double figures.
45:04Seattle closed it within one with a minute 42 left.
45:08That seemed like a day ago.
45:11And that was the foul.
45:13That was the foul by Alba Fong.
45:15And it made it a four-point game.
45:18Minnesota one for one since then.
45:21And now six of six from the line.
45:23Seattle 0 for four from the field.
45:26And both.
45:27They've done a great job defensively.
45:29That's the problem.
45:31McBride and Miles combined eight points in the second half.
45:40Jade's going to dribble it out.
45:41And if you look up at the scoreboard, people are going to be looking at it online and go,
45:45Oh, yeah.
45:45Easy Minnesota win in Seattle.
45:47Right?
45:47Not at all.
45:49It was a one-point game with a buck 42 left.
45:52But Nafisa Collier in her first game back in 2026, goes 9 of 20, scores 24 points, has 10 rebounds.