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The Seattle Storm’s playoff hopes took a serious hit Sunday as a 94-91 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks extended their skid to five games. The loss means the Storm are now tied with the Golden State Valkyries for the final postseason spot.
Earlier in the day, the Valkyries cruised to a 74-57 victory over the Connecticut Sun to edge ahead of the Storm (16-16) with a 16-15 record. The Storm now sits just a half-game ahead of the ninth-place Sparks (15-16), clinging to eighth in the standings.
The recent loss of form comes after the Storm were in fourth spot just two weeks ago. However, the August 2 loss against the Sparks kick-started a five-game losing streak, which has turned the Storm’s season around.
The latest defeat was particularly bitter due to a late collapse and the fact that the run of losses previously began against the same team. The Storm led 87-80 with under three minutes remaining after a 12-2 run fueled by eight points from newly acquired All-Star guard Brittney Sykes.
However, the Sparks roared back with an 11-2 surge, capped by Dearica Hamby’s three-pointer which gave them the lead with only 5.6 seconds left on the clock. Sykes, who scored a game-high 27 points, tied the contest moments earlier with a layup, but the Storm couldn’t make the final shot.
Fans will also be concerned with the way some of the losses have come. The five losses have come with a combined margin of 17 points, with Nneka Ogwumike lamenting the “small plays” that have added up for the five defeats.
The Storm were 16-11 before the current losing streak and looked set for a healthy playoff run. However, the current losing streak is their longest since a 10-game streak back in 2023. The Storm will now enter a double-header against the Atlanta Dream before taking on the Phoenix Mercury, and will need a swift change in form to reignite postseason hopes.
