The Seattle Storm’s playoff run came to an end Tuesday night as they fell to the Las Vegas Aces, 83-76, in Game 2 of their first-round series. Despite the loss, Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike remained positive, reflecting on the team’s growth and resilience throughout the season. The Storm, trailing 1-0 in the best-of-three series, put up a strong fight and even led by one point early in the fourth quarter before the defending champions pulled away.

“It didn’t really feel like déjà vu,” Ogwumike said via Percy Allen of The Seattle Times, referencing the team’s fourth-quarter collapse in Game 1. “I think that’s kind of been our identity this season. We find ourselves in those challenging pockets, and we do what we can to gain some level of control or tempo of the game. How we finished the game tonight? We fought. We fought. No matter what, it’s going to be a learning experience.”

The Storm entered the series as underdogs against a Las Vegas team that has dominated them in recent years, posting a 17-4 record against Seattle over the past four seasons. Despite the tough matchup, Seattle fought hard in both games. On Sunday, they ran out of energy in the final minutes, but Tuesday’s performance was marked by determination and grit, even though it ultimately wasn’t enough to extend the series to a deciding Game 3 in Seattle.

Aces chemistry too much for Storm to overcome

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) signs a poster Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Aces defeated the Fever, 78-74.
Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Gabby Williams led the Storm with a playoff career-high of 20 points, while Ogwumike contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Ezi Magbegor chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds. However, the Aces, led by Kelsey Plum’s 29 points and A’ja Wilson’s 24-point, 13-rebound performance, were too much for the Storm to overcome.

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“It takes everyone wanting to be on the court together,” Williams said. “We had some disconnect tonight. Not saying we didn’t want to be on the court together, but there were just somethings that we weren’t flowing on defense and offense we were just a little bit disconnected.

Ogwumike acknowledged the Aces’ experience and chemistry as a key factor in their success.

“When you look at the composition of their team, not only have they been playing together a long time, they all have a lot of postseason experience. And when you get to the postseason, it’s just a different level,” she said.

Seattle now faces an offseason of reflection and rebuilding after making a significant improvement from last year’s 11-29 record to a 25-15 finish this season