Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird must be happy that the team bounced back in a huge way from its previous loss. The Storm destroyed the Chicago Sky, 95-57, at the Wintrust Arena on Thursday. They started out firing on all cylinders in the opening quarter and never looked back.
The Storm were coming off an embarrassing defeat to the Dallas Wings, 87-63, on Tuesday. They played without guard Skylar Diggins, who sat out due to personal reasons. Seattle coach Noelle Quinn described not having the All-Star playmaker as “very difficult,” according to a report from The Seattle Times' Sophia Vesely.
Diggins returned to action against the Sky and immediately led the Storm with a game-high 21 points. She also added seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
She had ample support, including from center Ezi Magbegor, who had nine points, five rebounds, and three blocks. She also made team history by setting the highest plus-minus in a game at +39, according to StatMuse. She beat the previous record of +38 of Storm legend and former teammate Sue Bird in 2010.
Like Bird, the 25-year-old Magbegor has been a fan favorite since Seattle drafted her as the 12th overall pick in 2019 because of her workhorse attitude. She plays her role to a tee, especially protecting the paint. The one-time All-Star has been one of the more underrated centers in the WNBA for several years now.
Magbegor and Bird won a championship together in 2020. The 44-year-old Bird is widely considered the greatest player in Storm history. The 13-time All-Star and eight-time All-WNBA Team member led them to four titles and set multiple team records.
One of them, however, is now owned by Magbegor. This season, she is averaging 8.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks, which is third-best in the league, in 27.6 minutes per game.
With their win over the Sky, the Storm improved to 15-10. They will aim for back-to-back victories on Saturday versus the Washington Mystics.
