Storm’s power trio lift team to record-tying WNBA title
Despite scoring the first seven points of Game 3, the No. 1-seeded Las Vegas Aces could not stop Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm.
Stewart, the two-time Finals MVP, had a quiet start but finished with 26 points, 10 of 14 shooting, 3 of 4 on 3pointers, and four rebounds, leading the Storm over the Aces 92-59 Tuesday night.
After sweeping the Aces in the bestof-five series, the Storm claimed their fourth championship, tying the league record with the Minnesota Lynx and the defunct Houston Comets.
The Storm’s win can be attributed to the dominance of Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd.
Aces’ defeat
The Aces trailed 23-21 at the end of the first quarter, during which regularseason MVP A’ja Wilson scored 14 of her 18 points.
At the half, Loyd had 10 points and Bird had five assists. Seattle started the third quarter with a 12-2 run to take a 5536 lead.
By the fourth quarter, the Storm’s championship win was only a short sprint away.
Going into the fourth leading 75-48, the rout by the Storm was on and the Aces’ chances of avoiding Finals defeat were gone. With four minutes left to play, the Storm led the Aces by 31 points.
Bird’s and Stewart’s returns
The series sweep was a fitting way to cap an unprecedented season and a near-flawless comeback. Stewart and Bird were sidelined with injuries during the 2019 series.
“It’s been a really tough but rewarding season,” said Bird, who missed last season while recovering from a knee injury. “This group, we’re chill. We’re actually kind of made for a wubble. We don’t get too high with stuff. We don’t get too low. I think you saw that off the court with what we stood for, and you saw it on the court with how we played.”
Stewart was sidelined for the entire 2019 season after a torn Achilles injury and was unsure what this season would look like for her.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen after rupturing my Achilles,” the 26year-old said. “You see all the worst, and then I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be back to where I was. But to be here and see myself playing like this and having so much potential going forward, it’s exciting but also really appreciating what we were able to do this year, being able to play with Sue.”
WNBA dynasty in the making?
Bird, who will be 40 on Oct. 16, has been in the league since 2002 and a part of the Storm’s championship previous title runs in 2004, 2010 and 2018.
“This is definitely I think one of the deepest teams by far, one of the deepest Storm teams I’ve ever been on,” said Bird. “As far as the dynasty goes, Minnesota set that mark high. They are a team that their core group won four in however many years, like six, seven years. So, might have some work to do to get up there, but not many teams have won it. I think Phoenix has been a team that’s won twice in three years. So we’re close, but not quite there.”