Howard, Loyd lift Storm
Everett, Wash. — After the rings were handed out, the banner unveiled, the Seattle Storm proved there can be optimism about what they can accomplish even without Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird on the floor.
“Don't doubt us. Just don't doubt us,” Seattle's Natasha Howard said. “Even though we're down two players with injury, don't doubt us. Anything can happen this season.”
Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Jewell Loyd added 17 points and the Seattle Storm opened defensive of their WNBA title with a 77-68 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.
Beginning a season where they will play without Stewart, the reigning league MVP, for the entire season and Bird, an 11-time All-Star for a significant portion, the Storm rallied from an 11-point first half deficit to make sure celebrating last year's title was capped with a victory.
With Bird sitting on the bench and Stewart a few feet away in a protective boot, Seattle's two biggest stars were forced to be spectators and watched their teammates outscore Phoenix 40-25 in the middle two quarters and hold off the best efforts of DeWanna Bonner to rally the Mercury. Bonner scored 15 straight points for Phoenix late in the third quarter to get the Mercury back in the game.