Jewell Loyd scored a season-high 34 points as the host Seattle Storm beat the Indiana Fever 89-77 on Thursday.
Ezi Magbegor added 18 points and Nneka Ogwumike contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Storm (11-6), which matched its win total from the 2023 season while beating the Fever (7-12) for the third time this year.
Caitlin Clark and Erica Wheeler each scored 15 points for Indiana, which has lost two straight after a four-game winning streak.
Loyd scored 23 points in the first half despite being poked in the left eye late in the first quarter and missing five minutes. With a swollen eye, Loyd went 3-for-4 after returning, leading all scorers with eight second-quarter points while playing just 5:47 of the quarter.
It was Loyd’s second 30-point game of the season. She scored 32 against Indiana in an 85-83 win on May 22, and she has averaged 29.3 points per game in the three contests against the Fever.
Ogwumike contributed all over the court for Seattle. The eight-time All-Star, who came to Seattle from the Los Angeles Sparks this year, added three blocked shots and three steals.
Skylar Diggins-Smith led all players with nine assists. Jordan Horston, starting her second straight game (and second of the season), had a career-high five assists.
Clark added seven assists and six rebounds for Indiana. She was more effective in the first half, scoring 12 points. Clark also led all players with six turnovers.
Kelsey Mitchell, who led the Fever at 16.4 points per game, scored 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting. NaLyssa Smith added 12 points.
In the third quarter, Seattle built a 19-point lead, its largest of the night. However, Indiana responded with a 13-3 run in the final 4:37 of the quarter, cutting the deficit to nine. The momentum didn’t carry into the fourth quarter and Seattle extended its lead back to double digits.
The Storm’s defense was too much for Indiana to handle. Seattle won the turnover margin 20-8, scoring 27 points off those turnovers.
–Field Level Media