|
|
Post by David on Apr 13, 2021 15:26:45 GMT -8
 The following is the complete 2021 Regular Season schedule for the Seattle Storm.
The Storm are entering their 22nd Season as members of the WNBA, which is also celebrating its 25th Season as a professional women's basketball league. The Storm play in the Western Conference, along with the Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, and the Phoenix Mercury.
Seattle's home arena, the newly named Climate Pledge Arena (formerly KeyArena) is still undergoing development work as the home for the NHL's Seattle Kraken and renovated basketball venue. The arena is expected to open in June 2021. Unlike the 2019 season where they split their home games in two venues, Seattle will play all their home games at Angel of the Winds Arena, located 28 miles north in Everett, Washington.
The Storm look to defend their 2020 WNBA Championship, the franchise's fourth overall title. With longtime veteran Sue Bird (G), and the core of Breanna Stewart (F), Jewel Loyd (G) and Jordin Canada (G), Seattle looks to maintain its perch atop the WNBA mountain. The team saw a shuffling of the roster, seeing the departures of fan favorites Alysha Clark (F), Sami Whitcomb (G) and Natasha Howard (F), as well as the retirements of Morgan Tuck (F) and Crystal Langhorne (C). In their place are former UConn star Katie Lou Samuelson (F), longtime WNBA veteran Candice Dupree (F), and young rising stars Stephanie Talbot (F) and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (F), who all look to contribute to the Storm's fifth Championship, which would be the most all-time in WNBA history.
This season, Seattle will play a total of 32 regular season games (16 home, 16 away); the decrease in two games marks the first time since 2002 that WNBA teams will play a 32 game schedule. The league switched to a 34 games in 2003 that went through 2019, and intended to play a 36-game schedule in 2020, but was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic is still going on, as well as the Summer Olympic break, the league will play 32 games. Each team will play three games apiece against 10 opponents, and two games (home, away) against a team from the opposite conference. The Olympic Break will take place July 15-August 11.
This season will also feature the inaugural WNBA Commissioner's Cup. The Commissioner's Cup will see all 12 teams play 10 intra-conference games in the first half of the season before the in-season break. The top team from each conference with the best winning percentage in their cup (conference) games will go on to play in the Commissioner's Cup Championship, set to take place August 12th at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, AZ. The total prize pool is valued at $500,000, with the winning team sharing the prize of $375,000 while the runner up shares a $120,000 prize.
Seattle will tip-off their season on May 15th against the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of the 2020 WNBA Finals at Angel of the Winds Arena. The Storm will play back-to-back games against the Aces (with a 2 day break between games) before hitting the road for their first road trip of the season against the Minnesota Lynx (May 20) and Dallas Wings (May 22).
Seattle will open the season with seven of its first nine games at home, including a five-game homestand against the Connecticut Sun (May 25), Minnesota (May 28), Indiana Fever (June 1), and two consecutive games games against Dallas (June 4, June 6). The Storm will then hit the road for a 5-game trek, including two straight against the Atlanta Dream (June 9, June 11), Connecticut (June 13), and two against Indiana (June 15, 17). Seattle will have another 5-game road trip in mid-August, taking on the rising Chicago Sky (August 15), two-straight against the New York Liberty (August 18, August 20), Washington Mystics (August 22) and Minnesota (August 24). Seattle will then return home with a four-game homestand, with two against Chicago (August 27, August 29), New York (September 2) and Washington (September 7). The season wraps up September 17th at home against the Phoenix Mercury.
National broadcast information for games on ABC, the ESPN family of Networks, CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon Prime are listed in parenthesis. All local games in the Puget Sound region will air on JOEtv (KZJO). Game times are listed in Pacific Time (PST) and are subject to change, especially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Home games played at Angel of the Winds Arena are listed in bold green. Updated results will appear bold for wins.MaySat., May 15 - Las Vegas Aces* (W 97-83)
Tue., May 18 - Las Vegas Aces (L 80-96)
Thu., May 20 - at Minnesota Lynx* (W 90-78)
Sat., May 22 - at Dallas Wings* (W 100-97)
Tue., May 25 - Connecticut Sun (W 90-87) (OT)
Fri., May 28 - Minnesota Lynx* (W 82-72)JuneTue., June 1 - Indiana Fever (W 88-73)
Fri., June 4 - Dallas Wings* (W 105-102) (OT)
Sun., June 6 - Dallas Wings (L 67-68)
Wed., June 9 - at Atlanta Dream (W 95-71)
Fri., June 11 - at Atlanta Dream (W 86-75)
Sun., June 13 - at Connecticut Sun (W 89-66)
Tue., June 15 - at Indiana Fever (W 87-70)
Thu., June 17 - at Indiana Fever (W 79-69)
Tue., June 22 - Washington Mystics (L 83-87)
Sun., June 27 - at Las Vegas Aces* (L 92-95) (OT)JulyFri., July 2 - Atlanta Dream (W 91-88)
Sun., July 4 - at Los Angeles Sparks* (W 84-74) - (Los Angeles Convention Center)
Wed., July 7 - Los Angeles Sparks* (W 71-62)
Fri., July 9 - at Phoenix Mercury* (L 77-85)
Sun., July 11 - Phoenix Mercury* (W 82-75)
July 15-July 31 - 2021 (2020) SUMMER OLYMPICS - (Saitama Super Arena, Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan)AugustAugust 1-August 11 - 2021 (2020) SUMMER OLYMPICS - (Saitama Super Arena, Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan)
Thu., August 12 - WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship: Seattle 79, Connecticut 57 - (Footprint Center)
Sun., August 15 - at Chicago Sky (L 85-87) (OT)
Wed., August 18 - at New York Liberty (L 79-83)
Fri,. August 20 - at New York Liberty (W 99-83)
Sun., August 22 - at Washington Mystics (W 85-78)
Tue., August 24 - at Minnesota Lynx (L 70-76)
Fri., August 27 - Chicago Sky (L 69-73)
Sun., August 29 - Chicago Sky (L 75-107)SeptemberThu., September 2 - New York Liberty (W 85-75)
Tue., September 7 - Washington Mystics (W 105-71)
Sun., September 12 - at Los Angeles Sparks (L 53-81)
Fri., September 17 - Phoenix Mercury (W 94-85)
* Commissioner's Cup gamesPLAYOFFSSecond RoundSun., September 26 - Phoenix Mercury (L 80-85) (OT)AWAY VENUESAtlanta Dream - Gateway Center Arena at College Park; College Park, Georgia
Chicago Sky - Wintrust Arena; Chicago, Illinois
Connecticut Sun - Mohegan Sun Arena; Uncasville, Connecticut
Dallas Wings - College Park Center; Arlington, Texas
Indiana Fever - Indiana Farmers Coliseum; Indianapolis, Indiana
Las Vegas Aces - Michelob Ultra Arena; Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles Sparks - Staples Center; Los Angeles, California
Minnesota Lynx - Target Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota
New York Liberty - Barclays Center; Brooklyn, New York
Phoenix Mercury - Footprint Center; Phoenix, Arizona
Washington Mystics - East Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington D.C.To share this post on social media, please go to the right side of the page to the social media icons and choose which social media site(s) to share the thread. To comment on this thread and others on this forum, please login or register |
|
|
|
Post by David on May 31, 2021 13:13:16 GMT -8
Monthly Update: After a wild 2020 which saw all 12 WNBA teams play in a Bubble Environment, dubbed the "Wubble", the defending champion Seattle Storm began 2021 with a relatively normal schedule playing at home. Once again, Seattle is calling Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett as "home" while the renovated KeyArena (now known as Climate Pledge Arena) enters the final stages of its construction.
Seattle began the season with a rematch of their 2020 WNBA Final opponent, the Las Vegas Aces. On a day which they celebrated their 4th Championship, the Storm defeated the Aces 97-83. The Aces would win the rematch, 96-80 three days later.
The Storm went on the road afterward, defeating both the Minnesota Lynx and the Dallas Wings. Seattl ethen returned home to kick off a 5-game homestand, narrowly defeating the un-beaten Connecticut Sun in a 90-87 OT thriller before dominating Minnesota once again, 82-72 to finish May with a 5-1 record.
In a stunning announcement, Storm Head Coach Dan Hughes announced his retirement after 20 years in the WNBA. He'll be replaced by Assistant Coach Noelle Quinn, who also played with the Storm leading up to her retirement.
Entering June, the Storm are 1st in the Western Conference, just ahead of Las Vegas (5-2), and rank 1st overall in the league standings ahead of Connecticut (6-2) and a surging New York Liberty (5-2).
Seattle also has taken advantage of the new Commissioner's Cup challenge. With their wins over Las Vegas, Minnesota (twice) and Dallas, the Storm are in the driver's seat to qualify for the Commissioner's Cup with a 4-0 record, a full two game lead over Las Vegas (2-1) and the Phoenix Mercury (2-1). If the Champions Cup were to be held today, Seattle would be facing Connecticut (3-0), who have a higher win % over New York (3-2).
|
|
|
|
Post by David on Jun 30, 2021 22:52:17 GMT -8
Monthly Update: After the stunning announcement that saw Head Coach Dan Hughes announce his retirement from coaching, former Storm player and Assistant Coach Noelle Quinn became the Storm's seventh head coach in team history. Seattle would earn the W for Quinn, an 88-73 win over the lowly Indiana Fever.
Seattle would go on to defeat the Dallas Wings 105-102 in a buzzer-beating thriller in a Commissioner's Cup game, only to lose on a buzzer beater two nights later against the Wings in a non-Commissioner's Cup game. The Storm would then embark on a two week, five-game road trip that would see back-to-back wins against Atlanta, another convincing win over Eastern Conference leading Connecticut, and back-to-back wins at Indiana.
Seattle's winning streak would come to an end upon their return home, a disappointing 83-87 loss to the Washington Mystics. Seattle would then travel to Las Vegas to take on the Aces, but would fall in overtime, handing the Storm not only their first loss in a Commissioner's Cup game, but a second consecutive defeat to the Aces, who own a 2-1 head-to-head advantage that could come into play if the race in the Western Conference gets tight for home court advantage.
Seattle finishes June with a 7-3 record, going .500 at home with a 2-2 record, but posting an a astonishing 5-1 road record.
Entering July, Seattle is tied for 1st in the overall league standings, as well as the Western Conference standings, with the Las Vegas Aces at 12-4. Las Vegas is technically the true #1, owning the tie breaker based on head-to-head matchups. Breathing down their neck are the Connecticut Sun, who sit 1 win back as they lead the Eastern Conference, but are technically 2 games back due to Seattle owning a 2-0 head-to-head record.
Seattle has gone an impressive 7-1 on the road, but has seen its struggles in their temporary home at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, holding a 5-3 record on home court.
Unlike May, June only saw two Commissioner's Cup games, going 1-1 against Dallas and Las Vegas, respectively. Seattle has an overall 5-1 record in the Western Conference Commissioner's Cup standings, having played one less game than Las Vegas (5-2), but still hold onto the #1 spot. If the Champions Cup were to be held today, Seattle would be facing Connecticut (6-1), who have a higher win % over a surging Chicago Sky (6-3). However, Chicago has played 2 more Commissioner's Cup games than Connecticut, and would need the Sun to lose to try and take over the #1 spot.
|
|
|
|
Post by David on Aug 1, 2021 22:43:13 GMT -8
Monthly Update: A short month due to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Seattle rebounded from two consecutive losses (and their first Commissioner's Cup loss) with three straight wins over the Atlanta Dream and home-and-home games against the Los Angeles Sparks. Seattle would drop their second consecutive Commissioner's Cup game against the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix, but would rebound two nights later to defeat the Mercury before the Olympic break.
The Storm finish July with a 4-1 record, going 3-0 at home and 1-1 on the road.
Due to some timely losses by the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle was able to secure the Western Conference bid in the first ever WNBA Commissioner's Cup, going 8-2 in CC games and just edging out a berth over the Minnesota Lynx (7-3). Once the WNBA Season resumes after the Olympic Break, Seattle will take on the Connecticut Sun, winners of the Eastern Conference (9-1) at the newly named Footprint Arena in Phoenix.
Entering the Olympic Break, the Storm sit 1st in the Western Conference, as well as the overall league standings, with a 16-5 record, one full game ahead of Las Vegas (15-6).
|
|
|
|
Post by David on Sept 2, 2021 20:25:54 GMT -8
Monthly Update:
After successfully capturing gold for the Team USA Women's Basketball, the WNBA resumed on August 12th with the Storm taking on the East Champion Connecticut Sun for the 1st WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which Seattle won 79-57. Unfortunately for the Storm, the Month of August was not kind, as the Storm dropped two close games on the road in Chicago and New York. Seattle would rebound with wins over New York in a re-match and the Washington Mystics, who saw the return of star Elena Delle Donne, but would lose the final game of the road trip to Minnesota, finishing with a 2-3 mark on the road trip.
Seattle would return home to close out the month of August, but a stunning late loss to the Chicago Sky, followed by a blowout two days later would end a concerning month for Seattle, who went 2-5 in the month of August.
Entering September, the Storm have found themselves sliding in the league and conference standings. At 19-10, Seattle sits 2nd in the Western Conference behind Las Vegas (20-7), who hold a 2.0 game advantage on the top spot in the West. Seattle also slid in the overall league standings, behind the Aces and East leading Connecticut (21-6). Seattle also has the Minnesota Lynx breathing down their neck, as the Lynx sit in 3rd with a 17-9 record.
|
|
|
|
Post by David on Sept 30, 2021 0:48:11 GMT -8
End of Season Update:
The Storm would finish the month of September, mostly without the services of star F Breanna Stewart, who suffered a foot injury in the September 7 win over the Washington Mystics. Without Stewart, the Storm would finish the final two games with a 1-1 mark, ending September 3-1 going into the 2021 playoffs.
At 21-11, the Storm finished 3rd in the Western Conference and 4th in the overall standings. Seattle would earn a Bye in the First Round of the WNBA Playoffs, and host a home game in the Second Round. Both the First and Second Round of the WNBA playoffs are 1-game elimination games vs the traditional Best-of-Five game series.
Unfortunately for the Storm, the chance at winning a fifth WNBA Championship came to an end as the Storm fell to the Phoenix Mercury 85-80 in OT. The game could be a beginning of a big change for the Storm's future, as it could potentially have been the final game for future Hall of Famer Sue Bird.
|
|
