⛈️ CRISIS IN SEATTLE

THE STORM’S SEASON IS SLIPPING AWAY

Sometimes you look up and wonder what in the world is going on. What appeared to be a steady, calm situation can turn into an absolute disaster and leave you wondering how things got so bad. When you reach that point, you have to figure things out as quickly as possible so you can get back on track.

If you don’t, all your hard work will go down the drain. In moments of crisis, you’ve got to center yourself and regain your equilibrium. The moment has arrived for the Seattle Storm, and their season has reached a crossroads.

On July 29, the Storm beat the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville. The win improved their record to 16-11 on the season and fourth in the season standings. Since then, everything has gradually fallen apart.

They’ve lost six straight games, and five of them were by under four points, a first in league history. They took on the Atlanta Dream Wednesday night in Seattle and lost 85-75, and this sequence by Rhyne Howard helped define the Storm’s recent woes.

“These moments deflate us, and we can’t get them back,” head coach Noelle Quinn said after the game.

“For me as a coach, it is empowering to provide confidence, next-play mentality, and all these things, but individual players have to have that within themselves and bring that out of each other.”

As the Storm have been dealing with this losing streak, former forward Alysha Clark revealed to Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post that she asked to be traded from Seattle due to utilization and playing time reasons.

Christan Braswell of Off the Record later reported that “verbal altercations” with teammates helped push her to make a trade request as well. This is the latest controversy surrounding the Storm after previous trade demands and altercations dominated conversations earlier this season.

This season has been a massive disappointment thus far, and Erica L. Ayala and Roberta F. Rodrigues broke it all down in the latest edition of Tempestade Talk. The duo will be back this afternoon with Robert reporting from Vancouver.

The WNBA playoffs begin on September 14. Seattle is currently in eighth place at 16-17, just one half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks. They’re trailing the season series against both the Sparks and the resurgent Golden State Valkyries and have one more game against each team to tie it up.

Going into the year, Erica and I thought that the Storm were a solid playoff contender and a team that could go on a deep run if things broke right. If they miss the playoffs, it would be a failure on all fronts and likely lead to big changes this offseason.

The end of the regular season is rapidly approaching, and as Quinn herself noted:

“Time is running out, and my team knows it.”

🔥 A-TOWN DOWN

THE DREAM ROCKET UP THE STANDINGS

The WNBA is in Vancouver for the Canada game, and in addition to the Storm, the fans in Canada will get to watch the Atlanta Dream. The Dream are currently on a six game winning streak and have gone ahead of the New York Liberty for second place in the WNBA standings. The Dream are on pace to have their first winning season since 2018 as well as hosting their first home playoff game since 2018.

Atlanta has been powered by darkhorse MVP candidate and All-WNBA First Team contender Allisha Gray, Most Improved Player and Sixth Woman of the Year contender Naz Hillmon, and first year head coach Karl Smesko. The Dream have revamped their offense under Smesko and have been one of the best three point shooting teams in the W in 2025.

With Jordin Canada out for at least two weeks due to a hamstring strain, it’s going to be hard for Atlanta to maintain their lead for the second seed. Now that Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner have returned from their respective injuries, the Dream have some reinforcements to help offset the loss of their starting point guard.

Gray has been sensational all season long and has helped take Atlanta to heights they haven’t seen in years. The team has 12 games to go in the regular season, and a strong finish could lead to an exciting playoff run.

💰 MONEY MOVES

 ANGEL REESE PREPARES FOR HER BIG DAY

Last month at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we talked about Angel Reese’s signature sneaker, the Angel Reese 1. The announcement of her new shoe came the same day she was announced as one of the cover athletes in the latest installment of the popular NBA2k franchise. NBA2k will be released on September 4, and shortly thereafter, Reese’s new shoes will hit the market.

The AR1s were originally set to debut in 2026, but due to fan demand, they will be available to the public starting on September 18. Prior to the announcement, Reese spoke with Kayla Webley Adler of Elle Magazine about the shoes and being a role model to young Black girls.

Reese has meant a lot to the game of basketball in recent years. In addition to her success on the court, she has overcome various obstacles and continued to put her best foot forward. She’s also been someone who has helped the WNBA grow and reach new audiences and platforms.

Reese has made herself one of the biggest names in basketball and a household name with a dedicated fanbase. As we draw closer to the release of her first shoe, she will continue to be an inspiration to people on and off the basketball court.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• How Emma Meesseman is fitting in with Liberty as WNBA's most sought-after free agent boosts title defense by Erica L. Ayala for CBSSports.com

• Predicting WNBA MVP, Rookie of the Year, Every Major Award Winner with 1 Month to Go by Nekias Duncan for Bleacher Report

• [AUDIO] Sex Toy Stunts, A’Ja’s 30/20, Rivals Week & Golden State’s New Mascot, Violet with Ben Pickman by Khristina Williams for In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams

• Eight hot takes for the final month of the WNBA regular season by Kendra Andrews, Michael Voepel, and Kevin Pelton for ESPN

• Exclusive: How Alyssa Thomas Reads The Floor At An MVP Level by Shane Young for Forbes

• The ‘King of the Hill’ Reboot Will Heal Your Complicated Relationship with Texas by Brian Garr for The Barbed Wire

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

📲 STAY CONNECTED!

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