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LAS VEGAS – Gabby Williams scored 16 points and was one of five Seattle players in double figures, but the Storm dropped Game 1 of Round 1 of the WNBA Playoffs to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night inside Michelob ULTRA Arena, 102-77.
Dominique Malonga came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Skylar Diggins also added 12 for the Storm, getting all of hers during the third quarter.
Nneka Ogwumike tallied 11 and grabbed eight rebounds, and Erica Wheeler came off the bench for 10 points.
“You’re at home, you’re sleeping in your bed, you have the fans there and more familiarity with your routine,” Ogwumike said of getting back to Seattle. “But at the end of the day, a game is going to be played, and there’s teams that are looking to advance. As much energy and as much as our fans deserve for us to play well and win in front of them, we have to figure out how to do it, no matter what. That’s going to be the test on Tuesday.”
Las Vegas, which closed the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, scored the first four points on Sunday and stayed in front the rest of the way.
“(Coach Quinn’s) message to us was just a reminder that it’s a series. It’s one game and we still have another day to live,” Williams said. “They obviously played great and have been playing great for the last how many games. Tonight, there were a lot of things that we could control, our turnovers especially. Sometimes, the best defense is offense, and us taking care of the ball and taking correct shots.”
Seattle hit 31-of-71 from the floor (43.7%), with 7-of-18 (38.9%) beyond the arc. Las Vegas hit 50.7% (36-of-71) and had 14 makes on 29 tries from 3-point range (48.3%).
Malonga’s double-double in her playoff debut came after she recorded four during the regular season, and she became the first rookie in Storm franchise history to notch a double-double in the postseason.
“It was important for her to find some rhythm,” Head Coach Noelle Quinn said. “We’re going to need Dom’s points. I think she was 1-for-6 at one point of the game. Then she found some rhythm and saw some shots go through. It was good to see her settle into the game in the second half. We’re going to need that effort on Tuesday.”
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 29 points and Jackie Young added 18.
UP NEXT: The Storm head to Seattle for Game 2 against the Aces on Tuesday, September 16. Tipoff is at 6:30 pm PT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
