Investment, not sacrifice.
That’s the commitment, wordplay, marketing ploy and some might say Jedi mind trick coach Noelle Quinn used to convince the Storm’s quartet of stars to meld their individual talents to benefit each other and a team that’s ascended from the bottom ranks of the WNBA last year to near the top of the league this season.
Not surprisingly, Jewell Loyd, the 2023 WNBA scoring champion, is averaging fewer points per game along with Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, while Ezi Magbegor’s offensive production is virtually unchanged from the previous season.
After passing the quarter pole in the WNBA’s 40-game season, each member of the Storm’s “Core Four” is putting up career-high numbers in a few categories — and in some cases historic statistics.
“It’s a testament to who they are and their work,” Quinn said. “They wanted to come here and play with each other. … They knew what that meant.
“From the start, we told them we want you to be you. Don’t hold back and don’t think you have to sacrifice who you are or what you bring to the table. … But we wanted to get them to think about investing in each other and pouring into your teammate. When you do that, the return is so much greater, and it’s a mindset of giving rather than thinking you need to hold back.”
The WNBA begins balloting for its 20th All-Star Game on Tuesday and the Storm could send Loyd, Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith and Magbegor to the league’s July 20 showcase in Phoenix, which pits Team WNBA against the USA Basketball Women’s National Team that’s heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Here’s an argument for each of the Storm players vying for an All-Star vote.
The case for Loyd
Among WNBA guards, Loyd ranks first in rebounding (6.5), third in scoring (20.3 points per game), ninth in steals (1.5) and 15th in assists (3.6).
Former Storm and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart is the only WNBA player to finish a season with those benchmarks when she did it last year while capturing her second league MVP award.
Quinn on Loyd: “We saw her evolution last year, but this year she’s doing other stuff like rebounding. And the other night she had six assists. The efficiency is going to come, the 30-point games are going to come. I know they are, but she’s sticking with it. She’s playing at a high level and she’s leading us as one of the best two-guards in our league.”
The case for Ogwumike
The sample size is smaller for Ogwumike who missed three games because of injury, but statistically she’s been elite this season while averaging 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals.
Only Las Vegas’ Aja Wilson, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier and Stewart can match those benchmarks.
What distinguishes Ogwumike is her 57.8% field-goal shooting percentage, which is third best in the league among players averaging double digits. And the 6-foot-4 forward averages just 1.4 turnovers, which is the lowest since her 2012 rookie season.
Quinn on Ogwumike: “Nneka’s efficiency, if she’s not No. 1 in our league, then she’s close to it. It’s amazing what she’s able to do night in and night out with the offense and what she provides for us stability-wise defensively.”
The case for Diggins-Smith
This year, only three WNBA players are averaging at least 14.5 points and 5.7 assists: Las Vegas’ Jackie Young, Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Diggins-Smith.
And Diggins-Smith is doing it in fewer minutes (31.7) while averaging more steals (1.5) and blocks (1.2).
Quinn on Diggins-Smith: “Sky, to me, is one of the top point guards in our league. Still working through [giving birth to] her second child and coming in and being away from the game for so long, but the way in which she can distribute the ball and lead our team and score the ball at a high clip and what she does on a defensive end — I think she’s top notch in our league.”
The case for Magbegor
Phoenix’s Brittney Griner and WNBA all-time blocks leader Margo Dydek are the only players to average at least 3.0 blocks during a season. They did it four times, Griner most recently in 2016.
It’s early, but Magbegor is on pace to make history while averaging 3.0 blocks.
In fact, if she maintains her 13.6 scoring average, 9.1 rebounds per game and 3.0 blocks per game, then she would be first WNBA player to finish a season with those benchmarks.
Quinn on Magbegor: “Ezi’s development is just crazy. You know, she’s the one who we don’t have to always play call for, but she finds a way to get 15-20 points because she’s playing hard and being aggressive. … Then when you add in what she’s doing on the back end of the defense, there’s nobody like her.”
Note
The Storm (7-4) face the Los Angeles Sparks (4-7) for the first time this season at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena.
It’s the fourth of five Commissioner’s Cup games for the Storm, who are 2-1 and third in the Western Conference standings, a half-game behind Phoenix and Minnesota at 3-1. Los Angeles is 2-2, Las Vegas 1-2 and Dallas 0-4.