September 16, 2025 | Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
The Seattle Storm delivered a seismic playoff performance Tuesday night, snapping the Las Vegas Aces’ 17-game winning streak with a heart-stopping 86–83 victory in Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs. With the win, Seattle forces a decisive Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday at 6:30 PM PDT.
The Storm-Aces postseason rivalry is nothing new, but since Seattle moved to Climate Pledge Arena, it’s felt reignited. Las Vegas eliminated the Storm in a sweep in 2024 and again in 2022 during Sue Bird’s farewell season.
Despite trailing by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, Seattle stormed back with poise, grit, and raw determination. They clawed their way to a 23-23 tie at halftime, and from there, the battle raged on.
Emotion was written all over the arena. Aces head coach Becky Hammon stood frozen, hands on head in disbelief, while Storm coach Noelle Quinn intensely stalked the sidelines. Players on both benches tugged nervously at jerseys and stared wide-eyed onto the court.
Rookie forward Dominique Malonga was the spark Seattle needed—posting 11 points and 10 rebounds, including a critical go-ahead layup with 31 seconds left. Fouled by Chelsea Gray on the play, Malonga nailed the free throw to give Seattle an 84–83 lead.
Then came the dagger. Skylar Diggins with the game winning jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining, capping her 26-point night. Nneka Ogwumike added a dominant 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Erica Wheeler chipped in 11 in another clutch showing.
Seattle’s defense swarmed, rattling the usually poised Aces. In the final seconds, former Storm star Jewell Loyd, traded to the Aces in January, had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer—but the shot clanged off the rim as the clock hit zero.
The crowd erupted. White playoff towels flew, green-and-gold LED wristbands lit up the arena, and the roar of redemption echoed through Climate Pledge Arena.
For Las Vegas, A’ja Wilson was stellar with 21 points and 13 rebounds, recording her 22nd playoff double-double. But even the AP Defensive Player of the Year couldn’t stop Seattle’s surge.
Now, it all comes down to Game 3. Fans can watch the game on ESPN or purchase the live stream on WNBA League Pass.
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*Cover Photo by Caroline Anne
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