Seattle Storm Crashed Jewell Loyd’s Revenge Party, Drank All the Punch, & Said ‘No Thanks’

The Las Vegas Aces rolled into Seattle ready to dominate, carrying their championship swagger.

But what they found at Climate Pledge Arena wasn’t a coronation—it was a construction zone.

This was the Jewell Loyd revenge game, until it wasn’t. Loyd chipped in with 14 points.

Instead it was the Seattle Storm walked into Climate Pledge Arena wearing hardhats, and not halos. In a building known for banners and noise, they laid 40 minutes of work down like fresh concrete and left the one of the WNBA’s championship contenders buried under it.

Final score: Seattle 102, Las Vegas 82.

This wasn’t just a win—it was a proclamation. A warning shot.

Seattle cruised to their third straight win.

“A day we had to win”

Seattle’s frontcourt took the Aces’ MVP seriously—and personally.

Nneka Ogwumike torched Vegas with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and just three missed shots all night (10-of-15 FG, 2-of-3 from deep).

Additionally with the performance Nneka moved up the all-time scoring ranks into ninth place. Nneka’s words hit with reverence and intent:

 

“I played a majority of my career with CP… I wouldn’t be able to do that without a player like CP… it hits home a little bit more because I follow her lead. I want to be able to carry that championship legacy I learned.”

Ogwumike is now only 220 points away from passing Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird (6,803) for eighth all time. and needs 14 more rebounds to pass Taj McWilliams-Franklin for 10th all time.

Ezi Magbegor added 12 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and a block, while anchoring a defense that pestered A’ja Wilson into her third straight game shooting under 50%. Wilson finished with 5-of-11 shooting and just 11 points.

Skylar Diggins-Smith orchestrated the offense for Seattle with 10 points and 8 dimes.

Dominique Malonga gave Seattle 12 electric minutes—8 points, 5 rebounds, a couple of jumpers that brought the crowd to its feet, and a baseline drive that could’ve been set to violins. The 19-year-old rookie played like the future had already arrived.

“Everyday is like, different for Dom,” said Ogwumike. “She does something else where we’re like ‘oh, okay.’ She’s a very smart person, very smart player… she wants to go out and do the right thing… everyday is some level of improvement.”

Vegas has the hardware, the headlines, and the hunted status. Seattle? They’re just hungry.

 

“I think when it comes to Vegas, there’s a different level of respect given their recent winning,” said Ogwumike, who dropped a hyper-efficient 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting. “We had to come ready and we had to approach that… I just knew that today is a day we had to win to continue to build where we want to go.”

If that sounds like a veteran with playoff visions in May, that’s because it is.

Also for the Seattle bench, we need to talk about Erica Wheeler.

The veteran guard had her highest scoring output of the season scoring 21 points in 30 minutes on 8-of-11 shooting and a team-best +17. But the numbers only scratch the surface. She made plays when Vegas made mini-runs. She steadied the bench group. She finished possessions with purpose.

“We love having E here in Seattle,” said Magbegor. “She brings the energy off the court… offensively she obviously had a great game… just being able to have her [is huge].”

With Wheeler lighting it up, Skylar directing traffic with 8 assists, and Li Yueru and Zia Cookie giving spot contributions, the Storm bench went nuclear—outscoring Vegas’ second unit 36–31.

Champions, cracked

Aces head coach Becky Hammon was not pleased with her team’s performance. Hammon didn’t sugarcoat it. Her Aces didn’t look like, her Aces.

 

“Undisciplined. The effort wasn’t there. The discipline wasn’t there,” Hammon said postgame. “Until the system is ran correctly, it’s hard to say Plan A doesn’t work.”

The Storm outshot Vegas 60% to 44%. They outrebounded them. Out-assisted them. Out-executed them. Seattle’s 102 points came on 60% shooting, 32 assists, and 8-of-16 from deep. They broke the Aces. And they made it look fun.

Chelsea Gray is still ramping up. Kiah Stokes was a not a factor. Jewell Loyd (14 points) and Jackie Young (14) had moments. But A’ja looked mortal. The Aces looked… tired.

They’ll have another shot against Seattle on June 1. But Sunday wasn’t about Vegas slipping—it was about Seattle ascending.

A’ja Wilson has played like an MVP through the Aces’ 2–2 start—but Sunday, even her 15 points couldn’t stave off the onslaught.

 

“This is what I do. This is what we all do… I try and make sure I perform my best… I am so grateful… It’s all a part of the game. I’m not going to hang my head too low.”

But even greatness has limits when the other side is dropping 34 points in the first quarter and shooting 60% for the night.

“Sometimes you gotta just stop the bleeding,” Wilson added about a first half that spiraled quickly. “The biggest thing is making sure it did not get too out of hand.”

Spoiler: It got out of hand.

The Bench Bright Spot?

Hammon tried a shake-up. Elizabeth Kitley saw meaningful run because Seattle wasn’t guarding Kiah Stokes.

“They just weren’t guarding Kiah, so I went with Kitley,” Hammon explained. “It’s hard to get an offensive flow… I thought our bench gave us solid minutes, so that was a bright spot for us.”

Bright spot or band-aid?

Vegas has now lost two straight and given up 94 and 102 points, respectively. Their 2024 identity—punishing defense, surgical offense—is M.I.A. in 2025.

And Seattle? They’re 3–1 and rising.

The fans got more than a reunion when Loyd walked into the building. They got a revelation.

The Storm aren’t just good. They’re dangerous.

They’re deep. They’re here.

Vegas is still Vegas. But right now?

Champions, cracked.