Defense wins championships. Offense dooms championships?
That might be the conundrum facing the 2025 Seattle Storm. Although the sample size remains small for the 3-2 Storm, the first five games of the season indicate that the team’s defense is stout enough to contend with the league’s best teams. The other end of the floor, however, is a question.
Las Vegas Aces fans might dispute any skepticism about the Seattle offense, as a 102-point Storm explosion spoiled Jewell Loyd’s return to Seattle. Yet, 60 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3, along with a 21-point off-the-bench outburst from Erica Wheeler, was unsustainably excellent.
Their season opener was the opposite, as particularly putrid offensive production resulted in just 59 points in a loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Seattle was undone by 33 percent shooting from the field and 17.6 percent from 3.
Between those two outlier offensive performances sits an average offensive attack that has scored 79, 77 and 77 points. A peek at Seattle’s scoring profile suggests they are leaving points on the board, failing to fully optimize their offensive process and, in turn, capping the offensive level they need to achieve to be legitimate contenders.
Here’s a look at the areas Seattle could…
