On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Natalie Heavren chats with Bella Munson, Seattle Storm beat writer for The Next. The two of them discuss the recent success the Storm are seeing – the team has won eight of its last nine games. They then dive into the roster, discussing specifically the contributions from Skylar Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, and more.
Heavren and Munson start by breaking down the Storm’s latest win, a 92-84 defeat over the Dallas Wings. “A couple things stood out to me,” Munson says. “But the biggest thing for Seattle was that it was really a team performance. All eight players who saw the floor scored, [and] seven of them had two or more assists.” This was notable, per Munson, as working together is “something they’ve really been focusing on as a pretty new team, getting to play together and figuring each other out.”
Munson and Heavren then move onto discussing the free agents that have made a big difference so far this year. When Heavren asks what Nneka [Ogwumike] brings to the team, Munson reframes – what hasn’t she brought? “It wasn’t until I paid attention to her that I realized how insanely talented she is,” Munson says. “She’s leading the league in field goal percentage right now with 59.2% shooting … she’s also shooting 46.7% from the three … she’s spreading the floor for Seattle.” Munson also explains Ogwumike’s value in the context of her teammates. “I can’t underestimate how important it is to have multiple scoring threats,” Munson says. “If Jewell Lloyd is stopped, and Skylar [Diggins-Smith] is stopped, you can get the ball to Nneka and you’re almost certainly gonna get a bucket.”
Before they wrap up, Heavren and Munson discuss Jewell Lloyd’s recent appointment to the U.S. Olympic team. “I think she brings a lot of things to the Olympic team,” Munson explains. “The first thing you think about her is scoring … but what’s really important about her is that she can play within a system … she can get her bucket when she needs to get her bucket.”
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