{"id":119169,"date":"2025-08-04T21:29:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T21:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119169\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T21:29:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T21:29:17","slug":"ezi-magbegor-finds-her-offensive-flow-while-remaining-the-anchor-of-seattles-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119169\/","title":{"rendered":"Ezi Magbegor finds her offensive flow while remaining the anchor of Seattle&#8217;s defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be nearly where we are without her,\u201d Seattle Storm forward <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/w\/williga01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Gabby Williams<\/a> told The Next on Friday at shootaround. \u201cShe\u2019s just such an important piece of this team, and there\u2019s so many things that she does on and off the court, especially for me, that don\u2019t show up on the stat sheet, and things that she won\u2019t get credit for. But she\u2019s just such a special person that those things don\u2019t bother her. She just wants to do what\u2019s best for the team, what\u2019s best for the people that she cares about. I just hope people know that she\u2019s quiet, but there\u2019s so many things that are very loud that she does that aren\u2019t necessarily vocal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is a kind of selflessness that Magbegor feels allows her to play freely and confidently on the court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s different on the court,\u201d Magbegor told The Next on Saturday at practice. \u201cYes, I shy away from the spotlight in terms of media like this, but I think when you\u2019re on the court it\u2019s kind of different. \u2026 I feel like I just love being selfless, so if it\u2019s something that someone needs from me, then it\u2019s like a no-brainer. I don\u2019t even think about it in that way. I guess the spotlight kind of things I don\u2019t really focus on that [when my team needs me on the floor].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is as if Magbegor finds comfort on the court, similar to the one she experiences when surrounded by people she is comfortable with. Storm guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/w\/wheeler01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Erica Wheeler<\/a> explained it to The Next on Friday as, \u201cshe\u2019s not as quiet as people think, she just needs to get comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/54550880098_85fcda73d7_k.jpg\" alt=\"The Seattle Storm huddle up ahead of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 27, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.\" class=\"wp-image-47427\"  \/>The Seattle Storm huddle up ahead of their game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 27, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo Credit: John McClellan | The Next) <\/p>\n<p>Head coach <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/q\/quinnno01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Noelle Quinn<\/a> finds joy in moments she can tell Magbegor is comfortable because of how great a human being the young center is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we all view her as a stoic individual with no emotions on the court, but she\u2019s opposite of that when she\u2019s in her element, when she\u2019s having a great time, and she\u2019s surrounded with love and people who she trusts and have confidence in her,\u201d Quinn told The Next on Saturday. \u201cShe is a free spirit. She\u2019s very loyal. She wants to be the best for this organization, for her team. \u2026 I think the balance of who she is on the court and how she is off the court just makes an amazing individual.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is this combination of personality and talent that makes Magbegor such a key piece of the Seattle Storm.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=becoming+caitlin+clark&amp;i=stripbooks&amp;crid=3IV6QD76CV5IH&amp;sprefix=becoming+caitlin+clark%2Cstripbooks%2C175&amp;ref=nb_sb_noss_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"328\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754342951_397_Untitled-design-13.png\" alt=\"Photo of the cover of &quot;Becoming Caitlin Clark,&quot; a new book written by Howard Megdal.\" class=\"wp-image-46452 size-full\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark\u201d<\/strong> <strong>is out now!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Howard Megdal\u2019s newest book is here! \u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar\u201d captures both the historic nature of Clark\u2019s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.<\/p>\n<p>Early offensive lull<\/p>\n<p>In the first 18 games, she only scored in double-digits four times. Comparatively, in the last 11 games (since July 6 against New York), she was held to single digits five times and has had six double-digit scoring performances. The disappointing start to the season has made Magbegor reconsider this season as one of growth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously, sometimes things don\u2019t go how you expect or plan them to,\u201d Magbegor said. \u201cWhen you have a bad game or two it easy to kind of get over that. But I think having a bad, in my eyes, a bad start to the season, and kind of just figuring out how to still help the team [while] feeling like you\u2019re letting the team down like that was pretty tough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To get out of that feeling, Magbegor has focused on staying the course through a long season and knowing that, in the end, how you finish is more important than how you start.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think self-talk is really important and it\u2019s something I\u2019ve known is obviously important but something that I\u2019ve definitely been trying to work on more, especially this season,\u201d Magbegor said. \u201cSo just kind of riding that and knowing that, as negatively as you talk to yourself you have to kind of counter that with positive self-talk as well. So just kind of celebrating the little things, no matter how small it is because I think that builds the confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was no specific reason that Magbegor struggled to start the season. After the July 13 loss to the Washington Mystics, Quinn mentioned that one of the foremost differences in Magbegor\u2019s improved offense to that point was that \u201cshe\u2019s getting healthy,\u201d but declined to elaborate. Magbegor wouldn\u2019t go into specifics but said that she is feeling good now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel it wasn\u2019t anything serious, I don\u2019t know if healthy is the right word,\u201d Magbegor said. \u201cI just feel like, you know, playing to start the season, I obviously wasn\u2019t playing as well as I could have, and so I think it\u2019s just a matter of confidence, consistency, and just, yeah, doing what my team knows I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean all the pressure has been on Magbegor alone to perform as well as her team knows she can. Her coaches and teammates have supported her through it all with a focus on continuously instilling confidence in her.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From a basketball standpoint, Quinn pointed to trying to get Magbegor back into a routine, not just on the court but getting her back in the weight room and simplifying her personal development work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To make things easier on the court for Magbegor, Williams has been trying to get into more pick and rolls with her to open things up for her because they know each other\u2019s cadences so well. They also focus on letting her defense turn into offense, telling her to trust her instincts in transition because she can handle the ball so well at her size and finish at the rim.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"659\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250709_DSC2543_chrisposs-Edit-scaled-e1753576992742-1024x659.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49391\"  \/>Seattle Storm forward-center Ezi Magbegor shoots during the WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on July 9, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n<p>On the mental side, Quinn never lost confidence in Magbegor, so she always reminded her that she trusts her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest thing is just instilling the confidence and telling her that those looks were good looks,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t like she was taking bad shots, but to confidently take them, to get the reps in, to remove that doubt during that time when she is taking them on the court during the game. Just kind of pouring into her, telling her we need her, giving her the space to kind of feel what that is and [do] whatever she needed to do to get her mind and her heart and spirit back in alignment with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seattle Storm forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/o\/ogwumnn01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nneka Ogwumike<\/a> and Wheeler spoke to how they have tried to help instill that confidence in her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s confidence, it has nothing to do with mechanics or skills,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cIt\u2019s just about her confidence going into each game and each practice, knowing that she\u2019s capable. Noey empowers her every day, the team does [too]. Nobody\u2019s telling her not to shoot. It\u2019s just more so about her being ready to shoot and just being confident that whatever shots she takes, it\u2019s a good one for our team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know what she can bring [offensively] and she serves as our defensive anchor,\u201d Ogwumike told The Next on Friday. \u201cAnd us empowering her to understand that she\u2019s a force on both ends of the court, I think has maybe helped her recognize and realize that we need her on both ends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Williams, who is playing her fourth season with Magbegor, says they make an effort to check on each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s someone who\u2019s always the same person every day, and that\u2019s a gift and curse because sometimes you don\u2019t check on these people as much as you should,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAs we say, like check on your strong friends, and Ezi is the strong friend for all of us. \u2026 So we also need to check on her and make sure like, okay, what do we need to be doing to get things easier for [her]?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Magbegor also feels she has done a better job this year of asking for things that she needs in certain moments to make up for when her natural personality doesn\u2019t show that she needs that extra support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that\u2019s something previously I wouldn\u2019t have done,\u201d Magbegor said. \u201cI would have just kind of like, shied away and dealt with it myself, because that\u2019s what I like to do. I think they\u2019ve always instilled that confidence in me, but just maybe because I am so like, stoic and poker face, they don\u2019t know that I need things at times. So just being more comfortable to ask for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Defensive anchor first<\/p>\n<p>One thing that has never wavered for Magbegor is her defense. The Australian has been and continues to be one of the best individual defenders in the league, and she uses that prowess to anchor one of the overall best defensive teams in the league.<\/p>\n<p>Magbegor is <a href=\"https:\/\/stats.wnba.com\/player\/1629496\/traditional\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">averaging<\/a> 2.2 blocks per game this season, <a href=\"https:\/\/stats.wnba.com\/leaders\/?Season=2025&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;StatCategory=BLK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second only<\/a> to A\u2019ja Wilson, who is averaging 2.3. However, Magbegor leads the WNBA in total blocks (64),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbpstats.com\/totals\/wnba\/player?Season=2025&amp;SeasonType=Regular+Season&amp;Type=Player&amp;StatType=Totals&amp;Table=Misc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blocks recovered<\/a>\u00a0(32), layups blocked (58 according to Genius Sports tracking data)\u00a0\u00a0and games with at least one block (27).<\/p>\n<p>Further proving Magbegor\u2019s defensive strengths, she held opponents to just 0.820 points per chance on drives, the fifth-lowest efficiency allowed by any defender who faced 100 drives so far in 2025. As the closest defender on layups, she has held opponents to 41.9% on layups, the lowest opponent efficiency in the WNBA this season with a minimum 100 layups defended. Both statistics come from Genius Sports tracking data via the Seattle Storm.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250709_DSC5804_chrisposs-Edit-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49585\"  \/>Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) tries to shoot over Seattle Storm forward-center Ezi Magbegor (13) during the WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, on July 9, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery night, she probably has to guard the best player on the [opposing] team,\u201d Ogwumike said. \u201cBecause of that, she\u2019s involved in a lot of defensive action. So, ensuring that she\u2019s locked in in that way, which she always is, is a way that she serves as our defensive anchor. \u2026 And then she\u2019s also, kind of like our closer. She\u2019s the queen of the paint on defense. And she makes a lot of bad plays look good because she finishes them off, not just with blocks, but with keeping them in play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Williams, one of the best guard defenders in the WNBA, praised her teammate for how many mistakes she covers up, saying she is always happy to repeat her praise of Magbegor until the end of time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe just makes us looks so much better than we actually are because we make a mistake on defense, we know we have one of the best rim protectors in the entire world behind us,\u201d Williams said. \u201cObviously, her and I played four years together now, so I know when to let my person go. I just send that person to Ezi and just let her do her thing. \u2026 What also makes her a defensive threat, she\u2019s able to guard one through five, genuinely, one through five. A lot of people say that, but with her, she can guard them well, you know. It allows us to switch in emergencies when we need to, it fixes a lot of matchup issues for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along the lines of cleaning up her teammate\u2019s mistakes, Wheeler admitted that having Magbegor\u2019s shot blocking behind her makes her cheat on her defensive assignment a little bit more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was in Connecticut, I was guarding <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/r\/riversa01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Saniya Rivers<\/a>, and our coverage was to run her off the line,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cShe ended up attacking me and I was cool because as soon as I turned my head, I seen Ezi coming over. And I was like, \u2018she\u2019s got to finish a tough shot over Ezi or Ezi going to block it \u2014 Ezi blocked it and I was able to get the block from Ezi. So, I\u2019m very confident, I definitely cheat a little bit more knowing Ezi is behind me for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Connecticut Sun center <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/n\/nelsool01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Olivia Nelson-Ododa<\/a> spoke after the game Wheeler was referring to about just how much Magbegor\u2019s presence, particularly her 6\u20197 wingspan, affects the opposition\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s a long defender, so obviously she\u2019s going to alter shots, make people think twice about even shooting, and she\u2019s just a big presence inside,\u201d Nelson-Ododa told reporters. \u201cShe\u2019s 6\u20194, and she\u2019s super long, that\u2019s going to make any type of shot difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wheeler also pointed to these kinds of plays, heralded unprovoked by many of her teammates, where Magbegor doesn\u2019t just block the ball but keeps it in bounds and possession of her team, as giving energy and extra possessions to the team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think those are the ones that make us super efficient in moments because it\u2019s those key moments of momentum changes,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a nice block and then you keep it in bounds and then are able to execute in transition. I think people don\u2019t look at that. If you\u2019re not a basketball player, they\u2019re not understanding that part is super important, because typically when you make a block it\u2019s out of bounds, it\u2019s still the other team\u2019s ball. She\u2019s making blocks and it\u2019s still in our possession. I think that\u2019s super key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250728_DSC8846_chrisposs-Edit-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49588\"  \/>Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers goes up to shoot as Seattle Storm forward-center Ezi Magbegor comes over for the block during the WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, on July 28, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n<p>While it is a blessing to have Magbegor covering up mistakes, the team also consistently has to work on not over-relying on her presence and making her job any more difficult than it already is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEzi is not always on the floor, so if we just rely on her to clean things up then that\u2019s where we can kind of get in trouble,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cSo I think its two fold to know that Ezi is our anchor and that\u2019s part of her description as the anchor is to be there, but also highly encouraging our group to guard our yard and be more aggressive on the ball so that we\u2019re not putting her in predicaments of getting fouls or over rotating and giving up o[ffensive] boards. The more solid we are in the front the better we are in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Magbegor\u2019s part, she feels like she thrives in her defensive anchor role. As her career goes on, it isn\u2019t just about blocking shots, it\u2019s about improving her one-on-one and individual matchups and helping her team, particularly wanting to take some defensive pressure off of Ogwumike knowing that she takes on so much offensively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely take pride in it,\u201d Magbegor said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely something that when offense isn\u2019t going my way I think it\u2019s something I can kind of just contribute to every single time and it just helps the team so much.<\/p>\n<p>The scariest part for WNBA opposition? Magbegor doesn\u2019t think she has reached the top of her defensive game yet. She believes it has improved, but still thinks she can enhance her one-on-one game, assertiveness, and reading skills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-fl-body-bg-background-color has-background has-small-font-size\"><strong>Order \u2018Rare Gems\u2019 and save 30%<br \/><\/strong><br \/>Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women\u2019s basketball pioneers, from Elvera \u201cPeps\u201d Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.<\/p>\n<p>If you enjoy his coverage of women\u2019s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love \u201cRare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/rare-gems-the-ix\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/rare-gems-the-ix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click the link below to order<\/a> and enter <strong>MEGDAL30<\/strong> at checkout.<\/p>\n<p>A young veteran leader<\/p>\n<p>One role that the 25-year-old Magbegor is less comfortable in is her more recent duties as a veteran leader. Magbegor said it wasn\u2019t a role she wanted to take on at the beginning of the season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m six seasons in now, so it\u2019s not something that you can hide from, unfortunately,\u201d Magbegor half-joked bashfully. \u201cI think just being able to have such experience and the teammates that I have played with, just being able to kind of gather the knowledge that they\u2019ve all kind of shared with me [has helped]. \u2026 I think being a veteran [means] knowing how the season goes, knowing how to win games, knowing when it gets tough and just being able to kind of share that with the younger players.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels weird that I\u2019m like the middle of the pack now, but yeah, obviously still learning how to be that leader, and still learning how to do it in my own way. But it\u2019s great having different leaders in Nneka, Sky[lar Diggins], AC [<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/c\/clarkal01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Alysha Clark<\/a>], E[rica Wheeler], Lexie [Brown], so that\u2019s helps as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ogwumike, the former WNBA MVP, ten-time All-Star and WNBA Players\u2019 Association President known for her leadership, commended that quality in Magbegor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEzi\u2019s incredibly resilient,\u201d Ogwumike said. \u201cShe navigates the ebbs and flows of seasons with such grace, but she\u2019s fierce. And of a lot of people may not understand that from her forward-facing personality, but she has a lot that she offers, both from a wisdom perspective, but also performance out there. And I think she\u2019s also growing to be the true veteran of this team. At this point right now, she\u2019s been here the longest, consistently. So, we go as she goes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Magbegor has been able to learn a lot from Ogwumike about leadership and being your best self. She is also grateful that she doesn\u2019t have to guard her anymore.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250728_DSC6455_chrisposs-Edit-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49583\"  \/>Seattle Storm forward-center Ezi Magbegor (13) drives to the basket as Connecticut Sun forward Haley Peters (7) defends during the WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on July 28, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe does whatever she can to win, to do what she can for the team. She\u2019s the ultimate professional, the ultimate leader, and she does it in such a great way,\u201d Magbegor said of Ogwumike. \u201cI think with a lot of the players on the team, when they lead, we follow, and so I think it\u2019s just a matter of meeting her where she\u2019s at.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s an incredible player. Like some of the reads that she makes, the shots that she takes, and it\u2019s just like textbook, and that\u2019s because she works on that behind the scenes. You don\u2019t see how hard she works, but she works very hard. And so, I think it\u2019s just great to be able to see that daily, and to see that it\u2019s not luck or it\u2019s not easy how she got to where she is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her voice and leadership are where Quinn has seen the biggest growth from Magbegor this season. On the defensive end, Quinn can hear her more loudly communicating coverages and being confident in that way. Off the court, she is confidently pouring into her teammates, especially the younger ones like her accountability partner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/c\/cookezi01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Zia Cooke<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEzi was our [<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/wnba\/players\/m\/malondo01w.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.thenexthoops.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-04_bbr\">Dominique Malonga<\/a>], you know, the 19-year-old that needed some time to grow, develop and see how it is to be a pro and have longevity in this league,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cAnd I think now she\u2019s comfortable, and she\u2019s a champion, both here and overseas, and she\u2019s in this pocket of maturity that is not only breeding into positive play, but positivity toward her teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.chtbl.com\/LOWomensBasketball?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafBri8Vr6AyDuPZOTI77xYbt0INqiA0PQzzK_230_cPU6nbSHPIJisPOzTZmg_aem_SyvgQkf8YEYOb8uqvnAZVQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"328\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754342955_423_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\" alt=\"Locked on Women's Basketball podcast logo.\" class=\"wp-image-46459 size-full\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Here at The IX Basketball, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenexthoops.com\/category\/podcast\/locked-on-wbb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n<p>How to keep getting the best out of Magbegor<\/p>\n<p>Continued confidence on both ends of the floor is critical if the Storm want to achieve their ultimate goal of a WNBA Championship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think what she\u2019s doing for us now is,\u201d Wheeler said of what the team needs from Magbegor to be successful with their ultimate goal. \u201cProtecting the paint, being efficient when she scores, when she\u2019s aggressive, she\u2019s very hard to guard, running the floor, just being able to be that defensive presence but also being efficient around the rim, that will definitely be key for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Storm and Quinn want Magbegor to be confident and aggressive on offense because it \u201chelps the totality of our offense when opponents are forced to give her more attention. Quinn also knows that, while Magbegor is a super-talented defender, she is a more than capable scorer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s an All Star, she\u2019s not just a defensive player,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cI think that\u2019s where I want to get away from Ezi is just this on one side of the floor, because she\u2019s very capable on the other side of the floor, it\u2019s just about picking her spots. The efficiency around the rim is important because she\u2019s getting the dives, the cuts, the dump-offs, the offensive rebounds. And then the actions that are outside of the paint, just kind of sticking to her strengths, not overthinking, shooting when she\u2019s open, getting to next actions when she\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ogwumike, who worked closely with Magbegor last season as her accountability partner, believes the key to Magbegor\u2019s continued potent offense is ensuring she still gets her moments amidst a crowded scoring pool. She does what she can to talk to her on and off the court to help with that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Ezi is aways ready to go,\u201d Ogwumike said. \u201cWhen you have so much arsenal on the team you want to make sure that no one gets lost in that. So, ensuring that we keep her involved, ensuring that we encourage her to be aggressive, because we need her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250728_DSC6248_chrisposs-Edit-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49584\"  \/>Seattle Storm forward-center Ezi Magbegor (13) during the WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, on July 28, 2025. (Photo Credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n<p>Williams will also continue to pour confidence into Magbegor with her words while getting her going in transition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that\u2019s where she gets the most confidence because that\u2019s where she makes these highlight mixtape kinds of plays,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI mean we saw in the Connecticut game, where she goes coast to coast, and she gets these monstrous blocks, but then keeps them in play, and then goes and scores on the other end. And maybe it\u2019s only a couple points here and there, but these are the kind of plays that build momentum. And then that\u2019s what gets her going into her post-up game, into her three-point shot. But I think she has to get going into things where she has the most confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wheeler said she and the team will continue to instill their belief in her shooting into her and give her positive energy.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone in Seattle knows how important Magbegor is to the team\u2019s success, so they will continue doing everything they can to support her in performing to the level she has proven she can.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe role that she plays on this team is a very underrated and not an easy one to fill,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of people that can do what she does consistently. She\u2019s asked to give so much effort on the defensive end and then have to also convert on offense after being our defensive anchor as well. So, I think she\u2019s just in incredible shape. She\u2019s obviously a freak of an athlete. And I think it\u2019s her mentality and her unselfishness that allows her to come into her own as well and just be the perfect piece for us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be nearly where we are without her,\u201d Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams told The Next on&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":119170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[42925,1494,62,67,132,68,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-119169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-ezi-magbegor","9":"tag-seattle-storm","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us","14":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114972627070989325","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}