The extent of the personal issues that have sidelined Seattle Storm star Skylar Diggins is uncertain, but the Storm are certain any absence involving the veteran guard stings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to understand who Sky is and what she is for us, not only for this team, this organization, but in the (WNBA),\u201d Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said. \u201cThere isn\u2019t anybody like her. When she is missing, a whole lot is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seattle hopes to have Diggins back in the lineup Thursday as the team visits the Chicago Sky to open a three-game road trip. The Storm (14-10) stumbled without her in Tuesday\u2019s 87-63 home loss to Dallas.<\/p>\n
Nneka Ogwumike sparked the Storm with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting while Gabby Williams (14 points) and Ezi Magbegor (12) added double figures. However, Seattle shot just 30.7 percent from the field, including 4 of 21 from long range.<\/p>\n
Chicago (7-16) returns home on a three-game losing streak, its fourth skid this season at least that long.<\/p>\n
Host Minnesota hounded the Sky into 23 turnovers during Tuesday\u2019s 91-68 loss. Although second-year frontcourt presences Angel Reese (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Kamilla Cardoso (10 points, 10 rebounds) notched double-doubles, Chicago guard Kia Nurse feels she and her group can improve their entry passes into the post.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a combination of everything,\u201d said Nurse, who scored a team-high 16 points. \u201cFrom the guards\u2019 perspective, we\u2019ve got to get better angles to get the ball to the hand that\u2019s available. \u2026 Movement around it \u2014 we\u2019ve got to do a better job of setting screens for these guys to come off and get a little bit more space, and then just throw it in there when we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ariel Atkins, who ranks second to Reese with 3.5 assists per game, did not play against Minnesota due to a leg injury. With her 10th straight double-double, Reese became the first player in league history with multiple streaks of at least 10 double-doubles.<\/p>\n
Thursday marks the first of three meetings between the Storm and Sky this season. Chicago is set to host Seattle again on Aug. 19 before the teams meet at the Storm\u2019s Climate Pledge Arena on Aug. 30.<\/p>\n
Chicago took three of four from Seattle in 2023 but the Storm regrouped last season, earning two victories in three games. Their wins came by an average of 11 points.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n
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