by Zack Farmer
June 8, 2015
BOK Center | Tulsa, Okla.
Tuesday, June 9 | 5 p.m. PT
Broadcast: WNBA Live Access
2014 Record vs. Tulsa: 2-2
Last meeting: W 74-68 (Aug. 10, 2014)
Leading scorer: Sue Bird 22
After a convincing opening night win over Los Angeles at KeyArena, the Storm takes its act on the road for the first of a three-game road swing, at Tulsa on Tuesday night.
Seattle split four meetings with Tulsa last season with the home team winning each of the matchups. The last came at KeyArena where Sue Bird dropped 22 points in a 74-68 win on Aug. 10, 2014.
WHO TO WATCH: Renee Montgomery
The savvy veteran, Renee Montgomery, has brought an energy off the bench that was much needed. Acquired this offseason in a trade with Connecticut, Montgomery has made an immediate impact by leading the second unit off the bench and led the team in scoring with 19 in the team’s season opener on Saturday against Los Angeles.
LANGHORNE REACHES 3K
Crystal Langhorne entered Saturday’s game only nine points shy of reaching 3,000 points for her career and made quick work of the milestone as she hit a layup with two seconds left in the first half to give her 10 points, eclipsing the mark.
BIRD FLYING UP THE CHARTS
Sue Bird has been one of the best players in the WNBA since arriving in Seattle in 2002 and she is now climbing her way into the upper ranks of the league’s all-time scoring list. Entering Tuesday’s action, Bird was tied with New York’s Swin Cash for 14th on the all-time list with 4,820 points and sits 55 points shy of tying Sheryl Swoopes for 13th.
A COUPLE OF Gs
After being picked up by the Storm on Saturday, Markeisha Gatling and Angel Goodrich will be in uniform for Tuesday’s matchup with Tulsa. Gatling, selected 10th overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft by Chicago, was waived by the Sky on June 3, 2015. She played in 29 games in 2014, averaging 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Goodrich enters her third season after spending the first two with the Tulsa Shock where she played in 31 games with 16 starts in her rookie season. Her third round selection in 2013 made her the highest drafted Native American in WNBA history.
‘THE BENCH MOB’
Renee Montgomery and Alysha Clark led a bench group that took control of Saturday’s game for extended stretches as the Storm’s second unit outscored Los Angeles’ 40-16. Montgomery had a team-high 19 points to go along with five assists and Clark also hit double figures with 11 points and six rebounds.
DEFENSE *CLAP, CLAP* DEFENSE
After watching the Sparks shoot 8-for-18 in the first quarter on Saturday, the Storm held LA to 30.6 percent shooting from the field (15-for-49). Seattle also made life difficult from the three-point stripe, holding Los Angeles to 4-for-22 from distance.
SCOUTING TULSA
The Shock played back-to-back games to open the season, going 1-1 in that stretch on Friday and Saturday. In the second game, Tulsa went for 101 points as they outlasted Chicago 101-93. The backcourt of Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims combined for 43 points and 13 assists in the win over the Sky. Sims is averaging 20 points through the first two games despite only shooting 35 percent from the field.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Ball movement has been an early key for the Storm as they picked up 21 more assists in the season opener and had 17 in each of its two preseason games. Renee Montgomery and Sue Bird each had five assists and six players had at least two. Keeping Tulsa from running and the free throw line are keys on defense. Tulsa went 23-for-27 from the line on Saturday (85 percent) and was perfect in its opener against Minnesota (12-for-12).
