Skylar Diggins-Smith scores 26 points; Storm hold off Sparks

Nearing the end of their first year together, admittedly the Storm are still getting to know their newcomers, including Skylar Diggins-Smith.

On Wednesday night, the playmaking point guard, who set the team’s single-season assist record in the previous outing, displayed a part of her fiery personality and dynamic skill set that led Seattle to a 90-82 win against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Simply put, Diggins-Smith wasn’t going to let the Storm lose this game — not when there’s so much at stake.

While backcourt mate Jewell Loyd struggled through an off shooting performance and Seattle had difficulty pulling away from a seemingly overmatched and surprisingly resilient L.A. team, Diggins-Smith made the biggest plays at both ends of the floor.

“When she gets into take over mode, it’s fun to watch,” forward Gabby Williams said. “It’s kind of reassuring as her teammate when she gets into that zone. It’s kind of like all right, we got someone who’s carrying us.

“Especially in that second half, I was just trying to take the point guard responsibility a bit more so we can get her going and maybe get a weaker defender on her. Just trying to find ways because no one was stopping her going downhill.”

On a night when the Storm trailed by 13 points in the second quarter and led by one in the final three minutes, Diggins-Smith scored a game-high 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting and tallied five assists, four steals and three blocks.

“There is a different look in her eye,” coach Noelle Quinn said. “It’s not just the playmaking ability, it’s the defense. I’m super impressed with the four steals and three blocks.

“It’s new for me because I coached against her or played against her, but to see her and [have her] on our team is very impressive. The things she’s able to do on the floor. How she’s able to make the team better and make the team go with her intensity and just be very efficient. … This is why she’s elite. This is why she’s one of the best in the league.”

Theoretically, this game shouldn’t have been much of a contest, considering the playoff-bound Storm were riding momentum into Crypto.com Arena while the injury-riddled Sparks were eliminated from the postseason, wrapped up the best odds at the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and seemingly playing out the season.

Seattle also had a four-day layoff and L.A. was playing its second game in 48 hours.

Inexplicably, the Storm came out firing from long range, which was an odd strategy for a team that’s last in the league in three-point shooting at 28.6%.

The Sparks packed the paint with a 2-3 zone and were willing to let the Storm take uncontested perimeter shots. Seattle converted just 1 of 8 from downtown in the first quarter and fell behind 23-15.

Down 30-17 early in the second, Williams scored 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the period while Diggins-Smith made all three of her shots to carry Seattle’s offense.

Williams found holes in the Sparks zone, particularly in the corner where she drained a 24-foot three-pointer that tied it 41-41 heading to halftime.

“We didn’t get the start we hoped for in the first quarter and we got down double digits,” Diggins-Smith said. “We didn’t panic. We talked about it. … We stepped it up defensively and were able to get out in transition and play in flow.”

Seattle outscored L.A. 25-19 in the third to take a 66-60 lead into the fourth.

Powered by rookie Rickea Jackson (18 points) and Azurá Stevens (18 points and 15 rebounds), the Sparks (7-30) kept it close until the end.

Ahead 77-76, Diggins-Smith drained a pullup jumper with 2:38 left and Nneka Ogwumike canned a reverse layup on Seattle’s next offensive trip to secure the win.

“Just trying to be aggressive,” Diggins-Smith said. “That’s definitely my mindset. Coming off of everything aggressive and looking for me first. That just opens it up when we’re all like that. Not just me.

“We have an equally opportunity offense. All of us our capable. We all just encourage each other to be aggressive and everybody else be ready to make plays and shoot the basketball.”

Williams had 17 points, Ogwumike added 16, Ezi Magbegor chipped in 14 and Loyd 12 for the Storm, which improved to 22-14.

BOX SCORE