Final score: Storm 90 – Dream 72 (W) (6-1)

Attendance | 7568

Box Score | Jayda's Game Blog | psheehy's Game Blog | Live from Press Row

Game Photos | Scott E | Rick | Scott L

As Angie said to me as we left the Key after this game, "So that's what it looks like when the Storm play four quarters instead of just the fourth quarter."

The Storm's habit over the first few games has been to get into a hole and then play their way out in the second half, not taking the lead until late in the fourth quarter. I think I speak for everyone when I say we were all worried that when the Storm got up against a quality opponent there wouldn't be a fourth quarter comeback.

Tonight we got that quality opponent and there wasn't a fourth quarter comeback... because we didn't need one.

The Storm had their heads in this game from the start. They took the best that Atlanta could muster and came back with the same or better intensity and energy. We saw this in the first couple of the games this season — the Storm brought great disruptive defensive pressure forcing their opponents into turnovers and broken plays.

Tonight, the Storm started the same way and were able to keep it up throughout the game. They had 3 steals in the first 4 minutes or so of the game. They refused to give up on plays on either end. One early sequence that stuck out to me as a sign into the Storm's focus came in the first quarter. McCoughtry went in for a basket and missed. The Dream got a couple of offensive rebounds and misses but the Storm didn't give up and kept fighting for position. Finally they got the ball back and pushed it up the floor. Sue tried to hit Swin with a pass into the post, but Swin bobbled the ball. She was able to get a hand on it, but not possession. She kicked it out to an open Tanisha on the perimeter who quickly swung it around to an even more open LJ who drained a three.

That was really the story of the game. The Storm played the whole 40 minutes, kept up the defensive intensity and hit the big shots. I think this was the first game this season when the Storm outscored their opponent in all four quarters.

I think one of the differences between the Dream and the other teams we've seen so far is that the Dream forwards and centers weren't able to outmuscle the Storm. The Dream had more height, position for position, but they didn't have more bulk nor did they have more overall speed. La'coe and Camille were shorter than their Dream counterparts, but they were more determined and powerfule and that negated the height advantage to a certain degree. I also think that our players simply wanted the ball more.

A pass meant for Camille got tipped and she went up against two taller players for to get it and then immediately took it up for a basket. La'coe was guarding Bales at times, an almost humorous height difference, but was able get early position and move Bales around.

The Dream had no answer for LJ. She dominated the game. When the Dream posts doubled her in the paint, she hit threes from outside. When they came out to cover her on the perimeter, she was able to drive into the lane and score there. She was blocking shots and cleaning up on the boards. The only time the Dream showed any life was they short time LJ was on the bench.

The player I becoming a huge fan of is Svetlana Abrosimova. She brings something to the Storm we haven't seen in a long time — energy off the bench. When she comes in the game, and to a lesser extent with La'coe, you know that she's going to do something to change the game whether it's hitting a big basket or getting a key steal. Honestly, the last time we had a player or players like this was when we had Tully, Adia and Chelle coming off the bench in 2004. Svet got knocked around, but kept going. One of the best things I saw her do was late in the fourth quarter when the Storm were up by 22. She threw herself out of bounds trying to save the ball. Even though the game was in the bag, she wasn't taking her foot off the gas. I like that. The Storm need more of that.

The Storm handily beat the current top team from the East and are building their best start ever. Now they need to keep doing this every game and we'll be in a great spot at the end of the regular season.

Other notes:

Norwester in the house! When asked if she would be writing up a game report, she said she hadn't decided but brought a note pad just in case. The next time I saw her, she was in her seat taking notes... before the game started. You can't keep a good writer down.

Entering the arena seating area, I saw that there were t-shirts draped on the the first 10 rows or so. I thought, hmm, free t-shirts. Then I got down there and saw that they were T-Mobile promo shirts for recycling your cell phone (WNBA Green Week, presented by T-Mobile). Laudable for certain, but on a personal note I had to sign in resignation. I definitely had "I just left work" moment.

The Storm wore there green road jerseys in honor of the Storm's Go Green Night and WNBA Green Week, presented by T-Mobile (see, I can't help it now).

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