Flau’jae Johnson led with 20 points, while Dominique Malonga contributed 18 as the Seattle Storm defeated the undermanned Toronto Tempo 90-78 in a home game on Wednesday evening. Jade Melbourne recorded 16 points and seven assists for Seattle (8-31), breaking a streak of 14 losses in their last 15 games. Awa Fam and Zia Cooke each chipped in with 10 points.
Toronto, missing their top scorers Marina Mabrey (adductor), Brittney Sykes (foot), and Nyara Sabally (calf), relied on rookie Kiki Rice, who scored a season-best 24 points. Isabelle Harrison also had a notable performance with 17 points and 14 rebounds for Toronto (11-27).
Seattle took control in the third quarter, ending it with an 11-4 surge to lead 64-61, and continued their momentum into the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run, securing a 10-point lead.
In their upcoming games, Toronto will face Las Vegas on Friday night, while Seattle will host Los Angeles on Sunday.