What happened
Kennedy Burke pulled up from 25 feet and misfired on a three-point attempt with 4:05 left in the first quarter. The miss came with the score sitting at 11-20, leaving her team chasing early. It was a clean look from well behind the arc that rattled out without drawing iron damage.
Why it matters
Early-quarter threes from distance are momentum plays, and a make there cuts a nine-point hole to six and changes the tenor of the opening frame. Burke's willingness to launch from 25 feet signals a green-light role in the offense, but the miss extends a slow start that has already put her side in catch-up mode. Cold perimeter shooting in the first quarter has been a recurring story across recent WNBA broadcasts tracked on the wire.
What to watch
Watch whether Burke gets a quick second look from deep on the next possession or whether her team pulls her shot diet closer to the arc. The bigger tell is whether the nine-point gap holds through the end of the first quarter or balloons before the first media timeout.