Dominique Malonga delivered a timely basket to pull the Seattle Storm within five points at 75-70, keeping the team alive in a tight finish. Seattle remained within striking distance late in the game, with the outcome still dependent on how it handled the remaining possessions.

What happened

Malonga’s basket reduced Seattle’s deficit to five points and prevented the game from moving beyond the Storm’s reach. At 75-70, Seattle still had a path back into the contest, but the margin left little room for mistakes.

The score placed immediate importance on both ends of the floor. Seattle needed to secure stops while continuing to convert its offensive opportunities, making every remaining possession potentially decisive.

Why it matters

The basket preserved Seattle’s chance to complete a late comeback. A five-point deficit is still significant in a tight finish, but Malonga’s contribution ensured the Storm remained close enough to apply pressure rather than simply play out the closing moments.

Malonga has repeatedly provided timely offense for Seattle, and this basket fit that pattern. In a late-game situation where a missed opportunity could have allowed the deficit to remain wider, she gave the Storm another chance to influence the result.

The play also shifted the focus to Seattle’s defense. Pulling within five created an opening, but the comeback opportunity could only remain viable if the Storm prevented the opposition from answering and then made productive use of the possessions that followed.

By the numbers

The central figure was the five-point margin: 75-70. Malonga’s basket moved Seattle close enough that a combination of defensive stops and successful possessions could further reduce the gap.

No additional statistical detail was provided, leaving the score itself as the clearest measure of the moment. Seattle was behind, but the Storm had not been separated from the game, and Malonga’s basket was the play that maintained that position.

What to watch next

Seattle’s ability to secure stops will determine whether the late comeback opportunity becomes more than a threat. The Storm must limit further scoring while converting the possessions still available to them.

Execution will be critical with the margin at five. Malonga gave Seattle a chance to stay involved; the next test is whether the Storm can build on that basket and turn a close finish into a completed comeback.