Same Script, Different Game

Anyone else notice the similarities between last night's loss to Phoenix and the Storm's June 13 defeat in Indiana?

Both times, the Storm started off shooting the ball well. After a timeout, the Storm struggled against the zone and the home team took control. The Storm kept closer against the Mercury, and there wasn't one player who was as hot for the Fever as Phoenix forward Penny Taylor, but it's an interesting parallel.

Usually I am not a believer in the analysis that points toward one factor as the reason why a game is won or lost. Take, for example, the Storm's loss at Sacramento earlier this year where the Monarchs controlled the offensive glass. Well, that probably would have been different had the Storm not been in the zone, but that same zone was also responsible for Sacramento's poor shooting. Ultimately, it seemed like a wash.

That being said, I'm surprised that rebounding wasn't considered to be a bigger factor in last night's game. All the keys were there for a big night on the offensive glass for the Storm - the team shot poorly, Phoenix is the league's worst defensive rebounding team and the Mercury played a zone (harder to rebound out of). Given all that, Phoenix did an excellent job of keeping the Storm off the offensive boards, especially in the first half.