After a slow start in the first quarter, the Seattle Storm shot 50 percent in the second quarter to take a slim 30-29 lead into halftime against the San Antonio Silver Stars.
The Storm's second quarter shooting performance followed a first quarter in which they only shot 33.3 percent from the field. If you're looking for a reason for the increased shooting efficiency, their assist totals between the two quarters certainly tell part of the story: the Storm had no assists in the first quarter and five in the second quarter. They were visibly moving the ball better and moving better without the ball through San Antonio's zone to find high percentage scoring opportunities.
Point guard Sue Bird is once again leading the Storm in scoring with seven points, while Swin Cash has complemented her with hard work in the paint with a game-high seven rebounds to go with five points.
Storm coach Brian Agler said he was considering giving center Lauren Jackson a rest after coming back from injury recently and he was at least more attentive to her minutes in the first half although she did start - Jackson played just under 13 minutes in the first half, which means she's on pace to possibly play a tad less than she has in the past three games. The Silver Stars' zone scheme kept Jackson in check - in addition to her spending considerable time around the perimeter - and she only finished with four points and one rebound in the first half.
Silver Stars forward Sophia Young is once again leading her team in scoring against the Storm with a game-high 10 points and team-high four rebounds. Her athleticism is giving the Storm trouble as she got to the free throw line eight times, but she only made four of those, which is certainly significant in what figures to be another close game.