Struggling Storm face next challenge at Liberty

The Seattle Storm have the WNBA's longest active losing streak at nine games, and things won't get any easier on Tuesday night.

That's when the Storm (4-18) are set to visit the New York Liberty (16-5), who have the league's second-best record.

Seattle is 0-3 this season against the Liberty, and the teams are connected in a way. In February, the Liberty signed ex-Storm star Breanna Stewart as a free agent.

Stewart, a 28-year-native of Syracuse, N.Y., is basketball royalty. She already has won four national titles in college (Connecticut), two WNBA championships (with Seattle) and two Olympic gold medals. She also was WNBA MVP in 2018.

With the Liberty, Stewart is averaging 22.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks.

On Sunday, Stewart took an elbow to the face, suffering a bloody mouth. But she still returned to action as the Liberty routed the visiting Indiana Fever, 101-83.

The Liberty on Sunday also set a WNBA record for most points in a quarter, scoring 44 in the first. New York made 15 of 18 shots in the opening quarter, including six 3-pointers.

"Any time we move the ball side to side and get everyone involved," Liberty center Jonquel Jones said, "it causes teams to play us honestly and gives us space to do what we do."

Meanwhile, the Storm, who were league champions as recently as 2020, will try on Tuesday to snap what is already the longest skid in franchise history.

"It's weighing on me," Storm coach Noelle Quinn said of the skid. "I know it's weighing on (our players)."

Part of the problem is that Seattle has gotten off to a lot of slow starts. For example, Seattle has trailed by double digits in the first quarter of two is its last three games.

Guard Jewell Loyd leads the Storm with a 24.3 scoring average. She was also the MVP of the 2023 All-Star Game, scoring 31 points.

However, in Loyd's two games since the All-Star break, she has averaged just 12.0 points. In those two contests, Loyd made 5-of-24 shots, including 1-of-10 shots on 3-pointers.