Storm's Ezi Magbegor sidelined again with facial fracture
Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor is out again after suffering a facial fracture, USA Today reported, leaving a 6-19 team without key frontcourt help. On July 12, Washington beat Seattle 84-79 as Sonia Citron scored 19 points, while Natisha Hiedeman's career-high 31 points were not enough.
The injury update lands at a fragile moment for Seattle. The Storm entered their road date at Washington already near the bottom of the standings and without the rim protection Magbegor provides when healthy.
Key Takeaways
- USA Today reports Ezi Magbegor is sidelined again with a facial fracture.
- Washington defeated Seattle 84-79 on July 12, improving to 11-10.
- Sonia Citron scored 19 points for the Mystics in the win.
- Natisha Hiedeman posted a career-high 31 points for the Storm.
- Seattle was outscored 20-11 in the fourth quarter with eight turnovers in the period.
What happened to Ezi Magbegor?
According to USA Today, Storm forward Ezi Magbegor is out again after suffering a facial fracture. The headline underscores a cruel pattern for the Australian star: just as Seattle needs stability in the frontcourt, another injury forces her off the floor.
Magbegor's absence matters because the Storm are fighting to stay competitive at 6-19. Without her, Seattle leaned heavily on other contributors in Washington—and still could not finish.
How did Sonia Citron and the Mystics pull away?
The ESPN game recap paints a clear picture. Shakira Austin scored 10 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, and Kiki Iriafen posted 12 points and 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.
Sonia Citron added 19 points, and rookie Lauren Betts scored 11 as Washington improved to 11-10. The Mystics seized control late, outscoring Seattle 20-11 in the fourth while the Storm shot just 4 of 14 from the field and turned the ball over eight times in the final period.
Citron's scoring kept Washington within striking distance all afternoon and helped the Mystics capitalize when Seattle's offense stalled. It was the kind of composed win that moves a .500 team closer to the playoff picture.
Why wasn't Hiedeman's career night enough?
Natisha Hiedeman delivered when Seattle needed offense most. She poured in a career-high 31 points on 14-of-24 shooting, a performance highlighted in WNBA video highlights from the July 12 matchup.
Yet the rest of the Storm combined to make just 16 of 46 shots (35%). Dominique Malonga contributed 10 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, but Seattle's fourth-quarter struggles—19 total turnovers and a 29% field-goal rate in the period—proved costly.
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What's next for both teams?
Per ESPN, the Storm visit Chicago on Wednesday while the Mystics travel to Toronto on Tuesday. Seattle must navigate that schedule without Magbegor, and every loss makes a postseason push harder at 6-19.
Washington, meanwhile, carries momentum from Sunday's road win. The Mystics split two games in Seattle in May and closed the regular-season series with a 2-1 edge after the 84-79 result.