Analyzing the Storm’s Home-Court Advantage
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It is telling that, even in the afterglow of one of her team's biggest wins this season to move into second place in the Western Conference, Seattle Storm Coach
Anne Donovan could not escape the specter of the road.
"The road is a different animal right now," said Donovan, asked if beating the Houston Comets Tuesday at KeyArena would provide the Storm a lift heading into a two-game road trip. "From right now, our preparation - what we do to prepare mentally, what we do to prepare physically - it's got to be the same approach when we get to Minnesota tomorrow."
At 11-3, the Storm has been virtually unbeatable at KeyArena, particularly during the current six-game home winning streak that has lifted the Storm into second place. On the road, however, the team has struggled, including an 0-4 road trip in late June and consecutive losses when the Storm last left the confines of home last weekend.
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This same analysis, however, brings into question the notion that the Storm's home-court advantage is a new thing. A year ago, the Storm had the highest home-court advantage in the WNBA at +9.8 points per game. However, both the Storm's home point differential (+10.0) and road (+0.2) were approximately four points per game better than this season. At home, the Storm has still won at a nearly identical rate, but by fewer points - only four wins by double-figures, as compared to nine in 17 games last year. On the road, games that were close wins a year ago have become close losses this year.
Given the passion of the Storm's KeyArena crowds, that the team boasts an unmatched home-court advantage over the last two seasons is no surprise.
"(Storm COO) Karen Bryant just said she wished we could take 9,000 on the road with us," said Donovan after Tuesday's game. "It would be a whole lot easier. There is a reason we’re comfortable and our record is what it is when we’re here. Our crowd is great, not only in numbers, but the energy and passion that’s in this building that wills us to win games like this down the stretch. It was definitely the difference."
Opponents have also observed how important the crowd is for the Storm.
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Lisa Leslie after her team's July 31 loss at KeyArena. "The support that you get here is awesome. It’s an exciting arena to play in, too. I think having the fans involved and really rallying behind them (is key) … any time we’d go ahead you could really feel the energy of the crowd."
In a sense, however, the Storm's advantage at home becomes a disadvantage on the road. Used to feeding off the crowd's energy, the Storm has not had as much energy on the road. Perhaps because of this, the Storm has particularly struggled early in recent road games. Since taking a 43-22 lead over Detroit at halftime of that win, the Storm has had a halftime lead in only three of the last ten road games.
One important question is how, specifically, the Storm has played differently on the road. Looking at the numbers reveals most of the difference is at the offensive end of the floor. On defense, the Storm has permitted 72.1 points per game and a 95.4 Defensive Rating at home. On the road, those numbers move slightly to 71.8 points and a 96.6 Rating.
Offensively, however, the Storm has been two different teams at home and elsewhere. At home, the Storm averages 78.0 points per game, higher than the WNBA record for team points per game in a season (77.3 by Houston in 2000). On the road, that dips to 67.8 points per game, which would put the Storm in the middle of the WNBA pack this season. The Storm's Offensive Rating dips 12.2 points in road games.
Some part of this difference is attributable to the fact that All-Star point guard 
Sue Bird's injury in June cost her three road games and just one at home, but even without those games considered, the Storm's offense is still 8.6 points per game worse on the road.
Looking at individual statistics shows that two players in particular have been less effective as scoring threats on the road than at home. Forward 
Iziane Castro Marques has had most of her big offensive games at KeyArena, recording all six of her double-figures games at home. MVP candidate 
Lauren Jackson has been brilliant both on the road as well as at home, but her scoring average this season is 20.7 points at home, 15.8 elsewhere. Her field-goal percentage takes a corresponding hit from 48.2% to 43.0%.
Because KeyArena is such a valuable asset, the Storm does not have to become a dominant team on the road to be successful. Witness last year, when the Storm went 5-0 at home in the playoffs and 1-2 on the road en route to the WNBA title. This year, the Storm will have to win on the road at some point to achieve its goals, either down the stretch of the regular season to secure the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs or as a lower-seeded team on the road.
That change starts now.
"We've got four more road games," said Donovan Tuesday, "so we cannot continue to concede on the road."
