WATCH: Nneka Ogwumike's buzzer beater gives Storm a huge win over Mystics in WNBA playoff race

The Seattle Storm's chaotic 2025 season continued Sunday when Nneka Ogwumike's buzzer beater bounced around the rim and fell in for a thrilling 84-82 victory over the Washington Mystics. Ogwumike finished with 30 points as the Storm got a huge win in the playoff race. 

The Storm raced out to an early double-digit lead, and were in control for much of the afternoon. They went ice cold to start the fourth quarter, though, and managed just three points in the first six-plus minutes. The Mystics took advantage and worked their way back into the contest, and from there the two teams traded baskets. 

There were six tying or go-ahead baskets during an incredible final 1:16, the last of which came from Ogwumike. After Brittney Sykes and Sug Sutton traded 3-pointers, the Storm had the ball with 6.1 seconds remaining and the score tied at 82-82. 

Skylar Diggins took the inbounds pass from Gabby Williams and Ogwumike came up like she was going to run a pick-and-roll, but instead slipped to the basket. Diggins hit Ogwumike, who took one dribble, spun and put up a fadeaway that caught every part of the rim before rolling in. 

"Based on what we had been seeing leading up to that point, [coach Noelle Quinn] was talking about getting [Diggins] downhill, and that's something that time and time again has worked for us," Ogwumike said. "But [Diggins] told me when we came back out that she anticipated them switching if I slipped. So instead of actually setting the screen, she told me to slip. That's what we ended up doing, not only to get the shot off, but the last shot off." 

Ogwumike finished with 30 points, six rebounds and two assists on 11 of 15 from the field in one of her best performances of the season. Now 35 years old and in her 14th season, the former MVP remains one of the league's best forwards. Including Sunday's outing, she's averaging 18.3 points -- eighth in the league -- with 7.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 52.6% shooting. 

Few single shots will have a bigger impact on the playoff race than Ogwumike's buzzer beater. 

With the win, the Storm improved to 20-18, drew within percentage points of the Fever (who play the league-leading Lynx later Sunday) for sixth place and increased their advantage over the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks to 1½ games. The Mystics, meanwhile, lost their fourth in a row and are now four games back of the Storm and 3½ games back of the eighth-place Golden State Valkyries. 

"We've been in a lot of close games the last month. We've been executing in the big moments," Ogwumike said. "It's the smaller moments that I think we were able to string together today to be able to put a nail-biter into the win column. We had a lot of big plays, but also a lot of great defensive moments and attention-to-detail moments that kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity to be on top in a close game."