It was a moment nearly two decades in the making.

With just 6.1 seconds remaining and the score tied at 82, the Seattle Storm called a timeout. Coach Noelle Quinn drew up a play for Skylar Diggins to take the final shot.

But as Diggins approached the court, she spoke to teammate Nneka Ogwumike, pointing out that the Washington Mystics had been aggressively defending the pick-and-roll. Diggins suggested that if Ogwumike slipped the screen early, she’d be open for a shot.

The plan worked to perfection. In the final moments of the August 24 game, Diggins found Ogwumike, who pulled up for a jumper at the free-throw line to clinch the win.

It was the kind of play Diggins and Ogwumike had imagined when they first teamed up in Seattle during the 2024 free agency. A play they had executed together years before in USA Basketball camps.

“Very potent pick-and-roll since teenage years,” Diggins told ESPN.

Their collaboration over the past two seasons has allowed both players to remain at an All-Star level as they approach their mid-30s. But with the Storm facing an elimination game Tuesday (9:30 p.m., ESPN2) against the Las Vegas Aces and former teammate Jewell Loyd in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, Diggins and Ogwumike are still striving to turn their individual success into the team accomplishments they had hoped for.

“In the short time that we’ve been together, we’ve been through a lot,” Ogwumike said. “Going through those tough times, you really lean on each other. I just want to provide whatever support is necessary to help us not only get through those moments but to push forward and find more consistent wins and the feeling we’re striving for.”