Breanna Stewart scored 28 points as the host Seattle Storm held off the Los Angeles Sparks for an 83-80 win on Friday night.
Jewell Loyd added 11 points and Ezi Magbegor had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Storm (3-3).
Liz Cambage compiled 25 points and eight rebounds, Nneka Ogwumike added 20 points and Brittney Sykes contributed 10 for the Sparks (2-4).
Stewart scored the Storm’s first seven points of the third quarter and Sue Bird added a 3-pointer as the hosts grabbed a 61-45 lead.
Jordin Canada’s basket completed a 6-0 run that pulled Los Angeles within 63-56.
Magbegor’s two free throws gave Seattle a 67-58 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Sparks closed within 70-63 on a jumper by Sykes, but a three-point play by Epiphanny Prince pushed the lead to 10 points.
Los Angeles got within eight points four times before Cambage’s two free throws, Sykes’ steal and layup and Cambage’s put-back cut the deficit to 79-77 with 1:35 left.
After an exchange of baskets, Bird made two free throws to give the Storm a four-point lead with 45.5 seconds left.
Cambage sank one of two free throws to cut the deficit to three. The Sparks had a chance to tie, but Ogwumike’s 3-point attempt in the final second missed.
Seattle built an early 17-point lead before Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s basket and Cambage’s two free throws trimmed the gap to 29-16 at the end of the first quarter.
Los Angeles scored 11 straight points to get within 41-34.
Bird assisted on a Stewart basket, Stewart assisted on a Bird 3-pointer and Stewart added a three-point play to give the Storm a 49-34 lead with 2:29 remaining in the first half.
Ogwumike converted a three-point play with 38.3 seconds left to trim Seattle’s lead to 51-41 heading into halftime.
–Field Level Media
