Storm slip past Mercury

Sue Bird had 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals as the Seattle Storm held off the host Phoenix Mercury 83-77 on Tuesday night. Phoenix went on a 17-6 run to get within a point with 1 minute remaining, but Camille Little took the ball away from Diana Taurasi and made a breakaway layup with 24 seconds left to help secure the win. Taurasi scored 26 points and added four assists for Phoenix, which has lost two straight after winning six in a row. Belinda Snell hit two 3-pointers during a 14-0 run in the third quarter that gave Seattle a 63-52 advantage with 1:21 left.