Mercury win 13th straight, clinch playoff berth with victory over Storm

SEATTLE – Diana Taurasi scored 22 and Candice Dupree added 19 to help the Phoenix Mercury win their 13th straight game and clinch a playoff berth with an 89-71 victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.

Brittney Griner added 17 points, seven rebounds and five blocks for Phoenix (19-3), the first team to win 13 straight since the Storm in 2010 and the third longest win streak in league history. The Mercury are five shy of tying the Los Angeles Sparks’ record of 18 consecutive set in 2001.

Crystal Langhorne had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Seattle (9-16), which dropped 21/2 games behind Los Angeles for the fourth and final Western Conference playoff berth. The Storm have lost four of their last five and three in a row.