Breanna Stewart scores 21, Storm stay atop WNBA standings

BRADENTON, Fla. – Breanna Stewart had 21 points and eight rebounds, Natasha Howard added 17 points and 15 rebounds, and the Seattle Storm beat the shorthanded Chicago Sky 88-74 on Saturday to stay atop the WNBA standings.

Stewart beat the halftime buzzer with a baseline jumper to give Seattle a 49-34 lead. The Storm opened the second half on a 9-2 run for a 58-36 advantage and led by at least 14 points the rest of the way.

Jewell Loyd added 12 points for Seattle (13-3), which became the second team to clinch a playoff spot. Alysha Clark and Ezi Magbegor each scored 11 points.

Kahleah Copper scored 19 points and Allie Quigley added 11 for Chicago (10-6), which only had eight players. Former Gonzaga star Courtney Vandersloot had nine points and nine assists.

Chicago was without Diamond DeShields and Azura Stevens after both players left the WNBA bubble.

Stevens, averaging 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds, is out for the season with left knee injury and DeShields left for personal reasons.