Storm come up short in double-overtime loss to Sparks in WNBA thriller
SEATTLE – Pop question. Name the second-best team in the WNBA?
While the Minnesota Lynx and presumptive MVP favorite Napheesa Collier have pulled away from the pack and enjoy a 5½ first-place lead, there are nine teams that can make reasonable — and perhaps not so reasonable — claim for the No. 2 spot.
Two of those teams were on court Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena with a chance to further their claim as a legitimate challenger to the Lynx.
The Storm and Los Angeles Sparks traded clutch baskets late in the fourth quarter and during two overtime periods in a thrilling back-and-forth contest that felt like a playoff game.
In the second OT, the Storm ran out juice and a season-high 37 points from Nneka Ogwumike wasn’t enough to avoid a hard-fought 108-106 defeat, which continues Seattle’s maddening 10-game streak in which it’s alternated wins and losses.
There were several moments when the Storm looked as if they won this game.
Down two points in the final 100 seconds of the fourth quarter, Gabby Williams drained a corner three-pointer and Skylar Diggins stole a pass and outraced everyone for a fastbreak layup to go up three.
However, LA’s Rickea Jackson tied it with 4.9 seconds left to force overtime.
The Storm never had the lead in the first extra period and needed Skylar Diggins’ layup with 18.2 seconds left to tie it at 99 and push the game into a second OT.
Down 106-103, Williams drained an improbable three-pointer that knotted the score with 16.4 seconds remaining.
Dearica Hamby hit the go-ahead basket with 4.3 seconds, which left enough time for the Storm to answer.
At the other end, Diggins knifed into the lane and got a good look at a layup that rolled off the rim as time expired.
Diggins had 18 points, Erica Wheeler 15 and Williams 14 for Seattle, which fell to 16-12.
Los Angeles (12-15) received a team-high 27 points from Jackson while former Washington Huskies star Kelsey Plum had 22 and Hamby and Azura Stevens each tallied 21.