03-18-2024  8:00 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather
By The Skanner News | The Skanner News
Published: 31 August 2009

SEATTLE(AP) -- With Seattle's leading scorer Lauren Jackson sidelined with a stress fracture in her back, Tanisha Wright and Sue Bird took over.
Wright scored 25 points and Bird added 24 to lead the Storm to a 91-84 win in double overtime over the Dream on Saturday night.
Wright scored six in the second overtime as the Storm outscored the Dream 11-4 for their fifth straight win.
"They're special," Storm coach Brian Agler said of Wright and Bird. "They play off each other and complement each other pretty well. They're both good defenders, clutch players and bring out the best in their teammates. That's a real solid duo."
Wright and Bird combined for only seven points in the first half when they shot 2-for-14 from the field. The two scored 42 in the second half and overtime periods when they combined to shoot 17-for-30 from the field. Bird made four 3-pointers and had eight assists.
"We've been playing together for five years," Wright said of Bird. "I think we kind of have a good read on one another and enjoy playing with one another. We kind of sense when it's time for each other to pick it up and do our job and tonight was a good indication of that."
Jackson will miss the Storm's three-game roadtrip that starts Tuesday at New York.
"After this game, we all know we're going on the road for three games and we don't have Lauren and that's a big blow to our team," Bird said. "For all of us tonight on our homecourt, we wanted to make the most of this opportunity and get a win."
Janell Burse added 17 points and Swin Cash 15 for Seattle (18-11), now 13-3 at home.
Angel McCoughtry scored 16 points and Sancho Lyttle added 15 to lead Atlanta (15-14).
Camille Little sent the game into a second overtime for the Storm when she hit a 15-footer with 5.4 seconds left to tie it at 80.
Lyttle missed an open inside shot right before the end of the first overtime that would have given Atlanta the win.
McCoughtry stole the ball and scored on a lay-in to give the Dream a 79-78 lead with 42.5 seconds left in the first overtime. Ivory Latta hit just one of two free-throw attempts to make it 80-78.
Bird hit a 3-pointer with 19.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime tied at 73. McCoughtry had made two free throws to put the Dream up 73-70 with 22.3 seconds left.
Atlanta coach Marynell Meaders watched Bird and Wright take control of the game.
"They hit big shots all night long," Meaders said. "We know they would go especially to Sue, but Tanisha's game has improved so much now that she's playing big-time minutes and making big shots."
Lyttle scored back-to-back baskets to give the Dream a 71-66 lead with 1:35 left. Bird answered with two consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 71-70.
Atlanta forward Chamique Holdsclaw missed her third consecutive game with a sore right knee.
The Storm clinched a sixth consecutive playoff berth with a win Thursday over the Connecticut Sun.

 


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