Stewart scores 25 as Storm take 2-0 Finals lead
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[September 10, 2018]
League MVP Breanna Stewart
scored 25 points and keyed a fourth-quarter run as the host Seattle
Storm took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA Finals with a 75-73
victory against the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon.
Jewell Loyd scored 12 of her 13 points in the second half for
top-seeded Seattle, which improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs.
Natasha Howard added eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Washington.
Elena Delle Donne, showing increased mobility after sustaining a
bone bruise on her left knee in the semifinals, led the third-seeded
Mystics with 17 points. Ariel Atkins and Kristi Toliver each added
15.
Seattle trailed 61-58 entering the fourth quarter, but Stewart made
a 3-pointer with 8:41 left to give the Storm a 63-61 lead. She then
stole the ball near midcourt and fed Sami Whitcomb for an
uncontested layup.
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The biggest shot for Seattle came with 6:51 left. With the shot
clock winding down, veteran point guard Sue Bird got the ball with
her back to the basket about 30 feet out at the top of the key. Bird
spun and banked in a 3-pointer to make it 68-63, capping a 10-2 run
to open the quarter.
The Mystics pulled within 70-69 on a layup by LaToya Sanders with
3:20 left.
Stewart converted two free throws with 2:14 remaining to make it
72-69. Toliver made a fadeaway jumper with 1:12 left as the Mystics
again got within one.
After a Seattle timeout, Bird fed Stewart down low, and Sanders
fouled her with 53.6 seconds left. Two Stewart free throws made it
74-71.
Toliver made another fadeaway under tight defensive pressure with
35.9 seconds left to pull the Mystics within 74-73.
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![](../images/091018pics/sports45.jpg)
Seattle Storm forward Natasha Howard (6) steals a ball away from
Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) during the fourth
quarter of game two of the WNBA Finals at KeyArena. Mandatory
Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2018/Sep/10/images/ads/current/stclara_lda_2018.png)
Washington fouled Stewart again, although this time she missed both
attempts and Delle Donne rebounded with 16.4 seconds remaining,
giving the Mystics the ball.
Mike Thibault, the league's winningest all-time coach, called
Washington's final timeout to set up a final shot.
Toliver tried to drive the lane but lost control and the ball got
tied up, with a jump ball called with 8.8 seconds left. Howard won
the tip with Tianna Hawkins, getting the ball to Loyd, and Seattle
spread the floor, with Alysha Clark getting fouled with 1.8 seconds
left. Clark made the second of two free throws, and Atkins' 75-foot
heave at the buzzer missed.
The Mystics shot 0-for-16 from 3-point range but stayed in the game
by committing only seven turnovers, although four of those came in
the fourth quarter.
--Field Level Media
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