Storm beat the Sparks 90-82 to stay within 1 game of fourth place Las Vegas
Storm beat the Sparks 90-82 to stay within 1 game of fourth place Las Vegas
Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, center, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks’ Odyssey Sims, left, and Azura Stevens defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, right, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, left, drives by Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens celebrates after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens gestures after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, left, shoots as Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks center Li Yueru, left, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens, center, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, left, center Ezi Magbegor defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, center, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks’ Odyssey Sims, left, and Azura Stevens defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, center, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks’ Odyssey Sims, left, and Azura Stevens defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, right, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, right, shoots as Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, left, drives by Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, left, drives by Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens celebrates after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens celebrates after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens gestures after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Azura Stevens gestures after scoring during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, left, shoots as Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, left, shoots as Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks center Li Yueru, left, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks center Li Yueru, left, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens, center, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, left, center Ezi Magbegor defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens, center, shoots as Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, left, center Ezi Magbegor defend during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Skylar Diggins-Smith had 26 points, Gabby Williams scored 13 of her 17 in the second quarter and the Seattle Storm beat the Los Angeles Sparks 90-82 on Wednesday night.
Seattle (22-14) stayed within one game of fourth place Las Vegas (23-13), which also won Wednesday, in the WNBA standings. The Storm play at Dallas on Friday before returning home for a matchup against the Sparks on Sunday. Los Angeles (7-30) is off until Sunday.
Seattle trailed 39-29 with 3:40 left in the first half before closing on a 11-2 run, with five points from Williams, to tie it at 41-all at the break. Williams scored 15 points in the first half and Nneka Ogwumike added 10.
Seattle had its lead trimmed to 75-74 with 4:19 remaining on a Rae Burrell basket, but the Sparks did not make another field goal until Rickea Jackson’s layup with 27.1 left.
Williams responded with two free throws at the other end with 25.6 left to regain an eight-point lead.
Ogwumike added 16 points and eight rebounds for Seattle. Ogwumike moved into 11th place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, moving past Sylvia Fowles (6,415). Ezi Magbegor set a franchise record for blocks in a season, passing Lauren Jackson’s mark of 81 from 2002.
Rickea Jackson finished with 22 points and Azura Stevens had 18 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. Dearica Hamby, who had six points and eight rebounds, set a franchise record for most rebounds in a single season, passing Lisa Leslie (336).