SEATTLE, July 11 (Ticker) -- Lauren Jackson scored 21 points and
Felicia Ragland tied a career high with 19 off the bench as the
Seattle Storm rolled to a 79-60 victory over the Los Angeles
Sparks.
The Storm had lost five straight meetings with the Sparks but
seized control early with an 18-2 run. Kamila Vodichkova scored
all six of her points during the burst and Amanda Lassiter added
five of her eight.
Lassiter capped the spurt with a 3-pointer to give Seattle a
21-6 cushion less than seven minutes into the game. Los Angeles
never got closer than 10 thereafter and suffered its worst
regular season loss since August 12, 1999.
Rookie Sue Bird collected 13 points and five assists for the
Storm, who shot just 42 percent (30-of-71) from the floor but
drained 13-of-25 3-pointers.
Ragland made 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc and Bird and
Jackson buried three apiece.
Tempers flared in the second half when Seattle's Michelle
Marciniak and Los Angeles' Latasha Byears were ejected for
fighting.
Byears was fouled hard by Marciniak while driving to the basket.
She got up and threw the ball at Marciniak, who charged Byears
before the pair was separated.
Lisa Leslie had 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks, and Mwadi Mabika
added 17 for the Sparks, who shot just 33 percent (16-of-49)
from the floor and committed 19 turnovers.
Los Angeles played without Tamecka Dixon, who was not with the
team due to a death in her family.









