MINNEAPOLIS, August 1 (Ticker) -- With one shot, Betty Lennox turned one of the worst games of her career into one of her biggest moments as a pro.

Lennox swished a clutch 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining as the Seattle Storm recorded a critical 77-75 victory over the lowly Minnesota Lynx.

Sue Bird scored 21 points and Lauren Jackson added 20 for Seattle (15-14), which snapped a two-game skid and retained its hold on the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Lennox is averaging a career-best 14.0 points this year but entered the final minute without a point on 0-of-3 shooting. She had been limited to 20 minutes due to four personal fouls, but that didn't stop the five-year veteran from making the biggest basket when it mattered most.

With the game tied at 72-72, Lennox drained a shot from the arc to give the Storm the lead for good. Jackson made two free throws with 6.7 seconds left to seal it before Minnesota's Amber Jacobs connected on a meaningless 3-pointer with one second to go. Iziane Castro Marques scored 12 points and Janell Burse added 10 for Seattle, which has won all three meetings against Minnesota this season.

Kristen Mann scored 19 points and rookie sensation Seimone Augustus contributed 17 to pace the last-place Lynx (9-19), who absorbed their fourth straight loss.