Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Los Angeles
Want to enjoy the electricity of at KeyArena even if you're thousands of miles away? storm.wnba.com's Live From Press Row in-game blog is your best bet. All night and all season long, Kevin Pelton will be bringing you pregame quotes, analysis and observations from the game. E-mail Kevin at web@stormbasketball. Make sure to keep coming back or refreshing so you get the latest content.
Storm Holds On
Final: Storm 69, Los Angeles 67
The Seattle Storm escapes with a 69-67 victory thanks to a terrific defensive play from Swin Cash. Matched up with Tina Thompson on the final play, the Storm forward ripped the ball away as Thompson drove, taking possession of it as time expired to secure the victory. This wasn't as easy as it looked like it might be during the third quarter when the Storm went ahead by as many as 16 points, but the team executed as necessary down the stretch to win its third straight game and move to a league-best 6-2 on the young season.
Lauren Jackson's three-pointer put the Storm ahead for good, and she scored six of the Storm's final eight points. That gave her a season-high 32 on terrific 12-of-15 shooting. Jackson added eight rebounds and two blocks, including the 500th of her WNBA career. Sue Bird was the other player to score double-figures, with 15 points and five assists. Everybody contributed at the defensive end as the Storm contained Los Angeles at that end of the floor and forced 16 turnovers.
The Sparks will get their chance at payback quickly as these two teams travel to Los Angeles for the conclusion of a home-and-home set on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. You can listen to that game at 6:30 p.m. or watch it delayed on FSN at 9:00 p.m. The Storm then pays its second and final visit to Phoenix on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., a game you can catch on KKNW-AM 1150 or LiveAccess here on stormbasketball.com. There's another long break before the Storm returns home on July 7 to host the San Antonio Silver Stars at Noon on Kids Day. 
Get your tickets now for that one-of-a-kind game!
Hang-On Time, Part Two
Fourth Quarter: Storm 69, Los Angeles 67
Lauren Jackson went to the line and, after making the first, saw her second lip around and out. That gives the Sparks a chance to win with a three with 3.0 seconds left.
Hang-On Time
Fourth Quarter: Storm 68, Los Angeles 67
With 5.0 seconds left, it's 68-67 Storm after Tina Thompson banked a jumper off glass to make it a one-point game. L.A. will have to foul the Storm now, but will have a chance to tie or take the lead regardless of the outcome of these free throws.
LJ for Three, Lead
Fourth Quarter: Storm 64, Los Angeles 61
The Storm finally got Lauren Jackson free off of a Sue Bird pick-and-roll and she knocked down a three-pointer to give the Storm the lead after Los Angeles had tied the game at 61. Jackson now has a season-high 29 points. The Storm has found some room to operate lately by going to Bird and Jackson. Now it's time for some stops. Bird came up with a big one when she drew a charge from an out-of-control Betty Lennox. The Sparks have really gained confidence on offense over the course of this game.
During the timeout, the crowd is on its feet and Danielle Lawrie is pitching t-shirts to an overmatched Doppler. Now her teammates are sending t-shirts high into the KeyArena crowd. Also introduced at the timeout: Multiple Seahawks, including first-round pick Aaron Curry.
Storm Holds the Lead, Sparks Hold the Momentum
Fourth Quarter: Storm 59, Los Angeles 57
The Sparks have just about come all the way back from a deficit as large as 14 points. On the strength of an 8-2 start to the fourth quarter, they are within two points, the closest they've been since the early first quarter. The Storm offense is simply discombobulated right now, scoring one bucket in nearly four minutes. Los Angeles has taken Lauren Jackson away, and the Storm has been unable to counter, getting deep into the shot clock and running out of options. We'll see if the crowd can provide a jolt of energy after the Doppler Train.
Congrats to Ashley Robinson, who won the voting for the Julep nail polish. It will be known as A-Rob #43, and fittingly so since Robinson is the most fashionable of the Storm's players.
L.A. Hanging Around
End Third Quarter: Storm 57, Los Angeles 49
The Los Angeles Sparks have not led or even threatened to lead in this game since the very early going, but nor has the Storm been able to put them away. The Sparks have kept the lead around 10 and are still very much in position to make a run and steal this one in the fourth quarter, down just eight heading to the final 10 minutes of play. Shannon Bobbitt has really proving a spark for Los Angeles with her quickness and shooting at the point. She's playing with much more confidence than she did as a rookie and is pulling up when the Storm goes under screens on her.
The Storm needs to ensure Lauren Jackson touches on every possession, since she's been virtually unstoppable tonight with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
Sparks Finding Some Rhythm
Third Quarter: Storm 48, Los Angeles 39
After scoring just four points in the first four minutes of the third quarter, the Sparks have gotten seven lately to pull back within single-digits. The question is whether L.A. can sustain the momentum, considering the scoring has come from unlikely sources - guards Shannon Bobbitt and Marie Ferdinand-Harris. The Storm is forcing the Sparks to secondary options right now.
Celebrity spotlight during the timeout, as StormVision showed local TV news legends Jean Enersen and Kathi Goertzen, who are flanking Anne Levinson of Force 10 Hoops L.L.C. Also courtside is Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks, a native of nearby Bremerton.
Storm Starts Second Half Strong
Third Quarter: Storm 42, Los Angeles 28
The Storm came out of the locker room ready to go. The hosts have scored the first six points of the third quarter to extend the lead to 14 points, the largest it has been all night long. In response, Sparks Head Coach Michael Cooper takes timeout. It will be interesting to see how long he sticks with starting point guard Kristi Harrower, who played just five minutes in the first half as Cooper opted for the quickness of Shannon Bobbitt and ultimately the size of Noelle Quinn at the point.
The only downside to the third quarter so far: Lauren Jackson missed a shot. Apparently she is human after all. Naturally, she did get the rebound and was fouled, hitting both free throws.
Bottom Line: Storm Leads
Halftime: Storm 36, Los Angeles 28
Well, it wasn't always pretty, but the Storm takes an eight-point advantage to the locker room. The lead was as big as 13 during the second quarter, but turnovers and second chances allowed Los Angeles to narrow the gap. This is about what I expected from tonight. For all the big names, the Sparks are essentially a defensive-minded team who like to play a very physical style that is not conducive to free-flowing basketball.
Even in the midst of that, there's no questioning the beauty of Lauren Jackson's shot. She was perfect in the first half, scoring 20 points on 8-of-8 shooting to lead the Storm and extend her streak of 20-point games to eight straight to start the season. That's now tied for the second-longest streak in WNBA history, surpassed only by Cynthia Cooper of the Houston Comets in 1999 (nine games). Jackson really carried the Storm, which will need more production from its bench. The reserves were scoreless in the first half, though Suzy Batkovic deserves credit for doing a fine job of using her size to contend with L.A.'s Vanessa Hayden.
The Storm's defense was terrific in the first half, holding L.A. to 28 points in about 34 possessions, an 82.3 Offensive Rating. Tina Thompson (13 on 6-of-7 shooting) is the only Sparks player with more than five points.
Defensive Glass Looming Large
Second Quarter: Storm 35, Los Angeles 26
Over the first seven-plus games of the 2009 season, the Storm has been strong in virtually every area save one - defensive rebounding. The Storm did an excellent job on the defensive glass during the second half a week ago in beating Minnesota, then dominated the boards down in Phoenix. Tonight, however, it's cropped back up again. L.A. has as many offensive rebounds as the Storm as defensive boards (nine apiece). With L.A. shooting under 40 percent, the second chances are keeping the Sparks in the game.
Jackson Hits 500
Second Quarter: Storm 29, Los Angeles 20
Congratulations to Lauren Jackson, who with her block of DeLisha Milton-Jones moments ago became the third player in WNBA history to reach 500 career blocks. Jackson joins Lisa Leslie and Margo Dydek, and she's the youngest player to the mark. Just another milestone in a career full of them for Jackson.
Have you voted for LJ and the rest of the Storm's All-Star candidates yet today? Remember to so daily at WNBA.com. Here's the link.
Husky Softball in the House
Second Quarter: Storm 27, Los Angeles 20
The Storm is happy to play host to the National Champion UW Softball team tonight, with players (including National Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie) and Head Coach Heather Tarr in the house. Good thing the Sparks are wearing gold jerseys tonight instead of the purple they've worn in the past, so we're relatively safe spotlighting the purple-clad Huskies.
Center Vanessa Hayden is into the game for the Sparks and creating some problems for the Storm with her size, especially on the offensive glass. Tina Thompson is also playing very well for L.A., having scored a team-high nine points. But the Storm still maintains a seven-point advantage.
Storm Up After One Quarter
End First Quarter: Storm 23, Los Angeles 16
Great first quarter from Lauren Jackson, who scored 11 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting to lead the Storm to an early seven-point lead. Jackson got it going with putbacks in the paint and then knocked down a three-pointer from the perimeter. The only downside was Jackson picking up two fouls in the first quarter. Sue Bird added seven points and finished the period with a rare step-through move to score just before the buzzer.
It's Girls Night Out at KeyArena, and yesterday Storm players went to Seattle's Julep Nail Parlor to get parlor pedicures. A video highlighting their experience aired on StormVision during the timeout, and you'll be able to see it next week on stormbasketball.com. Julep is here tonight on the concourse. Their new nail polish color will be named after one Storm player, as voted on by fans.
Cashing in Early
First Quarter: Storm 14, Los Angeles 11
The Los Angeles Sparks changed up their usual starting five to match up with the Storm's frontcourt. Vanessa Hayden was replaced by Marie Ferdinand-Harris, with Tina Thompson sliding to center to square off with Lauren Jackson. That forces Ferdinand-Harris to defend Swin Cash, giving the Storm's forward a significant height advantage. An aggressive Cash already has five points, an assist and a block on Ferdinand-Harris, who will be replaced by the bigger Noelle Quinn at this timeout.
Crowd Getting Loud
Pregame
With the Los Angeles Sparks in town, you knew KeyArena was going to be loud, and even though we're still moments away from tipoff, already the crowd is on its feet for the Storm's starting lineups. Visiting guard Betty Lennox, who spent four seasons in Seattle, got a very nice hand in her second trip back, though I'd expect the crowd to be a little bit less charitable once the game is underway. Betty's brother Clarence, a fixture at KeyArena during her tenure, is courtside wearing a yellow jacket and hat to match her new team. With the passing of Michael Jackson yesterday, the Storm's intro video was played to "Beat It," and fans happily clapped along.
And now we've got the old "Beat L.A." chant going.
Signing On
Pregame
The archrival Los Angeles Sparks invade KeyArena tonight for the teams' first meeting since the Sparks knocked the Storm out of the 2008 Playoffs. These are two different squads, however, the Sparks adding Betty Lennox and Tina Thompson but playing tonight without stars Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. Meanwhile, a retooled Storm team with a healthy Lauren Jackson is off to a 5-2 start and holds the WNBA's best record. With the Sparks in town, a good crowd is filing in. It should be an entertaining battle, so stay with us all night for the latest.
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