SEATTLE — Breanna Stewart scored 13 of her 29 points after the third quarter, Jewell Loyd finished with 21 points and the Seattle Storm gave up a 16-poinit second-half lead before beating the New York Liberty 79-71 in overtime on Friday night.
Sue Bird, Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot missed the game due to health and safety protocols. Magbegor moved into the starting lineup this season in the place of Mercedes Russell, who hasn’t played since suffering a non-basketball related injury in April.
Stewart made 6 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter and then hit a 3-pointer to give Seattle (4-3) the lead for good at 70-67 just 35 seconds into overtime.
Natasha Howard led New York (1-6) with 17 points and nine rebounds.
FEVER 101, SPARKS 96
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 22 points, Danielle Robinson had 10 points and 11 assists and the Fever held off the Sparks for interim coach Carlos Knox’s first victory.
Indiana (3-7) fired coach Marianne Stanley on Wednesday after her teams won just 14 games in a little more than two seasons. This win snapped a five-game losing skid.
Indiana led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but Los Angeles battled back and Brittney Sykes’ jumper at the free-throw line pulled the Sparks within 95-93. It was the closest Los Angeles had been since the first quarter. Robinson made two free throws with a minute left to give Indiana a two-possession lead and she added two more at 20.1.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Los Angeles (3-6).
