Seattle Storm's Sue Bird (10) tries to get past New York Liberty's Brittany Boyd during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) - Breanna Stewart had 22 points and 15 rebounds and the Seattle Storm beat the New York Liberty 85-77 on Friday night to secure the top seed in the WNBA playoffs.
Seattle (25-8) has won 15 of its last 18 games and has home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Sue Bird had 13 points and six assists for Seattle. The Storm set the WNBA single-season record for 3-pointers with its 284th, passing Phoenix's total from 2007. Stewart made a wide-open 3 in the first quarter to break Seattle's franchise record for field goals in a season, topping Lauren Jackson's 258 in 2007.
Seattle opened the fourth quarter on a 16-5 spurt to take a 78-63 lead.
Tina Charles scored 21 points for New York (7-26), and Sugar Rodgers scored all 12 of her points in the fourth quarter. The Liberty have lost 12 straight. Kiah Stokes moved into sixth on New York's rebounding list, passing Teresa Weatherspoon.
It was Seattle's franchise-record fourth straight sellout.
Seattle Storm's Breanna Stewart (30) tries to get a shot off between New York Liberty's Tina Charles, left, and Brittany Boyd during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
Seattle Storm's Natasha Howard, center right, gets off a pass in front of New York Liberty's Tina Charles, right, and Kia Nurse as Storm's Alysha Clark (32) watches during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
New York Liberty's Kiah Stokes (41) tries to block a shot by Seattle Storm's Natasha Howard during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
New York Liberty's Tina Charles (31) looks for a shot in front of Seattle Storm's Natasha Howard during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd, left, defends against New York Liberty's Kia Nurse during the first of a WNBA basketball game Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press