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Cash scores 20 as Storm beat Liberty, 78-70

Jul 6, 2010 - 10:37 PM SEATTLE(AP) -- Swin Cash had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help the Seattle Storm beat the New York Liberty 78-70 on Tuesday with Lauren Jackson on the sideline with a mild concussion.

Jackson, averaging a team-best 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds, was injured when she was hit in the face by Los Angeles' DeLisha Milton-Jones while going for a rebound during the Storm's 75-62 victory on Saturday. Jackson is listed as day to day.

Sue Bird scored 11 of her 16 in the fourth quarter for the Storm (16-2), who have won seven straight games. LeCoe Willingham, subbing for Jackson, had 13 points and Camille Little finished with 12.

"Unfortunately, we have a lot of experience the last three years playing without Lauren," Bird said. "The only thing that was ever said today was Swin, at some point before the game, said, 'Lauren is a great player and you can't replace her with one person. So everyone has to take it up a little bit.' And everyone did a really good job."

Taj McWilliams-Franklin led the Liberty (7-9) with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Cappie Pondexter added 16.

"We just needed to execute in the fourth quarter," McWilliams-Franklin said. "We don't really worry about other teams. We worry about our offense and defense, and I think we had some letdowns. We allowed some shots that we hadn't allowed in the first three quarters."

New York carried a 58-54 lead into the fourth but Bird's three-point play with 5:56 left put Seattle in front for good at 65-63.

"They hit shots, and they were big shots," said Liberty coach Anne Donovan, who guided the Storm to the league title in 2004.

Seattle shot a season-best 55.6 percent (30 of 54) from the field and limited New York to just 37.5 percent (27 of 72).

"When it's coming down the stretch, this team has a lot of confidence in each other that we'll find a way to get it done," Cash said.