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Wright's shot gives Storm win over Sparks 76-75

Aug 22, 2010 - 6:12 AM SEATTLE (AP) -- Tanisha Wright hit a 13-foot baseline jumper with 50 seconds left to give the Seattle Storm a 76-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday night.

The Storm finished 17-0 at home, a league record. The Sparks were 16-0 in 2001. The Storm also tied the 2001 Sparks for most regular season victories.

Camille Little scored a career-high 22 and Lauren Jackson added 21 to lead Seattle (28-6), which won its third straight.

"I had a good look at it," said Wright about her winning shot. "If you make it, you live with it. If you miss it, you live with it."

Tina Thompson scored 20, Noelle Quinn had 18 and DeLisha Milton-Jones had 15 for Los Angeles (13-21).

Marie Ferdinand-Harris missed a 3-pointer from the left corner just before the buzzer.

Thompson hit a 3-pointer to put the Sparks ahead 75-74 with 1:48 left. The Storm led 72-60 with 8:48 left.

"We were up by 12 and let them come back into the game," Little said. "It's something that we can control with our defensive intensity and we kind of let up for a second and it showed when they started scoring. They have a lot of great players on their team so if we do that they're going to score easily."

Seattle opens the best-of-3 conference semifinals at home Wednesday against the still-to-be-determined No. 4 seed.

Storm guard Sue Bird said the 17-0 home record means a lot.

"It speaks loudly to our fans and the energy they bring us," Bird said. "Whether we are winning or losing, a close game or a blowout, they are in every possession and it keeps us energized. No other team likes to play here, so to go undefeated at home is really special."

The Sparks open the playoffs Wednesday or Thursday against either No. 1 Seattle or No. 2 Phoenix in a best-of three-series.

"If a lucky shot had gone in at the end, it would have been a different game," Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom said. "It is heartbreaking because they fought hard for it. They're confident, and I think this made them feel good going into the playoffs if we have to play this team."

The Storm led by 12 early in the fourth quarter before Thompson's 3-pointer cut the margin to 72-68 with 5:58 left.

Little scored 11 in the third quarter to help give the Storm a 66-56 lead. Little had eight straight early in the quarter to ignite a 12-6 run.

The Sparks clinched a playoff spot with a win Friday over Minnesota while the Storm clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in July.

Seattle has won eight straight at home against the Sparks since a loss in 2006.

Jackson moved passed Katie Smith into third place on the WNBA career scoring list.