Seattle, Wash. – June 5, 2016 – The New York Liberty held off the Seattle Storm’s fourth quarter comeback attempt to pick up an 86-78 win at KeyArena on Sunday evening.
The Liberty (4-3) have won seven-straight against the storm and four straight at Seattle (3-5). The last loss at Key Arena was Aug. 26, 2012, which also was New York’s last loss in the series.
Four players were in double-figures for New York as Tina Charles led the way, recording her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Sugar Rodgers poured in 18 points and dished out five assists, while Shavonte Zellous contributed 12 points; Zellous has now scored in double figures in three-straight games for the Liberty.
Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd combined to score just 11 points on 4-of-20 shooting; Loyd was 0-of-8 from the field with five assists. Sue Bird recorded a double-double of her own as she scored 13 points and handed out 10 assists for the Storm.
The first half saw 13 lead changes and the Liberty held a one-point lead at the break, 46-45. New York broke the game open with a 16-4 run to open the 2nd half. New York raced out to a 17-point lead in the third, as the Liberty shot 7-of-9 over that stretch while Seattle was 1-of-7 from the field.
The fourth quarter saw New York’s lead dwindle to three as Seattle cut it to 76-73, then Tanisha Wright connected on two big mid-range shots to make it a seven-point game. It was 76-64.
The Liberty went 5:48 without a point in the fourth quarter until those Wright jumpers. The lead was 76-62 following a Stokes layup with 7:55, but Seattle went on an 11-0 run to make it a one possession game for the first time since the opening moments of the second half.
The Liberty will be back in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Sparks. Tipoff is at 10 p.m. (ET)
NOTES:
The Liberty had four players score in double figures for the first time this season.
Tina Charles has recorded a double-double in 6-of-7 games this season and continues to lead the WNBA in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.6 rpg) after posting 19 points and 13 rebounds against the Storm.
The Liberty controlled the paint once again, outscoring Seattle 44-32 on the interior.
New York has won seven-straight against Seattle, its longest winning streak in the history of the series, and has won four in a row at KeyArena.
Shavonte Zellous has now scored in double figures in three-straight games for the Liberty, averaging 12.3 ppg during the stretch.
Sugar Rodgers tied her career high with five assists, also scoring 18 points and knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.