Sparks can’t handle Storm

SEATTLE – Sue Bird scored 18 points and Lauren Jackson had 14 for the Seattle Storm, which extended its winning streak to six games by beating the Sparks, 70-52, Saturday night.

The Storm (14-7) had four players in doubles figures. Sheryl Swoopes had 13 points, and Swin Cash had 12. Yolanda Griffith had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Rookie Candace Parker led the Sparks (12-8) with 14 points, making six of 14 shots. She came in averaging 18.7 points. Lisa Leslie had nine points on two-for-11 shooting.

Seattle, with the league’s leading defense, forced Los Angeles into 20 turnovers that led to 19 points.

The Storm held the Sparks to a season-low point total. The Sparks’ previous low came Thursday in an 87-69 loss at Sacramento. The Sparks scored only nine points in the fourth quarter.

Up 38-37 midway through the third quarter, the Storm closed the period on a 14-6 scoring run, including a buzzer-beating putback by Griffith, to take a 52-43 lead into the last 10 minutes.

It was 54-45 early in the fourth when Seattle put together a 9-1 run, pushing its lead to 63-46. The Sparks never got to within single digits the rest of the way.

The game featured five players who will be in next month’s Olympics. Parker, Leslie and DeLisha Milton-Jones of the Sparks will play for the United States, as will Seattle’s Bird.

Jackson will play for Australia. This was her last WNBA game until after the Olympics.