EVERETT, Wash. -- Basketball players all over enjoy those evenings when the hoop looks like it's a mile the first quarter of the Seattle Storm's high-stakes regular-season ending versus the Phoenix Mercury on Friday, it was one of those hoops-- and one of those evenings-- for Jewell poured in 22 of her career-high 37 points during the opening 10 mins. However eventually, it was her five points inside the final min of the video game that aided the Tornado fend off an angry Phoenix resurgence to lock up a 94-85 victory-- and concurrently secure a first-round bye for the upcoming WNBA tipped off the competition inside Angel Of The Winds Arena recognizing that the coveted bye got on the line. Win, and get a couple of additional days of remainder and prep work for a second-round knockout game on Sept. 26 at home. Lose, and the Mercury would reap that in large component to Loyd, with double-digit scoring aid from Ezi Magbegor and Mercedes Russell, those additional days are sticking with the is assured at the very least the No. 4 postseason seed, yet still could end up No. 3 relying on the outcome of Minnesota's season-finale at Washington on Sunday. The Lynx are 21-10. If they and the Tornado both completed with identical records, Seattle has the tiebreaker for the higher seed because of winning the period collection, 2-1. Phoenix metro, secured in at No. 5, will certainly hold a first-round knockout video game next A MEANS TO PROCEED Loyd struck 12 of 23 for the video game, yet started 8 of 9 in the very first quarter-- consisting of an excellent 4-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc. She had 28 by halftime, which was one more than the whole team scored during the initial fifty percent of Sunday's 81-53 loss at Los Angeles. A pair of Loyd cost-free throws place the Storm ahead completely at 9-8 early in the initial quarter. It was 33-26 at the end of one. The margin expanded to 14 points by halftime at 61-47. It had actually been 11, however Loyd swiped the sphere under the Mercury basket with simply greater than 2 secs left and spotted down the floor, chased after by Shea the horn ready to seem, Loyd flung up a prayer shot from past the arc on the left side. She was knocked down by Peddy on the play Storm Basketball Jersey. After a video clip evaluation, the authorities ruled the foul happened before the horn and granted Loyd 3 free tosses. She sank all three. In so doing, she helped the Tornado link a franchise business document for a lot of factors in a fifty percent-- now the 4th time they have actually tallied 61. The Tornado kept their lead in the teenagers throughout the 3rd quarter, and broadened it to a seemingly risk-free 22 factors at 85-63 with 7:39 left in the WASN'T COMPLETED Yet the Mercury roared back, outscoring Seattle by a 22-4 margin throughout the next 7 1/2 minutes and cutting the margin to 89-85 with 1:05 still , that to that point had actually racked up just four points in the second fifty percent, had an answer, She drove from the right side and scooped a shot via the hoop, obtaining fouled by Brittney Griner at the same time with 47. 5 secs left. She hit the cost-free toss to finish the three-point play and push the Storm back into a three-possession lead at 92-85. Kia Nurse, who put in 28 factors versus the Tornado on July 11 in the final game prior to the month-long Olympic break and had 13 on Friday, missed out on a 3-pointer from the appropriate side with 36 seconds to go. Loyd confined the rebound and was fouled by Skylar Diggins-Smith. She struck both complimentary throws to make it 94-85. Phoenix metro had 2 even more attempts from downtown, but missed both. Russell recoiled the 2nd one with 25 secs left, and the Tornado basically oozed out the 's previous career high was 35, which she attained twice, most lately on Aug 18 in an 83-79 loss at New York. She and Breanna Stewart, who rested out the final 2 regular-season contests with a foot injury, incorporated for the four highest-scoring games in the league this season. Stewart had 36 on May 22 at Dallas and 35 on June 27 at Las Vegas Skylar Diggins-Smith Jersey.
