SEATTLE–The Storm erased a 14-point deficit in the second quarter and it was a see-saw battle the rest of the way but it was unable to come through in the fourth as Seattle lost to the Eastern Conference leading New York Liberty 81-77 on Tuesday night.

It snaps the Storm’s two-game winning streak and the team will head into the break having won two of its last three games and having taken one of the best team’s in the WNBA down to the wire.

“I thought we fought them really hard,” Storm head coach Jenny Boucek said. “I think we played well and we’re focused on our progression. It was a big test for us tonight and I thought we’ve shown continued growth in the last 10 days, especially since we’ve been home. It’s a good note to pause on and we want to start right where we left off, getting into the second part of the year.”

New York jumped out early on the Storm and went on a 11-0 run, which was capped off by a three from former longtime Storm guard Tanisha Wright. Seattle had no answer for New York forward Tina Charles as she scored 12 points in the first.

She finished with a game-high 30 on the night.

Seattle’s offense was also slow to get going and the Storm shot 26.7 percent in the period.

With 8:39 left in the second, Avery Warley-Talbert hit a layup to give the Liberty a 31-17 lead. That is when Seattle’s intensity picked up.

Crystal Langhorne checked back in the game and quickly hit a jumper to make it a 12-point game. After another basket from Langhorne made it a 10-point deficit, Sue Bird found Abby Bishop in transition and she drilled the three to cut it to 34-27.

Langhorne had 10 of her 12 points in the first half.

With 1:48 left in the second and the Storm down one, Alysha Clark converted on the jumper to put Seattle ahead 39-38. It was part of a 19-4 run and the Storm took a 45-40 lead into the half.

“We talked about what our advantages are as a team,” Bird said. “And this really goes for any team that we play, we have a lot of who play, we go nine, ten deep, and with that we can play at a quicker pace than maybe some other teams… It started on defense and then we got out, and started feeling good and things kind of found a place for us and we were able to come back.”

Clark filled up the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Seattle shot 77.8 percent from the field (14-for-18) and outscored New York 32-14 in the second.

New York pulled ahead in the third when it put together a 7-0 run to take a 57-54 lead.

After the Liberty took a 67-64 lead, Seattle called a timeout and regrouped. Bird came out firing and hit a step back jumper to cut the New York lead to one.

Bird scored a team-high 14 points and dished out seven assists.

The Liberty pushed the lead back to five and the Storm, once again, fought back. Langhorne converted an and-one chance and Ramu Tokashiki pulled up for the jumper to tie the game at 73 with 2:37 left.

“They are one of the  best teams in the WNBA and we’re right there,” Clark said. “I think it speaks volumes to the type of character, the type of willpower this team has. We don’t care who we’re going up against. We’re going to go out there and fight every night.”

Tokashiki also scored 14 points on 6-for-12 from the field.

But New York had one final push and went up by three on a basket and a free throw from Swin Cash. The Liberty lead the rest of the way.

The Storm will return to action after the All-Star Break when it travels to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Mystics on July 29.