SEATTLE – Playing in the finale of a six-game home stretch, the Seattle Storm secured a 78-69 victory over the New York Liberty. For the second straight night, a player off the Storm bench led the team’s scoring efforts with 19 points from Crystal Langhorne, who knocked down a career-high 4-of-6 shots from deep. Jordin Canada, coming off her first career double-double on Friday, nearly tallied a triple-double with nine points, eight assists and a career-high nine rebounds.

The Storm jumped out to a 6-0 lead with back-to-back three-pointers and Natasha Howard poured in 10 consecutive points for Seattle as the defending champion climbed to a 20-8 lead. New York countered with 8-0 run, with six points coming from the free throw line. New York finished the quarter 10-10 from the charity stripe but gave up 11 points off eight turnovers.

Seattle’s success from behind the arc continued in the second quarter, hitting four in a row to compile a 14-1 run to start the second quarter. At the halfway point, the Storm led New York, 43-30, though Seattle had yet to take a trip to the foul line. Twenty of Seattle’s 43 points came off Liberty turnovers.

After trading baskets in the third, Seattle caught fire with a 16-0 run to take a 27-point lead before Tanisha Wright ended New York’s drought with a pair of free throws.

Entering the final frame with a 23-point cushion, Seattle was held scoreless until the 6:53 mark when Whitcomb sank a 3-pointer as the shot-clockexpired. The Liberty ended the game on a 15-4 run.

After going 3-3 during its homestand, the Storm hits the road to face Minnesota on Wednesday. It marks the third of four meetings between the teams this year, splitting the previous contests.

KEY STATS OF THE GAME

• Crystal Langhorne came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points for the Storm. She had a career-high four treys, finishing the night 4-of-6 from beyond the arc to bring her season total to 10. Langhorne had made eight three-pointers in her first 11 WNBA seasons combined.
• The Liberty netted 23 points from the free throw line. Seattle did not get to the free throw line until the 3:40 mark of the third quarter.
• The Storm recorded a season-high 26 points off Liberty turnovers (including 20 in the first half).

SEATTLE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Storm entered the locker room at the half with a 13-point lead over the Liberty. The Storm was behind by one at the half in its first contest with the Liberty earlier in the season.
• After recording her first career double-double with 14 points and 12 assists on Friday, Jordin Canada came within striking distance of a triple-double with nine points, eight assists and a career-high nine rebounds. She also finished with three steals as she leads the league with 43.
• Natasha Howardscored 10 consecutive Storm points in the first frame and finished the night with 14 points.
• Sami Whitcomb finished with 11 points, marking the fourth time in her last five games cracking double figures.
• The Storm finished the game 13-of-34 on 3-point attempts, marking the second straight game making 10+ shots deep after one such game in its first 16 outings.
• The Storm went on a 16-0 run in the third quarter to stretch its lead to a game-high 27 points.

NEW YORK HIGHLIGHTS

• In the first half of play, the Liberty outscored the Storm 13-0 from the free throw line.
• Kia Nurse nearly recorded her fifth 20-point game of the season, as she led her team in scoring with 19 points.
• The Liberty outscored the Storm 26-12 in the final frame, after going on a 15-4 stretch in the last five minutes of the contest.
• Though held to nine points on 2-of-15 shooting, Tina Charles passed Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the league’s all-time rebounding list. She is now in sixth place with 3,014 boards and trails Tina Thompson for fifth (3,070).

NEXT GAME

The Storm hits on the road for the first time since June 23 with a third meeting against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, July 17 at 5 p.m. PT.