WNBA's best team knows how to close

The Seattle Storm, the best team in the WNBA, came to Target Center on Saturday with a 17-2 record and an eight-game winning streak.

It's nine now. The Storm, despite a season-high 23 turnovers, edged the Lynx 73-71 when Seimone Augustus missed an awkward-looking, 11-foot hook shot in the lane with three seconds left.

Augustus, a 6-foot forward, had Seattle's Lauren Jackson guarding her. The 6-5 Aussie and two-time league MVP could intimidate anyone and had four blocks. This time she just needed to alter a shot. Jackson also did well on the offensive end with a game-high 26 points, 14 in the fourth quarter, and seven rebounds.

Teammate Tanisha Wright, who had only eight points, hit the game-winning shot. With the Lynx ahead 71-70, Wright made a three-pointer with 53 seconds left for the 21st lead change.

"In some regards, we are feeling kind of lucky," Storm guard Sue Bird said. "This was a tough game, back and forth."

The Lynx were coming off an 83-81 victory over East-leading Atlanta on Wednesday, so this could have been one of the best weeks in the franchise's 12 seasons.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win with how hard we played on the defensive end, playing gritty," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We just couldn't convert on the offensive side."

Their other problem was stopping Jackson when it mattered most. "We know every time they come down the court in the fourth quarter that Lauren Jackson is the person they are going to," Reeve said. "Everybody in the building [the announced crowd was 7,216] knows it. She is hard to stop. We are not big, we are not big at all, and that's the best post player in the world."

With this victory, Seattle matches the second-best record in league history after 20 games. Afterward Storm coach Brian Agler, whose team has a huge lead in the Western Conference race, was speculating which team would finish second. His prediction: either the Lynx or Phoenix.