ATLANTA (AP) — The Seattle Storm are champions again.
Seattle completed its undefeated march through the postseason, beating the Atlanta Dream 87-84 on Thursday night for a three-game sweep in the WNBA finals.
The Storm won each of its seven postseason games for its second WNBA title. The Storm also won the 2004 championship.
Swin Cash scored 18 points to lead a balanced offense as Seattle overcame 35 points by Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry. Lauren Jackson, who had 26 points in each of the Storm’s first two wins in the series, had 15 points and nine rebounds and was selected MVP of the finals.
McCoughtry, who set a WNBA playoff record with 42 points in the Dream’s Eastern Conference finals clinching win over the New York Liberty, tried to rally Atlanta with nine points in the final 2:30. But McCoughtry and Coco Miller missed 3-pointers in the final 6 seconds, setting off a celebration by Seattle’s players.
McCoughtry’s three-point play with 46 seconds remaining cut Seattle’s lead to 85-80. Seattle’s Tanisha Wright missed two free throws and McCoughtry was fouled by Cash while missing a 3.
McCoughtry made two of three free throws to cut the lead to three points with 31 seconds remaining.
Seattle’s Sue Bird dribbled away the shot clock before missing a shot to set up a basket by Atlanta’s Iziane Castro Marques with 6.9 seconds left. McCoughtry immediately fouled Camille Little, who made two free throws to give Seattle an 87-84 lead.
McCoughtry missed a 3-pointer but the rebound went to Atlanta before Coco Miller also missed a last-second 3.