Seattle Storm

By Associated Press

Story Published: Aug 17, 2010 at 10:09 PM PDT

SEATTLE (AP) – Lauren Jackson scored 24 points, Swin Cash hit the go-ahead lay-in with 59.3 seconds left and the Seattle Storm rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Minnesota Lynx 68-64 on Tuesday night.

Cash finished with 13 points for Seattle (26-6), and Camille Little had a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Lindsay Whalen led Minnesota (12-20) with 20 points, and Monica Wright had 14.

The Lynx are still part of a three-way battle for the final two Western Conference playoff spots. Minnesota started the night in a three-way tie with San Antonio and Los Angeles. The Silver Stars lost at home to Washington, 76-66, and the Sparks fell to Phoenix. The Lynx visit L.A. on Friday, then wind up the regular season on Sunday at Indiana.

The Storm already have clinched the league’s best record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Tuesday’s victory kept alive their chance to tie the 2001 Sparks for most regular-season wins (28). It also was their 16th win at home this season, tying that same L.A. team in that department. Seattle plays at Phoenix on Thursday, then winds up the regular season at home against Los Angeles on Saturday.

The game was tied at 64-64 when Jackson found Cash for a wide-open lay-in just inside of the final minute. Tanisha Wright sealed it with two free throws at 23.1 seconds. The Lynx missed all five of their shots in the last minute.

Minnesota led by as many as 14 points early in the second half, the last time at 44-30 with 7:29 left in the third quarter.

The Storm closed to 56-52 by the end of the third, then took a 61-60 lead on a Jackson 3-pointer with 5:45 left in the game – Seattle’s first lead since 2-0.

Minnesota led for all but the opening minutes of the first half after allowing that first basket of the game. The Lynx then ran off the next 10 points, and Seattle never got closer than seven through the rest of the half.