Storm surge to victory over Monarchs

SEATTLE – Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird and Swin Cash each scored 17 points to help the Seattle Storm rally for a 74-62 WNBA victory over the Sacramento Monarchs on Tuesday night.

Seattle used a 30-11 surge beginning midway through the third quarter to erase an early 13-point deficit created by its poor shooting.

Sheryl Swoopes started the second-half rally and finished with 10 points for her first substantial contribution for the Storm.

Yolanda Griffith scored two points and had five rebounds in 23 minutes of her first game against the Monarchs after nine seasons in Sacramento.

Rebekkah Brunson scored 15 points to lead Sacramento.

The 37-year-old Swoopes, limited to three games last season with Houston following back surgery, missed her first six shots and nine of her first 11. But the league’s first three-time MVP then sparked Seattle’s comeback.

Swoopes put back her missed jumper, then fed Jackson with a sharp pass in the lane for another basket and made a 3-pointer to cut Sacramento’s lead to 38-33.

The Storm finally forged a tie, at 47, in the fourth quarter on Griffith’s basket underneath off a pass from Cash with 8:30 remaining. That was after a 3-pointer by Katie Gearlds and a three-point play by Cash.

A barrage of 3-pointers, by Bird and Gearlds put Seattle up 56-49 and the Storm cruised from there.