LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Lisa Leslie collected 23 points and eight rebounds Saturday as the Los Angeles Sparks completed a two-game Western Conference semifinal sweep of the Seattle Storm with a 69-59 victory.
The defending WNBA champions advanced to the conference finals for the third straight season and will meet Houston or Utah in a series that will begin Thursday.
Leslie made 10 of 16 shots and averaged 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two victories over Seattle. Tamecka Dixon chipped in with 15 points.
Los Angeles took the lead for good as Leslie scored six straight points for a 19-15 lead with 7:43 remaining in the first half. The Sparks took a 33-25 lead into halftime.
Rookie Nikki Teasley scored four points to trigger a 13-2 run that gave the Sparks their largest lead at 46-31 with 12:42 remaining. Seattle made just oen of six shots and committed four turnovers in that span.
The Storm finally used a 14-2 run to pull within 56-54 on a three-pointer by rookie Sue Bird with just over three minutes remaining. They were still within two when a pair of free throws by Lauren Jackson cut the deficit to 58-56 with 2 1/2 minutes left to play.
Seattle had a chance to tie or take the lead but Michelle Marciniak forced up an ill-advised jumper that missed badly. The Sparks grabbed the rebound and Dixon's three-point play restored a five-point cushion.
Teasley made two foul shots and Marciniak committed a turnover that led to a layup by Dixon for a 65-56 advantage with 60 seconds to go.
Bird made six of 13 shots for 17 points to lead Seattle. Jackson, who made brash comments before the series about how the Storm would "stick it to them," made just one of nine shots for four points.
