Stewart’s grand finale finishes Storm’s surge

She scores the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and ends up with 37 in Game 1 win.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Seattle Storm’s lead down to two with a quarter left, Breanna Stewart took over.

The big- game player scored the f irst 11 points of the fourth quarter and f inished with 37 to help the Storm beat the Las Vegas Aces 93- 80 on Friday night in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

“I’m excited for the big moment and the big stage. I expect to be here,” Stewart said. “Been here whether it’s college, WNBA or USA continuing to embrace that moment and take advantage of it. This is why I play basketball. This is why I play to have big games to help my team in big moments.”

Jewell Loyd added 28 points and Sue Bird had a WNBA playoff- record 16 assists. Bird had 10 assists in the f irst half to also break that playoff record. Game 2 of the best- of- f ive series is

Sunday.

Stewart added 15 rebounds and four blocks. She was a point short of the WNBA Finals record set by Angel McCoughtry.

With Seattle holding a two- point lead heading into the fourth quarter after a huge Las Vegas rally, Stewart went to work. She scored the f irst 11 points of the period to restore a double- digit advantage and finished with 15 in the quarter. The 2018 MVP, who missed last season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, hit three three- pointers in the game- changing burst.

“She got that look in her eyes that she’ll take over,” Seattle coach Gary Kloppenburg said. “Hit some 3s, got inside got to the line. it was fabulous down the stretch.

“We kind of lost our focus in the third quarter. Got into a halfcourt game. Picked their defense up. We didn’t respond in that third quarter and let them all the way back in.”

McCoughtry scored 20 points to lead Las Vegas, which was playing in the WNBA Finals for the f irst time since the franchise moved to the Nevada city three years ago. The team was in the Finals in 2008 when it was located in San Antonio.