SEATTLE (AP) — Zia Cooke scored 16 of her career-high 25 points in the first half, rookie Flau’jae Johnson had her best game of the season and the Seattle Storm beat the Connecticut Sun 77-59 on Friday night.
Johnson, the No. 8 pick in the recent WNBA draft, had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, all season bests. Natisha Hiedeman added 11 points for the Storm (2-4), who avenged a last-second loss to the Sun on Wednesday. Seattle won 89-82 at Connecticut in the second game of the season.
Diamond Miller had 13 points for Connecticut (1-6) and Aaliyah Edwards scored 10. Brittney Griner missed her fourth straight game with a rib injury.
Seattle, which trailed 21-19 after one quarter, took a 37-28 lead at halftime as Cooke outscored the Sun in the second quarter 8-7.
The Storm led by 16 in the third quarter but the Sun cut the deficit to seven points when they opened the fourth with a 3-pointer. Cooke made a free throw and Johnson hit a 3-pointer and the Sun never cut the deficit to single digits after that.
The Sun made nine baskets in the first quarter and totaled 11 over the final three quarters, finishing at 35%.
The Storm were short-handed in the front court with Dominique Malonga missing her third straight game in concussion protocol. Veteran Ezi Magbegor has yet to play and Awa Fam, the recent No. 3 pick, just arrived in Seattle from Spain. There has been no announcement when Fam, who helped Valencia win the Spanish League championship, would make her debut.
To help Seattle, Joyner Holmes was signed earlier in the day and she had two points, five rebounds and three blocks in 15 minutes.
Up next
Sun: At Golden State on Monday for the third game of a five-game western road trip.
Storm: Stay home for a second straight two-game set with Washington beginning Sunday.
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