McCowan leads Fever over Storm 63-54

SEATTLE (AP) — Teaira McCowan had 22 points and 19 rebounds and the Indiana Fever kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 63-54 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday.

Seattle clinched a playoff spot earlier on Sunday with the benefit of the New York Liberty’s 101-72 loss to the Washington Mystics.

The Fever trail Phoenix by 3 ½ games for the final playoff spot and have five games left.

McCowan had the second best rebounding effort by any player in the WNBA this season. The Connecticut Sun’s Jonquel Jones had 22 rebounds against the Sparks on May 31.

Kelsey Mitchell added 13 points and Candice Dupree scored 12 for the Fever (10-19). McCowan was 9 of 15 from the field and grabbed six offensive rebounds.

Natasha Howard had 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists for the Storm (15-14). Howard reached 200 career blocks with her first rejection of the night and finished with two more to improve her total to 202.