While the play looked similar to the shot Bird made against Phoenix on Sept. 5, it wasn’t quite. Against the Mercury, Tanisha Wright handled the ball, passing to Bird for the winner.

On Sunday, Bird took the inbounds pass with 22 seconds to go and let the clock run down to 18 seconds before driving toward the top of the key.

There, Lauren Jackson set a pick, pinning Armintie Price and Sancho Lyttle behind her and allowing Bird room to step back and make her second straight heroic shot.

Bird hits game winner as Storm soar – Aaron Lommers, Everett Herald

Bird, the Storm’s veteran point guard, struggled from the field, shooting just 6-for-16, but she connected on the biggest shot of the game.

“I think Sue really has a calm disposition and it helps in big situations,” Storm head coach Brian Agler said.

Sue Bird hits another game winner for Storm – Mechelle Voepel, ESPN.com

She really doesn’t go back and watch them all. Continued success requires living in the present and looking to the future.But someday, Seattle guard Sue Bird might take some time to review all the moments when she has been the difference in the clutch. And that will probably take awhile, because there are a lot of them.

Little comes up huge for Storm - Mechelle Voepel, ESPN.com

Thus, it was all the more important for Seattle to get a lift from another player who is a plug-in energy source for the team: Camille Little. She had 18 points and 11 rebounds — only her second double-double of the season — and was altogether indispensable in the Storm’s 79-77 victory over Atlanta.

“She was the key to the game,” Seattle guard Sue Bird said. “Every time they made a run, every time we relaxed, Camille was the one to step up. Whether it be a defensive stop or a 3-point play. And she had the energy; she was encouraging the rest of the team.

Seattle Loves its Storm, Which Rolls Behind Sue Bird – Michelle Smith, Fanhouse.com

Playing in front of NBA Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens, as well as former University of Washington star Nate Robinson (right), Seattle and Atlanta traded blows. The game included 11 ties and nine lead-changes.

Bird Soars Storm Past Dream – Scott Stanchak, WNBA.com

With the score tied at 77, the Storm took a timeout with 20.4 seconds left on the clock. Storm head coach Brian Agler told his team to hold for the final shot, meaning they make it and they win or they miss and the conciliation is overtime. About 18 seconds later, Bird pulled up at from the left corner of the foul line and drained the basket.

“I think with the way the game was being played tonight and who was on the floor and who was making the good decisions, we wanted to put the ball in Sue’s hands,” Agler said.

Blood, Sweat But No Tears for Dream – Frank Della Femina, WNBA.com

The Atlanta Dream’s Angel McCoughtry sat at her locker following the Game One loss to the Storm sweaty and bloodied from a hard-fought, nail-biting finish that ultimately ended with Seattle taking an early 1-0 series lead. The sweat came from her tireless effort to keep the Dream in the running for a ‘W,’ dropping 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including a perfect seven-for-seven from the free throw line. The blood, from a collision with Seattle’s Jana Vesela just over a minute into the fourth quarter.

“I don’t know what it was but I know I ended up with a big gash,” said McCoughtry. “But in this moment you can’t be getting hurt.”

Dream loses Game 1 of the WNBA Finals – Todd Dybas, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The right side of McCoughtry’s forehead needed to be resealed with three stitches. Though not labeled a concussion, the fourth-quarter collision between her and Storm forward Jana Vesela produced a goose egg on McCoughtry’s skull, enough of a blow for trainers to test her twice for a concussion.

The Dream’s leading scorer was also in foul trouble from the start. She picked up three in the first quarter and stewed on the bench for the entire second while she had to sit.

Storm Win Game 1, But Dream Show They Belong – Nate Parham, SBN Seattle

The way the Dream played the screens combined with the athleticism of their smaller and quicker lineups, wreaked havoc particularly in the second quarter when they quite badly outplayed the Storm in the final few minutes and held them to 31.6% shooting — at one point, someone asked why the Storm looked so stagnant; they just didn’t have very many places to go and started to uncharacteristically second-guess themselves. And although the defining moment of the fourth quarter is undoubtedly Bird’s shot, the Dream also outplayed them then with their aggressive and energetic style forcing the Storm into costly turnovers.

N.B.A. Makes Sponsorship Deal with Spanish Bank – Ken Belson, NYTimes.com Off the Dribble Blog

In the meantime, the bank’s logo will be placed on the jerseys of the players in the W.N.B.A. finals, which began Sunday. Teams have made their own jersey sponsorship deals, but this is the first time the league has made such an arrangement.

BBVA Compass will also advertise during N.B.A. games on TNT, ESPN and other television networks.