(Sports Network) - Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker each recorded double-doubles -- Leslie with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Parker with 13 points and 10 boards -- as Los Angeles jumped out early then held on for a 70-63 victory over Seattle in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Tina Thompson led the Sparks with 16 points, pacing a frontcourt that was in the middle of a 22-6 scoring spree in the first period.

Game 2 is Friday in Seattle as the Storm attempt to stave off elimination.

Swin Cash led all scorers with 24 points, Suzy Batkovic-Brown added 16 points and seven boards off the bench and Tanisha Wright donated 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for Seattle, which shot just 36.4 percent from the floor and made only 6-of-19 from beyond the arc.

The first quarter was a house of horrors for the Storm. Seattle made just one field goal in the opening 10 minutes, a Camille Little jumper with 7.3 seconds left. An 8-4 game slowly built to 22-4 as Parker made five consecutive free throws to end the surge.

Seattle suddenly found its stroke in the second period, scoring the quarter's first eight points capped by Cash's trey for a 22-14 margin. Another 8-0 Seattle spurt late in the half trimmed the deficit to 33-28 on a Batkovic- Brown three-pointer, and the margin stood at 34-28 after 20 minutes of game action.

A Thompson three and Leslie layup made the score 41-30 in the early stages of the third quarter, but Wright's layup just over six minutes later brought Seattle as close it had been since the early going at 48-45.

The Storm could not get over the hump, and Los Angeles' advantage went back to double figures at 68-56 on Parker's three with 3:06 to go. The Sparks held on from there.



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