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  Thursday, Aug. 3 7:00pm ET
Desperation jumper lifts Rockers
 
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Suzie McConnell Serio is used to having the ball with the game on the line.

Suzie McConnell Serio
Arms raised, Suzie McConnell Serio celebrates her game-winning 3-pointer Thursday that clinched a playoff berth for Cleveland.

Usually, her job is to find the open player, but Thursday night the veteran point guard hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining to lift Cleveland to a 74-71 victory over the Utah Starrz that clinched a playoff berth for the Rockers.

"It just so happened my shot put us up by three," McConnell Serio said. "What is gratifying about this win is it put us in the playoffs."

McConnell Serio looked inside, but found herself on the wing with three seconds left on the shot clock and took a 22-footer.

"Suzie just made a tremendous shot," Rockers coach Dan Hughes said. "That's what leaders like her do for you."

Cleveland (16-12) moved within two games of first-place New York in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs one year after compiling the WNBA's worst record of 7-25.

"We are looking to win the conference," McConnell Serio said. "We have to win the rest of our games and then we'll worry about who our opponent is."

Utah (16-13) had a four-game winning streak snapped and fell three games behind Phoenix and Sacramento in the race for the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.

"We didn't take care of the ball," Utah guard Jennifer Azzi said.

Cleveland scored 29 points off 21 Starrz turnovers.

"You can't use travel as an excuse, because all teams do it," Azzi said. "We played a great game Thursday night (a 72-62 win at Minnesota) and not tonight."

Merlakia Jones led Cleveland with 19 points, and rookie Ann Wauters had a career-high 17 points.

Korie Hlede led Utah with 18 points and hit all five of her shots -- including three 3-pointers -- in the second half as the Starrz rallied from a 52-41 deficit with 13:09 to play.

The Starrz comeback also was helped by the defensive play of 7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek, who finished with three steals and six blocked shots.

Utah took a 71-69 lead when Adrienne Goodson, who had 17 points, broke free for a fast-break layup with 2:32 left.

Cleveland tied the score when Mery Andrade hit two free throws with 1:19 left.

After McConnell Serio hit the clinching 3-pointer, Utah had two chances to tie it. LaTonya Johnson's shot rattled off the back of the rim with six seconds to play. The ball bounded back to Azzi, whose off-balance shot fell well short.
 


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RECAPS
Cleveland 74
Utah 71

Washington 75
Indiana 71

Phoenix 85
Seattle 63

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 Suzie McConnell Serio hits a 3-pointer to lift the Rockers past Utah.
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