SEATTLE (AP) - Candace Parker scored 20 points, including a key layup with 2 minutes left, and the Los Angeles Sparks advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 71-64 victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.

Lisa Leslie added 15 points for the Sparks, who beat Seattle in the first round two years ago in their last postseason appearance. Los Angeles will host San Antonio in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday. Los Angeles split four regular-season games with the Silver Stars, with each team winning twice at home.

Tanisha Wright scored 20 points - 12 above her season average - Camille Little had 17 star guard Sue Bird added 16, 11 in the second half, for Seattle, which was knocked out in the first round for the fourth straight year since winning the championship in 2004. Superstar Lauren Jackson was relegated to nervous sideline cheerleader while recovering from ankle surgery after the Olympics last month.

The Storm were a league-best 16-1 at home this season and then held Los Angeles to its season-low of 50 points in Game 2 at home on Sunday to force this decisive game.

Seattle remodeled the franchise before the season in hopes of ending its playoff failures. The Storm brought in veterans Sheryl Swoopes, Yolanda Griffith and Swin Cash - with seven WNBA titles between them - and changed coaches from Anne Donovan to Brian Agler.

But Griffith, who's had knee and ankle problems, couldn't contain Leslie in the finale. Cash, bothered much of the season by back pain, had just two points in 21 minutes.

And Swoopes, the 37-year-old three-time league MVP recently sidelined by a concussion and 11 months removed from back surgery, missed her first six shots. She didn't make a field goal until 8:07 remained. Seattle was down 61-49 by then.

Seattle gained a final hope when Leslie went to the bench with five fouls and Los Angeles leading 61-51 with 5:43 left. Griffith then made two free throws, Bird made a 3-pointer and a driving layup, the crowd was roaring and suddenly the Storm pulled to 61-58.

After the key layup by Parker, Leslie fouled out on a charge with 2:16 left. Bird's tough runner - her third consecutive made shot - made it 65-62, but then turnovers doomed Seattle.

Wright charged into Marie Ferdinand-Harris in the open floor with 1:12 remaining. After Shannon Bobbitt missed two free throws for L.A., the Sparks hounded Bird into a late pass when she was looking to shoot, and Wright could not get her 3-pointer off before the shot clock expired with 36.9 seconds left.

The teams traded a pair of free throws before Temeka Johnson made two clinching ones to put the Sparks ahead 69-64 with 19.2 seconds to go. Bird then missed a 3-pointer to finish 7-for-15.

Leslie had many more chances than when she scored just 11 points on nine shots Sunday. She continually beat the bruised, 38-year-old Griffith to spots beneath the basket for scores.

While Seattle managed only two points in the first 3½ minutes after halftime, Parker made a short jump hook, Bobbitt swished a corner 3-pointer and Leslie converted a three-point play plus a baseline jumper to put the Sparks up 52-37.

Parker, who averaged 18.5 points per game in the regular season, had just 11 points in Los Angeles' home win in Game 1. And she had just 10 points in 36 minutes in Seattle's 14-point win in Game 2. Parker already had 12 points 7½ minutes into the second quarter.

Bird and Swoopes combined for just six points in the opening half, which ended with Los Angeles ahead 42-35.