SEATTLE (AP) _ Nikki McCray didn't pout after she shot an airball with the game tied in the final 40 seconds.

Instead, she broke to the basket and was on the receiving end of Murriel Page's pass for the game-breaking play in the Washington Mystics' 60-55 victory over the Seattle Storm on Monday night.

``My teammates tell me I shoot an airball a game,'' McCray said. ``Instincts just took over after the shot left my hand, and Murriel made a great play.''

McCray finished with 15 points and later made two free throws as the Mystics scored the game's final five points to hand the Storm their eighth consecutive loss.

McCray, one of three U.S. Olympians on Washington's roster, shot an airball on a 3-point attempt. But Page grabbed the rebound, saved it from going out of bounds and passed to McCray for the go-ahead basket with 37 seconds to play.

``My teammates call me the cleanup lady because I do a lot of the stuff that doesn't get noticed,'' Page said. ``I looked over my shoulder and Nikki was there under the basket so I just flipped her the ball.''

After a turnover by the Storm, McCray made two free throws with 22 seconds left. Seattle (2-13) then turned the ball over again, and Washington (8-7) beat a Western Conference team for the first time in six tries this season.

Chamique Holdsclaw led the Mystics with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Vicky Bullett added 12 points and Page had 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Simone Edwards paced the Storm with 14 points in her first game back from the injured list. She tied the game 55-55 with 1:10 left.

``I was a struggling a bit because my ankle is still sore, but it feels good to be back out there,'' Edwards said. ``Sitting out was hard.''

The Storm used runs of 14-4 and 10-4 to take a 31-30 halftime lead.

Robin Threatt was the only other Storm player in double figures with 10 points. Seattle continued to struggle in closes games. They are 0-5 in games decided by five points or less.

Storm coach Lin Dunn said her team lost its composure after tying the game with 1:10 left.

``The play that hurt was the offensive putback that McCray got,'' Dunn said. ``We worked really hard for 20 or 25 seconds and somehow she ended up with it and put it back in.''