Erica Wheeler labelled her winning go-ahead jumper as a "moment you live for" as she clinched the Seattle Storm’s ticket to the WNBAw playoffs on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old stepped up with 19.2 seconds left, sealing a 74-73 victory over the Golden State Valkyries and securing the final postseason spot.

Seattle could have clinched their postseason place earlier with wins over the Los Angeles Sparks or the New York Liberty, but home struggles down the stretch left the Storm with their playoff fate undecided, going just 1-7 at Climate Pledge Arena since the beginning of August.

Seattle broke a league record by playing in 29 games – out of their 44-game schedule – that met the WNBA’s definition of a "clutch" situation, which means the score was within five points during the final five minutes of regulation.

WE’RE IN pic.twitter.com/dflLJIF7tr

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 10, 2025

"Think about when you're a kid and you're in the driveway, count down five, four, three and you hit the shot. I just did it live," Wheeler said after sinking the clutch basket.

"Those are the moments you live for and in front of this crowd. This crowd is amazing. For me, I feel good. I'm still shaking. My dad keeps hugging me non-stop. I just feel amazing. I'm happy we're in the postseason."

Reflecting on her side’s dramatic victory, Storm coach Noelle Quinn said: "You don't ever want to rely on other people to win or lose.

"That's not a good feeling. To be able to take the moment, take care of business on home court against a team who is trending very positively shows a lot of resiliency but also we can breathe a little bit."

All-Star Nneka Ogwumike echoed that sentiment: "Quite frankly, that's not how you want to enter playoffs anyway. It's the reality of it. It happens at times, but that's not really how you want to go into a season where it's win or go home, so I'm glad that we were able to earn that."

Though the Storm clinched the final spot, their exact seed remains unsettled. Depending on the result of Golden State’s finale at Minnesota, Seattle could still rise to the seventh seed.