98-92 in overtime Tuesday night in Houston’s home opener.
Augustus finished with nine rebounds and four assists and the Lynx erased a 12-point deficit in the last five minutes of regulation and forced overtime when Augustus hit an easy basket with 26.8 seconds left.
In the last 15 seconds of the fourth quarter, the Comets’ Erica White turned the ball over but the Lynx could not get a shot off.
Minnesota then scored six of the first eight points in overtime, including four by Anosike in the first 2:57.
Anna De Forge added 19 points and six rebounds for the Lynx (2-0), who are off to their best start since 1999.
Tina Thompson had 20 points and nine rebounds as the Comets fell to 0-3 for the second straight season.
The Comets led 26-17 after the first quarter as Thompson carved up the Lynx for 10 points in the first 12 minutes. But Minnesota, playing its first road game of the season, responded with a 10-0 run to start the second quarter and took its first lead when Noelle Quinn made an easy layup with 6:31 left in the half.
But as quickly as that lead disappeared, it returned. Mabika scored eight points in a 15-0 Houston run that Shannon Johnson capped by making a long 3 with 2:43 left.
The Lynx got back in the game with an 8-0 run and made it 45-37 on a last-second layup by Vanessa Hayden-Johnson as time expired in the first half.
Beard scored seven of the final nine points for the Mystics (2-2), who outrebounded the Dream 41-20.
Betty Lennox scored 29 points for Atlanta (0-4), which nearly rallied from a nine point deficit in the fourth quarter. Lennox, who made six of seven 3-pointers, hit two of them on an 8-0 run that cut the lead to 71-70 with about 3 minutes remaining.
After Beard hit consecutive free throws, Lennox nailed a mid-range jumper to cut the lead back to one before Beard’s layup and free throw gave the Mystics a four-point cushion with 52 seconds left. Lennox countered with another basket, but Beard, who hit 10 of 12 free throws, and Monique Currie each hit two free throws to seal the win.
The expansion Dream lost by double figures in their first three games.
The Mystics won their second game in a row, but their first without injured point guard Nikki Blue. Amber Jacobs started for the first time since 2006, and had no points, but three assists.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP)—Katie Douglas scored 23 points in her return to Connecticut, leading the Indiana Fever to a 75-46 win over the Sun on Tuesday night.
Douglas, who played five seasons in Connecticut, was traded to Indiana for Tamika Whitmore during the offseason.
She scored 14 of her points in the first half when the Fever (2-1) took a double-digit lead it never gave up. Tan White added 15 points for the Fever.
Connecticut trailed by 22 points at halftime and got as close as 16 early in the third quarter at 48-32. But Indiana outscored Connecticut 14-7 the rest of the way and had a 62-39 lead entering the fourth period.
Douglas hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth period and later a pair of free throws that gave Indiana its largest lead at 75-44.
It was the lowest point total for the Sun franchise since Aug 1, 2003, when they scored 45 points in a 48-45 loss to Washington. Connecticut’s seven-point output in the fourth was a franchise record low.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Although many of the familiar faces are gone from the roster, the Sacramento Monarchs still played with their trademark tough defensive style Saturday night in winning their season-opener at home.
Adrian Williams-Strong and Nicole Powell each scored 13 points and the Monarchs held off the San Antonio Silver Stars for a 73-64 victory.
Despite a revamped starting lineup and bench, the Monarchs dominated the opening stages of the first quarter and led most of the way against the Silver Stars, who defeated Sacramento in the opening round of the playoffs last year.
The Monarchs played without DeMya Walker, who was injured in preseason and released by the team on Friday. Also gone from the Monarchs’ once-formidable front court is Yolanda Griffith, who signed as a free agent with Seattle in the offseason.
But 10 Monarchs played significant minutes, including three rookies and two players who saw limited action a year ago.
“That was impressive the way our rookies came in and played,” said Powell, who didn’t start the game and joined the team late this week after finishing her season in Russia. “Our rookies are very mature, they have no fear. They aren’t intimidated by anyone.”
Rebekkah Brunson and rookie Laura Harper each scored 10 points for the Monarchs, who won despite 23 turnovers. Kara Lawson had nine points and Ticha Penicheiro had six points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Harper, the team’s top draft choice out of Maryland, admitted to some early jitters, but still produced well in 21 minutes. A post player, she made 3 of 5 shots, hit all four free throws and added five rebounds and two blocks.
“The veterans on this team have instilled a lot of confidence in the rookies,” Harper said. “They’ve been telling us you can’t be nervous and have helped us be more composed. This was a fun, an exciting win. It’s great to know I will be coming in and getting some minutes right away, which doesn’t happen to all rookies.”
Sophia Young scored 22 points for San Antonio, which missed 16 of 19 3-point attempts and shot 32 percent. Becky Hammon and Erin Buescher each scored 11 points and Vickie Johnson added eight.
Hammon, who shot 4 of 19 and had one assist, wasn’t ready to give too much credit to the new-look Monarchs.
“We know they are a good defensive team that is scrappy, but I thought we had a lot of good looks, open shots that we just didn’t make,” Hammon said. “We made a lot of mistakes, things that really hurt us.”
Trailing 65-53 early in the fourth, the Silver Stars scored seven straight to cut the lead to five points midway through the quarter. Bothered by Sacramento’s constant defensive pressure, San Antonio scored just four points the rest of the fourth quarter.
“We started missing shots again, and they were able to run. It’s a lot easier to run when you’re getting a rebound on a missed shot, rather than a basket,” Hammon said. “We let the game get away from us at the end.”
Brunson scored nine points in the opening half and nine of the 10 Monarchs who played also scored, helping Sacramento take a 41-35 lead into halftime.
“They (San Antonio) are hard to get a rhythm against, but I thought we showed great perseverance and resilience and got a lot of good minutes from a lot of good people and we found a way,” Monarchs coach Jenny Boucek said
Shooting 31 percent in the opening half, the Silver Stars were fortunate they didn’t trail by more. Hammon typified San Antonio’s shooting woes in the first half, missing 7 of 9 shots and scoring five points.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game for people listening on the radio or watching the locally televised broadcast was listening to Ron Artest. The controversial Sacramento Kings player did three quarters of the game as a color radio commentator and spent the second quarter in front of the TV cameras.
San Antonio was playing without projected starting center Ann Wauters, who is having passport problems and is expected to join the team next week.
Also, Silver Stars guard Helen Darling also missed all eight shots and scored three points.
SEATTLE (AP)—Lauren Jackson scored 14 points and Sue Bird added 13 points and seven assists and the Seattle Storm beat the Chicago Sky 67-61 in the teams’ season opener on Saturday night.
The Storm (1-0) overcame cold shooting in the first half and went on a 23-1 scoring run—including 12-0 to end the third quarter—to pull ahead.
“In the second half, we just got into the flow and showed some pretty great things,” said Jackson, who had just two points at halftime on 1-for-10 shooting. “When our defense breaks down, it generally takes a toll on our offense. If we get it right defensively, good things will come.”
The Storm, playing their first game under a new ownership group and new coach Brian Agler, featured a significantly revamped lineup that includes reigning league MVP Jackson and past MVPs Sheryl Swoopes and Yolanda Griffith.
Swoopes finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. Griffith had eight points and seven rebounds.
The Storm struggled to score in the first half. Seattle shot 29.4 percent (10-for-34) during the first 20 minutes and trailed 35-29 at halftime.
The third-year Sky, who were looking for their first regular-season victory against the Storm in five tries, extended the lead to 38-29 early in the third quarter as Seattle missed its first seven shots after halftime.
Agler called a timeout just 59 seconds into the third.
“I just said, ‘We have to start playing with some poise around the basket. We’re missing a lot of easy shots,”’ Agler said. “And we had to have some consecutive stops on defense.”
The Storm hit 13 of their last 18 shots in the third quarter to get back into the game. They tied it at 47-47 on Jackson’s turnaround 10-footer, and went in front for good when Swoopes stole the ball and hit Bird for a fast-break lay-in.
Seattle extended the lead to 17 points during the fourth when Jackson hit a short shot and the ensuing free throw to cap the 23-1 run.
“We were a little tentative during the first half, not because of a lack of energy, but because you’re in a new system with a lot of new players,” Bird said. “But every day, the more we play together, whether it’s in practice or in games, it’ll come.”
Chicago was led by Chasity Melvin, who came off the bench for 15 points. Jia Perkins added 12. Candice Dupree had seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Sky, who were kept without a field goal for nearly 11 minutes—from 2:47 left in the third quarter to 1:44 left in the game.
The Sky out-rebounded Seattle, 40-34.
Swoopes, formerly of Houston, and Griffith, from Sacramento, signed during the offseason as free agents. Swin Cash, another league All-Star acquired from Detroit in an offseason trade, also had 13 points for Seattle.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP)—Tamika Whitmore had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 100-67 victory over the expansion Atlanta Dream on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Asjha Jones added 18 points, Barbara Turner 15 and Lindsay Whalen 11 for the Sun, who scored 100 points in regulation for the second time in franchise history
Betty Lennox led Atlanta with 17 points, Stacey Lovelace had 11 and Katie Feenstra 10.
The Sun led 51-34 at halftime and didn’t let the Dream get closer than 14 points in the second half.
Atlanta led 17-12 before Connecticut used a 26-6 run to take over early in the game.
The Sun added nine new players in the offseason, following their first-round playoff exit last season. Whitmore made her debut with the Sun after being traded from Indiana in the offseason for All-Star Katie Douglas.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP)—Alexis Hornbuckle won a national championship in her last game. On Saturday, she moved to the pro level without missing a beat.
In her WNBA debut, the Tennessee star had eight points and a franchise-record seven steals to help the Detroit Shock beat the Houston Comets 85-66 in the season opener.
“I knew I had to be ready to play, and I just wanted to give us some energy and defense,” Hornbuckle said. “I was over-thinking things early on, but I settled down.”
Hornbuckle helped the Lady Volunteers defend their NCAA title last month. She had a game-winning jumper in the semifinals, so her teammates weren’t surprised by her performance.
Katie Smith scored 21 points and Plenette Pierson added 17 to lead the Shock, who have played in the WNBA finals in three of the last five seasons.
“She was great, but coming from Tennessee, we knew she was used to playing at a high level,” Smith said.
Hornbuckle got extra playing time because Deanna Nolan was limited to 17 minutes by a sore ankle. Nolan got hurt while playing in Russia, and spent most of the second half on the bench.
“I thought it was extraordinary that she was able to get on the floor at all,” said Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer. “She couldn’t get it loose after the half, so we had to sit her.”
Laimbeer chose to start Elaine Powell at point guard and move Smith to Swin Cash’s vacated small-forward spot.
“I like Plenette in that role, and I thought E.P. did a great job,” he said. “We might stay with that group, but it depends on Nolan’s ankle and the matchups.”
“Detroit’s a good team—they’ve been to the finals, and they’ve won several times, so you have to come out and play them hard,” Thompson said. “We didn’t do that.”
The Shock took control with a 20-1 run that stretched between the third and fourth quarters.
“We looked a little confused with some of our defensive assignments in the first half, but I thought we really settled down in the third quarter,” Laimbeer said. “We got some steals and we didn’t give them any second shots.”
The Comets finished with 23 turnovers, leading to 25 Detroit points, and allowed 20 offensive rebounds.
“Detroit did a great job defensively, and they played a very physical game,” Houston coach Karleen Thompson said. “But we need to work on our chemistry as a team. It’s basically just effort—that was a big thing tonight.”
PHOENIX (AP)—Candace Parker had some jitters in her WNBA debut. It sure didn’t show.
Parker scored 34 points, the most in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday.
The previous high in a WNBA debut was 25 points by Cynthia Cooper in 1997.
“It obviously was better than I expected,” said the 6-foot-4 Parker, who led Tennessee to back-to-back national titles. “Coming out, I just wanted to play hard. I was a little nervous, and I think my teammates did a good job of just keeping me in it mentally and just not allowing me to get frustrated.”
The game was tied at 79 early in the fourth quarter when Parker took over. She scored 10 straight points to give the Sparks an 89-86 lead with 3:15 to play.
Parker, who made 6-of-7 shots in the final quarter, hit a short hook shot to put the Sparks up 97-94 with 12 seconds to go.
“She’s the money player,” Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper said. “Put the ball in her hands and she did what she’s supposed to do.”
Parker wore a brace on her left shoulder, which she dislocated during the NCAA tournament. It didn’t slow her one bit.
Parker came within two assists of becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double. Only one NBA player did it in his debut—Oscar Robertson, in 1960.
“Honestly, it was just finding the mismatch,” Parker said. “My teammates did a great job of just getting me the ball and just moving afterwards.”
Lisa Leslie, who missed last season on maternity leave, had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks.
Cappie Pondexter, fighting off jet lag, scored 32 points for Phoenix but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds to go.
Pondexter arrived in Phoenix late Friday night after a long flight from Turkey, where she played during the WNBA offseason.
“She’s what you call a trooper,” Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said. “She had 32. I can’t wait until she gets a little sleep.”
Before the game, the Mercury celebrated their 2007 WNBA championship with a ring ceremony and the unveiling of US Airways Center’s lone basketball title banner.
Mercury star Diana Taurasi told the crowd of 13,749 that the Mercury aim to make it two in a row this season. But this is a different team.
Former coach Paul Westhead left after the season to join the Seattle SuperSonics’ staff, although he returned for the ring ceremony. And star forward Penny Taylor is back in her native Australia preparing for the Beijing Olympics.
With Phoenix-area resident Muhammad Ali watching from a baseline seat, the fired-up Mercury broke out to a 15-7 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Sparks answered with a 10-0 run capped by a pair of 3-pointers by Sidney Spencer, who hit 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.
Taurasi missed her first six shots, showing the effects of a stomach virus she contracted after returning from Russia this week. She was scoreless until she made a 3-pointer late in the first half. Taurasi finished with 24 points.
HOUSTON (AP)—Seimone Augustus scored 25 points and Nicky Anosike added 20 more to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Houston Comets
