Storm beat Sky 67-61

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.