WNBA ROUNDUP Monday's games
Rockers 75, Sting 66
CLEVELAND -- Chasity Melvin scored a season-high 22 points to lead Cleveland into the playoffs. Cleveland will open the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Detroit. Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 13 points to lead Charlotte (18-16) despite being in foul trouble the entire second half. Sutton-Brown went to the bench with her fourth foul 55 seconds after halftime as Penny Taylor converted a three-point play to put Cleveland ahead 38-30. The Rockers outscored Charlotte 21-13 over the next nine minutes to open a 59-43 advantage before Sutton-Brown returned. The Sting rallied to make it 61-53 before Sutton-Brown picked up her fifth foul with 7:50 to play. Taylor finished with 16 points and rookie LaToya Thomas scored 14 for Cleveland (17-17).
Sparks 67, Comets 64
LOS ANGELES -- Mwadi Mabika scored 19 points, including six in the final two minutes. Sheryl Swoopes missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Comets, who lost three straight and four in a row on the road. Tina Thompson scored 19 points for the Comets and Swoopes added 13. DeLisha Milton had 15 points for the Sparks and Lisa Leslie added eight points and 14 rebounds.
Shock 68, Mystics 60
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Ayana Walker had 14 points and 11 rebounds as Detroit finished the best regular season in team history. Detroit (25-9) had already clinched the league's best record and left most of the usual starting lineup on the bench. Ruth Riley played just 11 minutes, while Swin Cash, Deanna Nolan and Elaine Powell never got off the bench. Cheryl Ford (back) was placed on the injured list before the game, but will be eligible to return for the first playoff game. Washington All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw left the game with 4:07 to play after spraining her left medial collateral ligament in a collision with Detroit's Barb Farris. Farris and Sheila Lambert added 12 points each for Detroit. Coco Miller had 15 points for Washington (9-25), while Holdsclaw had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Storm 70, Monarchs 57
SEATTLE -- Lauren Jackson scored 18 points and Tonya Massaline hit all four of her second-half shots for Seattle. Jackson averaged 21.1 points a game this summer to win the WNBA scoring title. Her 698 points were the second highest single-season total in league history. Minnesota guard Katie Smith scored 739 points in 2001. Tangela Smith led Sacramento (19-15) with 13 points while Yolanda Griffith scored 12. The Monarchs finished the regular season 12-4 under interim coach John Whisenant. Sandy Brondello scored 13 for the Storm (18-16).
Sun 72, Fever 62
INDIANAPOLIS -- Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 17 points as Connecticut clinched its first playoff berth. Nykesha Sales scored 14 points, Shannon Johnson had 12 and Brooke Wyckoff 11 for the Sun. Tamika Catchings, playing with stitches under her left eye after reopening a wound on Saturday, scored 20 points, Natalie Williams had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Rasmussen had 12 points.
-- Associated Press