Detroit sets season high in points

The last-place Mystics nipped Connecticut.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Cheryl Ford had 19 points and nine rebounds to help the Detroit Shock beat the New York Liberty 88-79 Friday night.
Swin Cash added 15 points and seven of Detroit's franchise-record 28 assists while Ruth Riley added 12 points and nine rebounds. The Shock, who were 0-2 against the Liberty this season, set a season high in points.
Becky Hammon and Elena Baranova had 12 points each to lead New York, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
The Liberty struggled with 11 first-half turnovers and gave up 26 points in the paint.
Mystics 69, Sun 68
WASHINGTON -- Rookie Alana Beard scored 14 points to lead the Washington Mystics over the Connecticut Sun.
Muriel Page added 13, and Nakia Sanford had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Washington. Stacey Dales-Schuman had eight points and 10 assists for the last-place Mystics (11-14), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Nykesha Sales led the Sun (13-13) with 23 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Lindsay Whalen had 11 points and seven rebounds. Katie Douglas added 10 points.
Sales' running jumper brought the Sun within 66-65 with 30 seconds left, but the Mystics made free throws to seal the win.
Storm 70, Lynx 55
MINNEAPOLIS -- Betty Lennox scored 17 of her season-high 23 points in the second half as the Seattle Storm defeated the Minnesota Lynx.
Sue Bird scored 12 points and Lauren Jackson added 11 for the Storm, who solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference by dominating the third-place Lynx.
Minnesota played its second straight game without Katie Smith, the WNBA's third leading scorer (18.8). She is on the injured reserve list with a bruised knee.
Mercury 68, Silver Stars 59
SAN ANTONIO -- Anna DeForge scored 23 points to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars, who played only hours after the resignation of coach Dee Brown.
Penny Taylor had 18 points and Plenette Pierson added 10 for the Mercury, winners of four straight.
San Antonio, which was coached by assistants Shell Dailey and Vonn Read, lost its fifth straight game. LaToya Thomas had 17 points while Adrienne Goodson and Agnieszka Bibrzycka added 12 apiece.
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