WNBA ROUNDUP Thursday's games

Monarchs 72, Mercury 66
PHOENIX -- Diana Taurasi scored 22 points in her WNBA debut with the Phoenix Mercury -- including a 50-foot bank shot at the halftime buzzer -- but Yolanda Griffith led Sacramento to victory. Taurasi fouled out with 34.6 seconds remaining, falling a point shy of the record for a player in her first WNBA game. Griffith had 17 points and nine rebounds as the bigger Monarchs dominated inside, out-rebounding the Mercury 34-23 in the season-opener. Kara Lawson added 10 points, including four free throws in the final 34.6 seconds. Ticha Penicheiro and rookie Rebekkah Brunson also scored 10 apiece for the winners.
Silver Stars 64, Comets 55
HOUSTON -- Marie Ferdinand scored 20 of her 26 points to lead a second-half comeback by San Antonio. Gwen Jackson added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Shannon Johnson scored 10 for San Antonio, which went in front with a 17-0 run. Tina Thompson led Houston with 20 points. San Antonio hit only 27.3 percent on 9-of-33 shooting the first half and trailed by 11 points at the break. But the Silver Stars hit 12 of their first 16 shots in the second half. Ferdinand scored seven points in the decisive run to a 42-38 lead with 14.53 remaining.
Storm 88, Lynx 85
SEATTLE -- Lauren Jackson scored 31 points and Betty Lennox added 18 in her Seattle debut. Jackson, last season's league MVP, had 20 second-half points on a strong offensive night. She hit 11 of 16 from the floor and missed one of eight free throws. She also had five rebounds and two blocked shots. Sue Bird scored 17 points for the Storm. Teresa Edwards and Katie Smith each scored 17 points for Minnesota, while rookie Nicole Ohlde added 16 and another rookie, Tasha Butts, added 13. Stacey Lovelace-Tolbe had 12.
-- Associated Press