Sun 78, Fever 74

Sun 78, Fever 74

INDIANAPOLIS — Katie Douglas scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Connecticut Sun. Asjha Jones had 16 points, including a three-point play to give Connecticut a 76-74 lead with 27 seconds left, and Margo Dydek finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun (5-7), who snapped a five-game losing streak. Tamika Whitmore and Tan White each had 15 points for the Fever (9-3). Tamika Catchings added nine points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Indiana tied the score at 71 on Catchings’ 3-pointer with 1:44 left in the fourth quarter. After Lindsay Whalen’s basket put Connecticut ahead by two, White hit a 3-pointer to put the Fever back in front, 74-73, with 31 seconds remaining. Following Jones’ 3-point play, Indiana’s Anna DeForge missed a jumper that would have tied the game, and Douglas nailed two free throws for the final margin.

Lynx 78, Storm 76

MINNEAPOLIS — Seimone Augustus scored 23 points, including the go-ahead jumper with five seconds left, to lead the Minnesota Lynx. Rookie Lindsey Harding added 16 points for Minnesota, which has won four of its last five after starting the season a franchise-worst 0-7. With the game was tied at 58 after three quarters, Minnesota began the fourth with an 8-0 run and held off a late rally by Sue Bird and the Storm to preserve the win. Racking up two early fouls, Augustus failed to score until there was 2:37 left in the second quarter. But once she heated up, so did the Lynx. Augustus scored 14 points in the third quarter as Minnesota (4-10) rebounded from a 39-35 halftime deficit and avenged a 90-76 drubbing at the hands of Seattle two weeks ago. Lauren Jackson scored 16 and Betty Lennox 18 for the Storm (5-6).

Silver Stars 70, Liberty 63

NEW YORK — Becky Hammon scored 19 points in her first game back at Madison Square Garden, leading the San Antonio Silver Stars. Hammon, sent to the Silver Stars in a draft-day trade in April, scored seven points in the fourth quarter — including four free throws in the final 2 1/2 minutes to help San Antonio (7-4) win its third straight. Vickie Johnson, who spent nine seasons in New York before signing with the Silver Stars before last season, added 14 points and Camille Little had 11. Ashley Battle scored 17 points to lead New York (7-5), which has lost five of seven after opening the season with five wins. Jessica Davenport had 11 points and Cathrine Kraayeveld added 10. New York, which rallied from a 17-0 deficit to win at Connecticut on Wednesday night, led by 16 midway through the second quarter. San Antonio used a 14-5 run to pull to 49-48 on Shanna Crossley’s 3 in the opening minute of the fourth, and Little’s 3 gave the Silver Stars their first lead of the game, 59-57 with just over 5 minutes left. Lisa Willis, acquired from Los Angeles earlier in the week, hit a 3 to regain the lead. But San Antonio used an 8-1 run, capped by two free throws from Hammon, to make it 67-61 with 28 seconds left. The Liberty scored the first six points of the game and Battle had five points during an 8-0 run that gave New York a 33-17 advantage in the second quarter.

Associated Press